130 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



to her plants. The work is planned to occupy six volumes, of which 

 this one — the second to appear, although the third in the final sequence 

 — begins the treatment of Dicotyledons. 



The Botanical Department of the British Museum has a traditional 

 reputation for extreme slowness of production ; but it must be added 

 that this has always arisen from the extreme — we had almost written 

 excessive — care devoted to its publications. Mr. Fawcett's official 

 residence in the island as Government botanist for twenty years has 

 fitted him in an exceptional degree for the task to which he has devoted 

 unremitting labour since his return to England. The history of his 

 work is in this in marked contrast to that of his illustrious predecessor 

 Sir Hans Sloane, who was only a few months in the island, although 

 his " Natural History of Jamaica " was not completed for more than a 

 quarter of a century. Mr. Fawcett's work has been done mainly in 

 the Botanical Department of the British Museum, with Sloane's 

 collections literally at his elbow ; and he has been fortunate in securing 

 the collaboration of Dr. Rendle, the Keeper of the Department, the 

 carefulness of whose work is known to every botanist. 



In beginning with Monocotyledons, and in the sequence of Families 

 adopted — this volume starting with Piperaceae — the work shows 

 itself to be on thoroughly modern lines. Distinctive characters are 

 wisely italicized in the conspectus of Families ; a key to the Families 

 is added ; and all the descriptions, which include keys to the species, 

 are in English. A somewhat unusual feature in Floras of this class 

 is the introduction of a figure with analytical details of at least one 

 species in every genus ; and as these and the five plates are from the 

 skilful pencil of Mr. Highley, they add greatly to the value of the work. 



Among the more interesting points in the present instalment of the 

 Flora are the thirty-eight species of Peperomia and forty-two of Pilea 

 and the large representation of the parasitic Loranthaceae, of which 

 there are twenty-one species in six genera. Though numerous changes 

 in nomenclature have been necessary, and new combinations, such as 

 Dendrophthora opnntioides for Viscum opuntioides L., which com- 

 bines the male D. gracilis Eichl. with the female D. Danceri Kr. & 

 Urb., are also many, the authors have already published most of their 

 new species in the " Journal of Botany " ; but one, Alternanthera 

 parvifolia, is figured and described here (p. 139). 



We hope that before their work is brought to its close the authors 

 will give an account of previous workers, and especially of such hitherto 

 unpublished materials as the collection made by Dr. Arthur Broughton 

 and the drawings of the Rev. John Lindsay, both belonging to the 

 eighteenth century, to which reference is made in their preface. 



" A Pocket Synopsis of the Families of British Flowering Plants 

 (based upon the System of Engler)." By W. B. Grove, M.A., Lecturer 

 in Botany at the Birmingham Municipal Technical School. Sm. 8vo. 

 pp. vi-f 49. (Longmans, London, 1915.) is. net. 



The English systematic botanist has always carried conservative 



