Page:Journal of botany, British and foreign, Volume 34 (1896).djvu/214

 192 BOOK-NOTES, NEWS, ETC. Messrs. Kegan Paul & Co. have published in their International Scientific Series an epitome of Sir John Lubbock's work on Seed- lings, which was reviewed at some length in this Journal for 1893 (pp. 23-30). In its present form the book will be useful to many for whom the original work was too costly, as well as too detailed in treatment : it contains nearly half the figures of the larger book. We think, however, that the retention of the same title, even with the words * * popular edition ' ' added, is likely to mislead, although of course the relation it bears to the original is clearly stated in the preface. Mr. Scott Elliot's A Naturalist in Mid-Africa is somewhat disappointing. It is described by the author as the " result of a most inconvenient love of Botany," but Mr. Elliot has successfully dissembled his love, for, with the exception of a chapter in which he states his views of the botanical divisions of Africa, there is singularly little about plants. Even the numerous new species which liave been described in this Journal are not referred to, nor does Mr. Elliot seem to be aware that the fungi which he says " are in process of description by Miss Smith," were actually pub- lished by her in November last (Journ. Bot. 1895, 340-344). There are some useful hints on collecting, in the course of which he says, I find entirely unsuitable " ; Mr. Elliot amplifies the methods published by him in this Journal for 1892 (356-398). The book is handsomely brought out, the type being large and widely leaded ; but it leaves the impression that — to quote the time-honoured criticism — " the author would have succeeded better if he had taken more pains." Mr. Elliot tells us that " the wind of evolution has not yet stirred the dry bones of systematic botany." The volume on Bromeliacem, containing over a thousand pages, which Dr. Mez has contributed to the series of Monographs supple- mentary to DeCandolle's Prodromus, has lately been issued. We hope to publish a review of this important work at a future date. Mr. Vernon H. Blackman, B.A., Scholar of St. John's College, Cambridge, has been appointed an assistant in the Botanical De- partment of the Natural History Museum. Mr. Blackman will have charge of the Fungi and Lichens. We have omitted to notice the Hon. Alicia Amherst's History of Gardening in England, because we hoped — and still hope — to do so at greater length than has hitherto been possible. But we must not longer delay calling the attention to those of our readers who are interested in gardening and gardening books to this valuable and scholarly addition to the literature of the subject. In a hand- some and well-illustrated volume of 400 pages, Miss Amherst has brought together a vast amount of information — much of it hitherto inaccessible — dealing with English horticulture in all its branches. The death of Mr. John Buchanan is recorded in the Stayidard of March 27th as having occurred (from fever) on his way home from Africa. Mr. Buchanan had recently sent a large collection of plants to the British Museum.
 * ' the brown paper and frames which are recommended at Kew