— 15 — 



In this endeavor I have laid the center of gravity of my labor upon explicit 

 description. And I am able to state, without conceit, that in this matter a 

 great abundance of new characters has been furnished to Bryology ; and 

 even each known character has been admitted only after careful scrutiny." 

 According to this standard, thus set well in advance of manuals prior to his 

 time, the author has worked out his three long volumes from beginning to 

 end. The descriptions go into the greatest detail, and are invaluable to both 

 European and American students of mosses. 



The Keys to Orders, Genera and Species are excellent, and usually call 

 for the most available diagnostic characters. 



The treatment of generic names is in many cases elucidated by critical 

 notes, which are gems of historical glimpses of the greatest value to the 

 student of nomenclature problems. Lindberg, the radical reformer in this 

 direction, while often endorsed, is as often set aside for reasons ingeniously 

 and dispassionately stated, all in accordance with a reasonable con- 

 servatism. 



In his treatment of the species the author follows the prevailing cus- 

 tom, of citing the valid synonyms after the specific name and its literary 

 setting are given. Then he cites all the available exsiccati by name and 

 number, followed by the minute description, which often covers a full page, 

 rarely less than half a page. At the close comes the treatment of habitat, 

 substratum, range in altitude and geographical distribution, with citation 

 of stations, which often cover over half a page of fine print alone ! 



Lastly, it is worthy of note that the author has described not a few 

 species new to the mossflora to which he has devoted his life. All these 

 descriptions he has garnered into his great work. It is this garnering, this 

 focusing of all available lights upon the objects in hand, this concentrating 

 of all that has a bearing on the questions involved, bringing all together 

 between the covers of one treatise, that establishes the reputation of 

 Professor Limpricht as one of the most thorough bryologists of his time, 

 and that gives undoubted value and authority to the crowning effort of his 

 life, his Laubmoose Deutchland' s, Oestreich' s tind der Schweiz. 



Winona, Minn. 



Note — We have just received from Prof. Holzinger a communication 

 giving much interesting information regarding the earlier works of 

 Lim pricht which materially adds to the above data. It is too late to print it 

 in this issue but it will be given in full in the March Bryologist. 



WANTED. 



Enough good fruiting material of the following mosses to make 20-30 

 good sized specimens of each: Pogonatum urnigerum, Dicranum Drum- 

 mondii, Pottia truncatula, Splachnum ampullaceum, Mnium Drummondii, 

 Plagiothecium sylvaticum, Brachythecium acuminatum, Eurhynchium hians, 

 Climacium dendroides, C. Americanum, Leucodon bracypus and L. julaecus, 

 A liberal exchange from a choice list of duplicates is offered in return. 



Address, A. J. Grout, 360 Lenox Road, Brooklyn, N. Y. 



