406 JOUENAL OF THE EOYAL HOKTICULTUEAL SOCIETY. 



where salt-springs occur, and vegetation is subjected to salt spray, and 

 similar " sea-side " plants occur there. Plantago maritima is especially 

 common; while other ordinary inland plants are "fleshy." Hence the 

 suspicion arises that they have arisen or been evolved on the spot, and the 

 present writer suggests that the maritime plantain is a localized form of 

 P. Coronopus, that Spergularia salina is derived from S. rubra ; as 

 Polygonum Baii is certainly from P. aviculare. Experimental verifica- 

 tion is desirable, however. 



The book will be found of very great use, not only to botanical students 

 of Worcestershire, but to English botanists in general. 



"Recent Progress in the Study of Variation, Heredity, and Evolution." 

 By R. H. Lock, M.A. 2nd ed. 8vo., xiv + 334 pp. (Murray, London, 

 1909.) 5s. net. 



This excellent survey of our knowledge of the laws of inheritance has 

 already been reviewed in this Journal (vol. xxxii. p. 306), when the first 

 edition appeared. Several modifications of previous statements find 

 a place in this edition as well as some new matter, and its value is 

 increased by the addition of short lists of the best books dealing with the 

 different aspects of the questions treated upon. It is certainly one of 

 the best books on the subject which have appeared, and is written, for the 

 most part, in language easy to be understood. 



"An Orchid Stud-book." By R. A. Rolfe, A.L.S. and C. C. Hurst, 



F. L.S. 8vo., xlviii + 327 pp. (Leslie, Kew, 1909.) 7s. 6d. net. 



Both orchid growers and those interested in the hybridization of 

 plants from a scientific point of view owe a deep debt of gratitude to 

 the authors of this " Enumeration of hybrid orchids of artificial origin, 

 with their parents, raisers, date of first flowering, references to descriptions 

 and figures, and synonymy." The book represents an enormous amount 

 of work carefully done, for hybrids among orchids have come thick and 

 fast since Dominy raised the first hybrid orchid, Calanthe Masuca x 



G. furcata, at Messrs. Veitch's Chelsea nursery, where it flowered in 

 October, 1856, and since the difficulties of raising orchids from seed have 

 been in large measure overcome ; and the literature concerning them is 

 scattered through many books and periodicals. 



In the opening part, the authors give an excellent history of the 

 hybridization of orchids, a copious bibliography of the subject and 

 instructions for hybridizing and for raising orchid seedlings. 



In the stud-book proper a list of parents arranged alphabetically with 

 their hybrid offspring is given, followed by a second list, also arranged 

 alphabetically, of hybrids with the names of the parents and other 

 information. 



So rapid has the production of hybrids been of late that a 

 supplement containing the names and particulars of those flowering up to 

 the end of 1907, since the first part of the book was passed, occupies 

 seventy-four pages. 



The authors have accepted the first published name of any hybrid as 

 the one to be maintained when it conforms to certain rules they have laid 

 down, and when it does not they have altered the name so that it will, 



