[Short Notices]

Abstract

THE publication of an English edition of this book simultaneously with the Chinese text will be welcome to many foreign botanists and others interested in the trees of the district around Peiping. The author claims to include only the more common species occurring in the Province of Hopei, and this object has been fully attained. The Englerian system of classification is adopted. Useful keys to the families, genera and species respectively are supplied. From these, in conjunction with the descriptions, the student should in most cases have little difficulty in naming the trees met with in this part of China. Taxonomic works published in China in recent years have been noted for the high standard of illustrations from line drawings, and in the present work Mr. C. R. Feng has maintained this high standard in illustrating practically all the species which Mr. Chow describes here. The distribution of each species is given and under the heading “Use“are, in many cases, a number of interesting notes. The book is clearly printed, but there is no index.

The Familiar Trees of Hopei.

By Hang-Fan Chow (Fan Memorial Institute of Biology, Peiping, Handbook No. 4.) Pp. xiv + 370. (Peiping: The French Bookstore, 1934.) Cloth, 3 dollars; paper, 2.40 dollars.