16 OCTOBER 1915, Page 21

There are four brilliant little illustrations in colour and a

number of delicate half-tone photographs in With the Flowers and Trees in California (G rant Richards, 7s. 6d. net), and certainly the fields of poppy, blazing with their yellow blossom, and the shivering boughs of the leafless smoke-tree are worthy of reproduction. The author, Mr. Charles Francis Saunders, knows and loves the country of which he writes. He begins his book with an interesting account of the history of botanizing along the Californian coast, and includes in it some amazing Indian recipes for the use of herbs and roots ; we are especially attracted by a certain bulb known as amolo, which may be used indifferently as hair-wash, food, or fish poison. But we fear that Mr. Sannders's work may fall short of complete success, for it is too technical for the

enjoyment of the average general reader, yet not scientific enough to be adopted by experts in botanical knowledge.