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JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 



Transfusion tissue is twice incidentally referred to ; but nothing 

 is said about it in connection with figures 24, 25, and 26. 



With regard to the "cyme," we are glad to see the old text-book 

 explanation for "scorpioid cyme " abolished. Perigynous, hypogynous, 

 and epigynous should not be applied in its totality, but to the petals and 

 stamens only, the calyx and pistil being inferior or superior. This 

 imparts precision to the structures. 



A better illustration of dedoublement or branching is seen in the 

 stamens of Malvacece, which commence as five papilla? only ; Crucifers 

 hardly come under the term. 



It is hardly correct to say " In epigynous flowers syncarpy alone is 

 possible." The Hawthorn has often only one carpel ; and in the Pomacece 

 generally the fruit is correctly styled " falsely syncarpous." 



The free-central placenta of Primula is more probably produced by 

 keel-like processes from the base of the carpels, as described by Henslow. 



" Eleanor Ormerod, LL.D., Economic Entomologist : Autobiography 

 and Correspondence." By R. Wallace. 8vo., 348 pp. (J. Murray, 

 London.) 21s. net. 



The life of Miss Ormerod, the well-known authoress of various books 

 and papers on economic entomology, has been written, or perhaps it would 

 be more correct to say compiled, by one of her very intimate friends 

 (Prof. Wallace). From what is said in the preface he suggested to Miss 

 Ormerod that she should write her biography, and several chapters are 

 written by her ; but the " remainder of the autobiography was left in 

 crude form, requiring much piecing together and editorial trimming." 

 From the point of view of the general reader the editorial scissors might 

 have been used much more freely with advantage. No doubt many 

 particulars, letters, and little anecdotes, which are of little or no interest 

 to the public, are of the greatest value to her relations and intimate friends. 

 This book, however, is not published for private circulation, and at any 

 rate the letters should have been pruned much closer. 



Miss Ormerod was undoubtedly a remarkably gifted person. The 

 diversity of her talents was very unusual. She was a very fair artist, 

 a good linguist, was more or less proficient in carpentering, wood carving, 

 electrotyping, and modelling, besides her attainments as a meteorologist 

 and entomologist. Up to the time when she first began to publish papers 

 on economic entomology, but little had been done in this branch of science. 

 Except the classic work by Curtis on farm insects and various papers, and 

 two works by Prof. Westwood, there was nothing published in this country 

 on the subject, so that the issue of the first of her annual reports was quite 

 a " new departure." These reports were very valuable, as they contained 

 information, about various insects which were destructive to farm crops, 

 of the most interesting nature. The first report was published in 1877, 

 and subsequently one was issued every year in April or May with the 

 greatest regularity until failing health compelled her to desist from the 

 very laborious task of their compilation. The last was published in 1900. 

 Her "Manual of Injurious Insects," a book of some 320 pages, and 

 profusely illustrated, was published in 1881, and proved a great boon 

 to all interested in the subject of economic entomology in this country, 



