90 



Reviews and Book Notices. 



The Society is to be congratulated on the high level at which 

 its ' Transactions ' are kept. While dealing exclusively with 

 the East Riding, their value and interest are by no means local 

 and evanescent. The scientists and field naturalists who desire 

 to keep abreast with the times cannot afford to ignore them. 



E. G. B. 



A Treatise on the British Freshwater Algse. By Q. S. West, 



M.A., A.R.C.S., F.L.S. Pages xvi. + 372, illustrated. los. 6d. net. 

 University Press, Cambridg-e. 



This treatise, which gives an account of organisms with 

 which the author is thoroughly familiar, will be welcomed by 

 all students of Algae. One-tenth of the book is taken up with a 

 biological introduction, and the remaining nine-tenths is devoted 

 to systematics. The latter portion of the book is almost 

 beyond criticism : in fact, it may be doubted if any British 

 botanist (other than the author's father) is competent to criticise 

 more than detached portions of it. The descriptions of genera 

 with which the present reviewer is familiar are straightforward, 

 clear, and accurate ; and Mr. West is not to blame if in the 



Fig. 36.— A-C, Prasiola parietina (Vauch.) Wille, from Bradford, W. Yorkshire (x 500). 

 D-G, Pi-asioln crfspa (Lightf.) Menegh. : D, examples from Bradford, W. Yorkshire 

 (nat. size); E, simple filament from Helvellyn, Westmorland; F, portion of irregular 

 filament from Wimbledon Common, Surrey (x 500) ; G, basal portion of broader thallus. 

 from Bradford, W. Yorkshire (x 400). 



future a student of British Algai is unable to place within the 

 precise limits of a genus any Alga he may find in the fresh waters 

 of the British Islands. Still, there are occasional slips, as when 

 the filaments of Sacheria are stated to be ' little branched ' as 



Naturalist, 



