RevieiL's and Kotices of BoolxS. 



135 



The Pines and Firs of Japan; illustrated hy uinuards of 

 200 vjood-cufs. By Andrew Murray, F.L.S., Assistant 

 Secretar}^ to the Eoyal Horticultural Society. 8vo. 

 Pp. 124. London : Bradbury and Evans. 1863. 



Coniferous trees and shrubs have of late years attracted much 

 attention, and many useful plants of tliis Order have been intro- 

 duced into Britain. Expeditions to Oregon, Columbia, and 

 various parts of North America, as well as to China, Japan, and 

 other countries, have been successfully carried on ; and, while 

 additions have been made to our botanical knowledge, valuable 

 plants have been secured for our plantations. Many landed pro- 

 prietors in this country are now fully alive to the importance of 

 the subject, and have contributed liberally to expeditions which 

 had for their object the introduction of hardy conifers likely to 

 yield valuable timber. 



In the present work we have an account of the coniferge of 

 Japan from one who has devoted much attention to the subject, 

 and who was one of the originators of an expedition to Oregon, 

 the result of which was the acquisition of several valuable conifers 

 fitted for the climate of Britain. He is also the editor of the 

 magnificent work which is now being published by Messrs Lawson 

 and Son. The author states in the preface, that the two British 

 botanists, who, by their explorations in Japan, have recently 

 added so much to our knowledge of the vegetable products of that 

 country, — viz. Mr Fortune and Mr John Gr. Veitch, — have kindly 

 placed their stores of specimens and information at his disposal. 



The original works on the flora of Japan, the author remarks, 

 are Kaampfer's " Amoenitates Exoticse," Thunberg's "Flora Ja- 

 ponica," and Siebold and Zuccarini's " Flora Japonica." The 

 first two are works published in 1712 and 1784, and the latter is 

 a costly illustrated work, of which the portion relating to conifers 

 was published in 1842. Recent travellers have made many addi- 

 tions, and have corrected errors in former observations. The species 

 described in this work are eighteen : — Abies Alcocquiana, A. firma, 

 A. Fortmii, A. Jezoensis, A. Kcempferi, A. microsperma, A. polita, 

 A. Tsuja^ A. Veitchi, Cunninghamia sinensis, Larix japonica, L, 

 LeptolepiSj Pinus Bungeana, P. densiflora, P. Koraiensis, P. 

 Massoniana, P. parvifiora, Sciadopitys ■verticillata. The work is 

 executed with great care, and is illustrated by excellent wood-cuts. 

 As a digest of Japan coniferse, it is an important contribution to 

 science. 



