BOOK KEVIEWS. 



101 



BOOK REVIEWS. 



"Alpine Flora of the Canadian Rocky Mountains." By S. Brown. 

 Illustrated with Water-colour Drawings and Photographs by Mrs. C. 

 Schaffer. 8vo., 353 pp. (Putnam, New York and London, 1907.) 

 12s. Qd. net. 



The orders are arranged in the reverse order to that customary here. 

 The book begins with higher cryptogams and gymnosperms, then follow 

 monocotyledons. Of the Incompletae only Salicaceae, Betulaceae, Santa- 

 laceae, and Polygonaceae are represented. Polypetalae follow, concluding 

 with Ga?nopetalae, the last order being Carduaceae (Compositae). The 

 description of each species is clear and concise. The book ought to be 

 useful to all who visit the Rocky Mountains and can study the living 

 plants on the spot. 



" List of British Plants." By G. C. Druce. 8vo., 104 pp. (Clarendon 

 Press, Oxford, 1908.) 2s. Qd. net. 



This is a comprehensive catalogue of more than British plants, for the 

 author has included a very large number which should have no place in 

 a British flora, being chiefly ballast plants. There are 1,100 of these 

 " aliens," such as Eschscholtzia, Bikukulla (Dicentra), Leycesieria, and 

 Diervilla ; such seem to us an unnecessary burden. The author says : 

 " The oldest generic and specific name is chosen where possible, the 

 starting-point being 1753 " ; but is it wise to do this so rigidly as to put 

 Badicida for Nasturtium ? The latter is a far older name, N. aquaticum 

 being the watercress in the fourteenth century. And why should Com- 

 positae, now universally adopted, be replaced by Asteraceae (Lindley) ? 

 Could not there be some compromise between modern usages and 

 antiquity ? 



We note there are many " Jordanese " species under Viola : has every 

 one of these been actually found in Great Britain ? — as localities are not 

 given. On the other hand Viscum has several varieties (perhaps not 

 named), but no mention is made of such. We are under the impression 

 that Paeonia was exterminated on Steep Holmes, by Government fortifi- 

 cations, but it is recorded in this catalogue. 



The author has enumerated a good many supposed hybrids, as in 

 Epilobium and Salix. These ought to be useful to students. The 

 author has also made a useful attempt at an ecological distribution. 

 This is a valuable suggestion to workers, who too often merely collect 

 plants, caring nothing for the physiological aspect of distribution. 

 Altogether, students will find the catalogue of great use. 



"British Flowering Plants." By W. F. Kirby. Obi. 8vo., 215pp. 

 (Appleton, London, 1906.) 5s. net. 



This is a little book (7 inches by 5 inches) with 120 plates, each 

 containing two species, with details of the flowers, &c, and coloured. 



