222 



EARDWICKKS SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



in them was obliterated, and they bent and folded 

 themselves down in a worm-like form ; this change 

 in the form of the creature I believe to be the prelude 

 to their death. In this worm-like form they continued 

 for three days, and finally escaped into the water. I 

 then lost sight of them entirely. The oval-shaped 

 case out of which they came remained on the weed 

 almost entire, as fig. 150. 



How the ova were first introduced into the plant, I 

 was not able to make out. I closely watched to see 

 if they deposited anything in form of ova, but could 

 not discern that they did, as the weed on which they 

 left the_ case decayed and dropped to pieces, so also 

 did the empty case. A description of these rotifers 

 with drawings was forwarded to the Royal Micro- 

 scopical Society for inspection, but it appears that no 

 rotifer answering to these had hitherto been observed 

 or noticed in fresh water. The Frem ampulla (of 

 Claparcde and Lachmann) was pointed out to be^ the 

 nearest in form to them, but that is a marine specimen, 

 and the only resemblance it had was in the form of 

 the telescopic tube. I give the rotifer the name of 

 Freshwater Ampulla (Lat. a bottle) as most appro- 

 priate to its form, 



James Fullagar. 



Canterbury. 



NOTES ON NEW BOOKS, 



THE close of the summer suggests the employ- 

 ment of the lengthening evenings in turning 

 over the pages of New Books. This season has not 

 been distinguished by any great scientific works, 

 with the exception of Saville Kent's magnificent 

 Manual of the Infusoria (London: D. Bogue), to the 

 conclusion of which we have already drawn attention. 

 But numbers of very interesting works have ap- 

 peared, most of them worthy of perusal, and a few of 

 careful study. The scientific student will be grateful 

 to Messrs. Kegan Paul, for the instalment volumes 

 of the now celebrated " International Library." 

 When completed, this collection of cheap volumes, 

 each written by a specialistic writer on his own 

 subject, will be the finest library of the kind yet 

 attempted. 



Several of these volumes have appeared since our 

 last notice, of which, perhaps, the chief is that on 

 Ants, Bees and Wasps, by Sir John Lubbock, D.C.L., 

 F.R.S. The success of this book is indicated by its 

 passing into a second edition within a fortnight. 

 Everybody has learned (even through the medium- 

 sliip of the newspapers) to connect Sir John 

 Lubbock's name with these insects. This volume 

 gives a summary of experiments and results, especi- 

 ally with ants, of a very interesting, and even 

 amusing and surprising character. In every respect 

 the book is most attractive, and one reads it like a 



novel, sometimes wondering which most to admire, 

 the ingenuity of the author in devising experiments, 

 or of the wise little folks experimented upon. To 

 the psychologist the'l'results are most valuable, tend- 

 ing as they do to establishidentity of mental processes 

 in bees, ants, and men. 



Another volume of the same series is that on 

 Animal Intelligence, by Dr, G. J. Romanes. This is 

 a subject which the author has rescued from the 

 chaos of ill-read and worse observed speculation and 

 discussion, and raised it to a higher and more scientific 

 platform. This volume is a kind; of text-book of 

 the facts of comparative psychology, and the well- 

 authenticated facts bearing on instinct and intelligence 

 in the lower animals are here scientifically arranged 

 and compared. Moreover, the author treats his facts 

 in the new light of evolution. Everything relating to 

 animal intelligence, is considered in relation to the 

 theory of descent. We may state that the book is 

 intended to lay a firm foundation for another, pro- 

 jected by the author on " Mental Evolution." 

 Nobody is better capable of taking up this matter 

 and effectually dealing with it than Dr. Romanes. 



Concepts of Modern Physics, by J. B. Stalla, is the 

 last volume of the " International Library," issued. It 

 is a contribution, not to physics, or even metaphysics, 

 but to the theory of cognition, and it deals with the 

 true relation of the physical sciences to the general 

 progress of human knowledge. The author shows 

 that many ot the problems of cognition are in need 

 of being stated anew, so as to be rationalised. Our 

 readers will therefore see that this is a very thought- 

 ful and desirable book to read. 



Geological Sketches at Home and Abroad (London : 

 Macmillan & Co.), is a collection of essays and papers 

 by Professor Arch. Geikie, F.R.S., which have been 

 contributed to various magazines and learned so- 

 cieties. They form a very attractive volume, full of 

 agreeable reading, in which geological observations and 

 inferences, are stated in a manner of which Professor 

 Geikie seems to have the sole secret. In character 

 these papers vary from those of the most elementary 

 and scientific character such as " My First Geological 

 Excursion," to others, which deal with the latest 

 outcome of geological discover}', and which even yet 

 bristle with many formidable points, as those on 

 "The Lava-fields of Western Europe," "Geographical 

 Evolution," " A Fragment of I'rimeval Europe," &c. 

 But Professor Geikie is secure of any reader who is 

 tempted to peruse a chapter, and so we cordially 

 recommend this book, as one certain to give both 

 pleasure and profit. 



Studies in Nidderdale, by Joseph Lucas, F.G.S, 

 (London : Elliot Stock), is another valuable book, 

 taking up much new literary ground, and showing 

 how a locality may yield ethnological, archaeological, 

 folk-lore, and other kinds of information if a man 

 goes the right way to work and is fit for the task im- 

 posed on him. Mr. Lucas takes the not very popularly 



