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THE MOVEMENT OF PLANTS. By CHARLES DARWIN, assisted by FRANCIS DARWIN. London: Murray.

A new book by Mr. Darwin is always looked forward to with eager expectation, as it is known that he never comes before the public but with some noteworthy and carefully confirmed discoveries in natural science. In his botanic researches Mr. Darwin has received invaluable assistance from his son, Mr. Francis Darwin, who has long been one of the most patient of observers in that branch of study, the book before us fully realises the high expectations formed of it, and although the details, which require patient study, will be beyond those who have not acquired a considerable knowledge of botany, the general observations and conclusions will interest all who have a thirst for knowledge about plants and their mode of growth, and should be especially interesting to gardeners and farmers. To ordinary observers how plants grow is a perfect secret. Mr. Darwin's book will tell them the wonderful movements by means of which roots push down into the soil, and the stem through tho soil upwards. On the present occasion we shall not enter into detail on the subject, as it will be fully dealt with shortly in our "Practice with Science" columns. We therefore content ourselves with strongly recommending tho book to our readers as one that to most of them will be a new and striking revelation. It is full of diagrams which explain the movement of plants. That portion of it which describes the so-called "sleep" of leaves is especially interesting. On the whole, it is a wonderful book, and one of the most important contributions to vegetable physiology ever written.