160 



THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 



the general reader. It requires something of an education in 

 both botany and chemistry before its contents become intelhg- 

 ible, but with this equipment it becomes an exceedingly inter- 

 esting account of what has recently been done in certain lines 

 of plant activity. Among the subjects treated are the carbo- 

 hydrates of plants, pectins, osmotic pressures, the plant oxi- 

 dases and their relation to^ color, etc. in the plant, this last being 

 one of the most interesting chapters in the book. Although 

 the bulk of the work is the author's own, he has carefully re- 

 ported the investigations of others bearing on the subjects in 

 hand, and a bibliography of nearly 500 titles is given. Prof. 

 Atkins is connected with the University College, Dublin, and 

 his book is published by Whittaker & Co., London. It is for 

 sale on this side by the Macmillan Company at $3.40. 



