• 78 JOURNAL OF THE KOYAL HOETICULTUEAL SOCIETY. 



Birds' Protection Acts, the laws protecting rare plants in Switzerland, and 

 the international agreement of 1900 as to big game in Africa. There are 

 the numerous private societies for influencing public opinion, such as the 

 Audubon Societies in America, our Selborne Society, the Swiss " Associa- 

 tion pour la protection des plantes" and the Belgian "Societe pour la 

 protection des sites"; and there are the now numerous county photo- 

 graphic surveys, which, by the by, our author seems to have overlooked. 



Professor Conwentz rightly dwells or the great amount already done in 

 this matter by private effort, especially in the United Kingdom, as for 

 example the many handsome presents made to the nation through the 

 National Trust. We are therefore not surprised to find him, although 

 himself the head of a state department, deprecating government action in 

 thi s matter in Britain. If we do not altogether agree with this conclusion, 

 we none the less feel deeply indebted to the enthusiasm, the industry and 

 the ability of the learned professor for this useful compendium, written, as 

 it is, in faultless English, and concluding complimentarily with Shake- 

 speare's question, ' Who is here so vile that will not love his country.' 



" Experimental Morphology." By Dr. C. B. Davenport. 8vo., 509 pp. 

 (Macmillan, London, 1908.) 15s. net. 



The study of the different forms assumed by plants and animals early 

 attracted great attention ; later, the manner of development of these forms 

 was studied ; and now attention is being more and more directed towards 

 inquiries into the reasons why organisms develop as they do and what the 

 forces are which direct the path development shall follow. This study 

 of experimental morphology is comparatively new and very much remains 

 yet to be done. The primary aim of the book under review is to give an 

 account of what is known at present concerning the subject in such 

 a manner "as to indicate the directions for further research." Each 

 chapter contains an account of the action of different external conditions 

 upon protoplasm itself or upon that peculiar phenomenon exhibited by 

 protoplasm called growth, and concludes with a list of the principal papers 

 already published dealing with the particular branch of the subject of 

 which it treats. The book abounds with details of experiments upon such 

 subjects as the effect of chemical agents upon protoplasm and upon 

 growth, and the effects of water, density, contact, gravity, electricity and 

 so on, considered in relation to the living stuff itself and in relation to 

 growth. A large proportion of the experiments relate to animals, but all the 

 principal effects upon plants are touched upon. 



This edition appears to be an issue of the original two volumes in one 

 but otherwise unchanged. None of the research of the last twelve years 

 is therefore included. It is to be hoped, for the sake of workers now in 

 the field, that a new edition will soon be called for, when the author may 

 increase the indebtedness of fellow-workers to him by bringing his book 

 down to date. 



" British Mosses." By the Bight Hon. Sir Edward Fry, G.C.B. 2nd 

 ed. 8vo., 72 pp. (Witherby, London, 1908.) Is. 6d. net. 



To those who desire to gain an insight into the structure of mosses 

 and the work they do in the world, this little book can be heartily 



