SOME BOOKS ON ROCK-GARDENING AND ALPINE PLANTS. 409 



out the identity of a plant, but this work is arranged on Engler's 

 system, and the Hieraciums are very fully dealt with. 



Bonnier and Layens published a book in French in 1907 (?), "Flore 

 Complete de la France et de la Suisse," with 5,388 figures. It is in 

 the form of a key to find out the name of any plant, and good and 

 useful, but not " complete," for Crocus medius of the Maritime Alps 

 is omitted. The illustrations are wonderfully good, generally giving 

 only the critical characters of the species, but of course are very minute 

 and a sore trial to elderly eyes. 



There is also a new work by Gaston Bonnier, " Flore Complete, 

 illustree en couleurs, de France, Suisse et Belgique " (two volumes 

 published at present). 



The Abbe Coste's wonderful " Flore de la France,"* in 3 volumes 

 8vo. Paris, 1901-3, includes many Alpines, and the keys for genera and 

 species are very good and useful in working out difficult plants. The 

 little outline drawings of each species are especially good, and the 

 critical characters of each are shown enlarged by the side of the spray 

 of the flowering plant. 



For smaller districts there are Bouvier's " Flore des Alpes de la 

 Suisse et la Savoie," 1878 ; Ardoino's " Flore des Alpes Maritimes," 

 1867, and 2nd edition, 1879. 



A larger and more important work is "Flore des Alpes Maritimes," 

 (4 vols, by E. Burnat and vol. 5 by F. Cavillier, 1892-1915, in con- 

 tinuation), of which five volumes have been so far published. This is a 

 very thorough and carefully prepared flora of the district, and can 

 be purchased for something over two pounds. 



Space does not permit the inclusion of monographs of genera 

 or families containing Alpine plants, so the last books I will notice 

 this time are one that comes to us from Japan and another from 

 France. 



"Pocket Atlas of Alpine Plants of Japan,"* by Prof. M. Miyoshi, 

 Tokyo (vol. i. 1906; vol. ii. 1907; 18s.). These two volumes 

 contain coloured figures of 408 plants. Though small, these figures 

 are excellent and represent an exceedingly interesting set of Alpine 

 plants. The text is in Japanese and English, and consists of very brief 

 descriptions of the habitat, time of flowering, and the chief features 

 of the plants figured. Thus: "220. Primula cuneifolia Ledeb. var. 

 heterodonta Makino, Northern Japan, grass-region (Mt. Iwaki, Mutsu). 

 Fl. June. Perennial ; leaves irregularly dentate on margin." So 

 that a great deal of useful information is condensed into a small 

 space. 



' Icones Florae Alpinae Plant arum ' was commenced in 191 1 by 

 M. Leon Marret and five fascicules appeared before the end of that 

 year. After an interval three more fascicules have appeared, each 

 of which is much larger than any of the first five. In the preparation 

 of the later numbers M. Marret has had the benefit of the collaboration 

 of many distinguished botanists, and Mr. Farrer has contributed a 

 preface in English and cultural notes to the second series. 



VOL. xli. 2 E 



