510 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



the true teacher breathes in every page. The parts dealing with plant 

 biology and human biology are particularly good ; and the second part 

 is good, but impresses one with the feeling that general animal 

 biology is a less natural subject of instruction than either of the other 

 two. A great deal of dependence is placed upon the figures (which, by 

 the way, are excellent all through the book) in this part, thus introducing 

 a factor of possible inaccuracy in the premises, which is absent when 

 actual specimens are available, and it is obviously impossible to have 

 living specimens of animals, from the sponge to the big cats and 

 monkeys, available for examination. The methods of instruction here 

 are, as all through the book, very suggestive, and the authors are to be 

 congratulated on having produced a book which is bound to have an 

 inspiring effect upon those teachers and scholars into whose hands it 

 shall come. 



" A Text-book of Botany." By J. M. Lowson. Fourth edition. 

 8vo., 531 pp. (Clive, London, 1908.) 6s. 6d, 



" Elementary Botany." By Percy Groom. Eighth edition. 8vo., 

 272 pp. (Bell, London, 1908.) 3s. Qd. 



If the numerous elementary books on botany which have issued 

 from the press since Oliver's " Lessons " appeared in the 'sixties and 

 Henslow's " Botany for Beginners " in the 'seventies be any criterion, 

 botany as a school or examination subject is still well to the fore. 

 The majority deal purely with structure, external and internal, and the 

 principles of physiology. In both of the books under review this is 

 well done and well illustrated. Until the last quarter of a century 

 classification was the goal aimed at, for the details of structure were 

 only studied as marks of distinction whereby to classify plants. 



Darwin first drew attention to the uses of structural details for the 

 requirements of the plant itself. His many works, such as " The 

 Fertilisation of Orchids," " Climbing Plants," &c, introduced what 

 is now called ecology, i.e. the study of plant structure and physiology 

 with special reference to the habits of the organism when growing wild. 



This should be the aim and goal of all students of both kingdoms 

 of living beings. Text-books should be so framed as to lead up to this 

 end ; none can be considered up to date unless the principles of ecology 

 are clearly, if succinctly, stated, so that the student is soon awakened to 

 its interest and importance, and can himself pursue it in the field. 



Turning to the index, we find Mr. Lowson's book has fourteen 

 references to " adaptation," the basis of ecology ; the new ecological 

 terms, edaphic, hydrophytes, mesophytes, and xerophytes, with twelve 

 references, &c, are given. These show that the author is alive to the 

 importance of the subject. In Mr. Groom's book, with the exception of 

 some adaptations in roots and leaves, none of the above words find a 

 place in the index. Mr. Lowson gives excellent though brief accounts 

 of ecological associations, and on field observations upon them. This 

 only occupying little more than a page, might have been lengthened by 

 calling the attention of the student to normal amphibious plants and the 

 frequent "experiments" which Nature makes with plants when they 

 happen to grow in unaccustomed conditions. Thus, if a pond dries up, 



