The New Bulletin, 1907. (Wyman and Sons. 5s.)—This volume is
as full as usual of curious and useful information. There is the strictly scientific portion, which has, of course, its own public; there are articles which appeal to a larger circle, all, in fact, who care for botany in general, or have a special personal interest in horticulture ; and there are the " Miscellaneous Notes," which are sure, we might say, to rouse the attention of some reader Several numbers—the Bulletin is published monthly, though here bound up in a single volume—contain an article on "Additions to the Wild Fauna and Flora of the Royal Botanic Gardens." In one number we see " Accession of African Tropical Plants, 1899-1906." There are the names of between seventy and eighty donors, and the number of specimens sent in was " 14,627, of which 11,740 were presented and 2,887 purchased." When it is added that "about 10,000 specimens were unnamed," it is evident that there is no lack of employment at Kew. In the "Notes " we see a curious correction of a statement that Persian gum was sent from the Soudan as native to the country. Something of the kind happened some years ago, but it no longer takes place; indeed, present prices would not allow any profit. An interesting fact bearing on important questions is to be found in a statement about the lake in the Arboretum. This is filled from the Thames at high tide. It was found that mud had been deposited at the rate of two inches per annum in parts, and less than an inch in others. This shows how careful one should be in drawing conclusions as to the age of alluvial deposits. The eight hundred odd pages of the New Bulletin are certainly well worth the very moderate price set on the volume.
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