61 
MUSCINEiE. 
Illustrated Guide to British Mosses. 
British museologists are being well cared for at present, and if 
ample choice of really good modern works on the subject can to 
any extent promote the study of a most fascinating branch of 
cryptogamic botany, we can look for an increase in the number of 
students interested in the study of mosses. Hobkirk’s useful 
“ Synopsis of the British Mosses ” has played a most useful part 
in keeping us in touch with the important advances made in the 
study of mosses since the publication of Wilson’s classical work. 
Braithwaite’s magnificent and exhaustive monograph is gradually 
approaching completion ; and now we have a volume which, owing 
to its excellence, will be simply indispensable to all those desirous 
of combining practice with precept ; in other words, the object of 
the volume under consideration is to take the novice by the hand, 
and demonstrate by means of carefully worked out analytical 
keys and excellent figures a ready means of ascertaining the genus 
and species to which any given moss may belong. The introduc- 
tory part of the book includes short chapters on — -I. The Moss 
Plant in General; II. The Stem and its Appendages; III. The 
Leaves; IY. The Capsule, etc.; Y. The Spores; VI. The 
Inflorescence ; VII. Practical Examination of Specimens. In 
these preliminary chapters the student will find a mine of informa- 
tion, explanation of terms, practical hints, etc. Then follows a 
key to the genera, succeeded in turn by a key to the species. The 
various generic characters are given in some detail, the prominent 
features being duly emphasized, points of agreement and of 
divergence with allied genera being noted, as are also the 
characters of aberrent species. Finally, we have 59 plates con- 
taining over 2,400 figures, illustrating every known British moss. 
The magnified portions, as leaves, cell-structure, capsule, etc., are 
all drawn to one uniform scale. The figures from an artistic point 
of view are excellent, and the fact of their having been drawn direct 
from nature by means of a camera lucida is sufficient guarantee of 
their accuracy. We learn that all the figures were drawn oil 
stone by the author, and most of them also printed by him ; hence 
the reason why such a beautifully illustrated and altogether well 
got up volume can be offered at so reasonable a price. 
Finally, the book is published by the author, H. G. Jameson, 
M.A., 6, College Hoad, Eastbourne, of whom copies may be had, 
price 7s. 6d. 
PLANT DISEASES. 
During recent years plant diseases appear to have increased 
very considerably both in number and virulence ; or, possibly, what 
was in early times attributed to atmospheric influence or some 
similar vague source has recently been traced to a specific cause, 
