532 
Allgemeines. 
partly on the structure of the apparatus itself (i. e. on the hereditary 
Organisation), partly on the nature of the substance fed into the 
apparatus, and finally on the plrpsical conditions under which it is 
working. It is probably along the last two lines that investigation 
will continue to be pursued with more immediate profit; but the 
goal will not be finally reached tili we have solved the problem of 
Organisation itself.” V. H. ßlackman. 
Pearson, H. H. W„ Some notes on a journe} 7 from Walfish 
ßav to Windhuk. (Bull. Mise. Inform. Roy. Bot. Gards. Kew. No. 9. 
p. 339 360. 2 Plates and Map. 1907.) 
The paper gives a useful account of the country both from the 
geographical and botanical points of view. 
In connection with the Walfish Bay fiora there is an interesting 
description of the dune-joining Acanthosicyos horrida with good 
plates. The inland country which forms a tableland ‘The Namib’ 
Stretching eastwards and gradually rising to 2.000 gr. is a desert 
region marked by a pronounced xerophytic fiora which appears to 
derive its moisture from the remarkable night fogs of this region. 
Though there is so much available moisture in the air at night the 
surface soil temperatures appear to be too high to allow of any 
shallow rooted Vegetation. 
From the Namib fiora a gradual transition to the acacia park 
forest fiora takes place first noticeable b3 7 the low bushes of Acacia 
hetevantha ; A. givaffae is the prominent species, whilst A. maras, 
A. horridus and others are commonly met with. These plants form 
bushes from 15 feet to small trees of 40—50 feet in hight. 
Between Okahandya and Windhuk there is good grazing for 
cattle in the glades amongst the acacia trees. 
Ophioglossum vulgatum was one of the four Pteridophytes found 
and was growing in great abundance on stony patches to the west 
of Okahandya. 
One plate of three figures is devoted to photographs of 
Welwitschia growing in the neighbourhood of Haikanchab along 
the Khan and Swakop river valleys. A. W. Hill. 
Wheldon, J. A. and A. Wilson. The Flora of West Lancashire. 
(8°. 511 pp., with coloured map and 15 reproductions from photo¬ 
graphs. 1907.) 
The greater part of the volume is occupied by a systematically 
arranged list of the Flowering Plants, Ferns, Mosses, Hepatics and 
Lichens, on the lines generally followed in the more recent country 
floras. This is preceded by some useful chapters on the topographical 
botany of the vice-county. The authors comment on the richness 
of the fiora — although the total area is only 492 square miles, or 
about 0,55 per cent of that of Great Britain, it contains about 
50 per cent of the total number of flowering plants recorded as 
native in the larger area. As might be expected from its position, 
plants of the germanic, or most easterly type, are few, whereas 
the atlantic type is better represented. The scottisch type is fairly 
well represented but less so the Highland type as the hills are not 
lofty or cragg} 7 enough to affort suitable habitats for many of them. 
A special chapter is given to the distribution of the Mosses, Hepatics 
and Lichens. The photographic plates are well produced and give 
