pdf 31 MB - BSBI Archive

60 ATLAS DEUTSOHER MEERESALGEN.
do we owe the beauty of our gardens, and the sweetness of our
fields?" (p. 43).
The next paper, " Some Wayside Problems," treats of climbing
plants, the sleep of plants, and other phenomena of plant-life.
This is followed by three papers bearing more especially on zoological
subjects. Mr. Gerard is to be congratulated on having produced a
book pleasantly written, free from dogmatism, well sustained and
full of interest, and one that will be read with pleasure and approval
not only by those students of Nature who, whilst they accept with
gratitude much of the teaching of modern times, naturally shrink
from the extreme views of some of the more recent exponents of
Darwinism, but also by all who like to hear both sides of a question.
The book is well printed and neatly bound, and should command a
large sale. J. E. Bagnall.
Atl((s deutscher Meeresalgen. By Dr. J. Reinke. Erstes Heft,
fol., pp. 34; 25 plates. Paul Parey, Berlin. 1889.
This fine work, of which the first number is before us, is
published by the Commission appointed by the Prussian government
for the scientific investigation of the German seas, in the
interests of the fisheries. The practical importance of the marine
flora as the direct or indirect source of the food of all fishes is
dwelt upon in the preface, and is indeed sufficiently obvious. It
is a matter for congratulation that the algological investigations
have been entrusted to the able hands of Dr. Eeinke, who is
evidently carrying them out with complete efficiency.
In this Atlas it is proposed to publish figures and descriptions
of all such German sea-weeds as have not been satisfactorily
figured before. The standard of the publication is extremely high
in the matter of illustration, for the works of Bornet and Thuret
are cited in the preface as the model of what algological figures
ought to be. In the 25 plates contained in part 1, this high
standard is worthily maintained. The draughtsmen are Dr. F.
Schiitt and Herr. P. Kuckuck, both of whom are Algologists as
well as artists. It is proposed to publish 100 plates altogether,
but the continuation of the work is dependent on the reception
which it meets with at the hands of botanists. We cannot doubt
that their verdict will be a very favourable one. The descriptions
and plates are not at present arranged in any systematic
order, though Phseophycese, Rhodophycese, and Chlorophycese
are kept distinct. Of course a systematic re-arrangement can
easily be made when the work is complete.
In order to understand the Atlas, and especially to learn the
systematic position assigned by the author to his numerous new
genera, it is essential to refer to another work of Dr. Eeinke's,
published by the same Commission, his ' Algenflora der westlichen
OsLsee deutschen Antheils.' Here the more general questions of
Algology are discussed, and a fuller account given of those forms of
which the atlas only supplies the generic and specific diagnosis.
In this first part 30 species or varieties are figured and
described, 24 of which belong to the Phfeophycese, a sub-class on