Welsh Journals

fleshpot it pleases the eye, is most informatively and attractively written, and it describes the edible flavoursome, as well as the in- edible poisonous, species. It may be a surprise to some of us that the immortal author and artist of the animal stories for children, Beatrix Potter, had the mind of a professional scientist and at the age of thirty her paper on "The Germination of the Spores of Agaritineae" was read before the Linnean Society in 1897. So it is especially pleasing to find that 59 out of the 107 beautiful colour illustrations in this book are from the (hitherto largely unpublished) folios of this artist, which are now housed in the Armitt Library at Ambleside Beatrix Potter had planned a serious book on fungus, it seems, but no expert had come forward in her working lifetime to write the text. Her exquisite and accurate paintings are here supplemented by 28 more by R. B. Davis, and 20 by E. C. Large, to round off this splendid addition to Warne's Wayside and Woodland series. There is a comprehensive introduction to mycology, covering the nature, ecology and classification of fungi, followed by chapters on species and identification. V.A.P. Thorburn's Birds, edited by James Fisher. Edbury Press Michael Joseph, London, 184 pages. 1967. 50s. The revival of the bold, accurate and artistic bird-paintings of this artist (1860-1935) in one volume of 82 watercolour plates illustrating over 400 British species is a triumph for Mr. Fisher and the publishers, and a handsome addition to the drawing-room table, both as an ornament and as a field guide to identification (too precious as well as too large to take out into the field, however). NEWS FROM ALL QUARTERS Wild Plant Protection Bill. This Bill introduced into Parliament by Mr. Peter Mills, the Member for Torrington, was given its second reading on 2nd February 1968. A working party comprised of representatives from the Botanical Society of the British Isles, the Council for Nature and the Society for the Promotion of Nature Reserves has been responsible for drafting the Bill. The main purpose is to provide for the safeguarding of wild plants throughout Britain. Among measures in the Bill is the protection of some of our extremely rare plants, which it would be an offence to pick or uproot. It is hoped to prohibit the sale of certain plants which are gathered in large quantities for commercial gain, to the detriment of the species. On the advice of local experts an order can be made by the Minister making it an offence to pick or uproot a species within a certain specified area. The Bill should provide a useful adjunct to the Countryside Bill already before Parliament, this had its Second Reading on 10th November. When the Plant Bill reaches the Statute Book it is hoped that it will be given the maximum publicity, perhaps through the medium of posters in all schools, libraries, information centres and other public places.