bkownell] 



NATURE-STUDY A XD HIGH-SCHOOL SCIENCE 63 



nature-study, we may be allowed to ask whether the moon is not 

 at least a little 'nearer the every-day life of the average man, 

 even the farmer, than are pussy-willows, grasshoppers, butter- 

 flies, pet rabbits, and similar things approved by those who 

 object to sun, moon and stars having a place in nature-study. 

 Certainly there is something to be said in favor of the fact that 

 material for observational study of the sun and moon may be 

 found in most parts (we must except congested quarters of big 

 cities) of the world. Will other readers who have experimented 

 with such studies report to The Review. Some readers may 

 not know that Dearness' "Nature-Study Course" contains good 

 notes for such lessons.] 



NOTES ON NEW BOOKS 



Decline cf Darwinism. So many times in the last few years have the 

 more or less sensational periodicals published articles on the " Decline of 

 Darwinism," the "Deathbed of Darwinism," or the "Fall of Darwinism," 

 etc., that many readers unfamiliar with the advances of biology have 

 inferred that something is decidedly wrong with the theories associated 

 with the name of the greatest naturalist of the nineteenth century. More- 

 over there is such widespread confusion of Darwinism and organic 

 evolution that even scientific criticisms of some points in Darwin's work 

 have been popularly taken to mean that within the ranks of the biologists 

 there are grave doubts regarding the very foundation of the evolution 

 theories. With such impressions existing outside of scientific circles, 

 it is fortunate that Professor V. L. Kellogg, of Stanford University, 

 has prepared for the educated layman a very readable discussion of the 

 present-day scientific criticisms of the Darwinian selection theories to 

 which so much reference has been made in scientific and unscientific 

 journals. The new book in hand is entitled, "Darwinism Today," and is 

 published by Holt and Co., New York, price $2.00. 



Chapter I. deals with the "Death-bed of Darwinism," taking the title 

 from a sensational publication of a few years ago. The reader unfamiliar 

 with biological terms does not have to read far in order to discover that 

 Darwinism is not synonomous with evolution or theory of descent, but 

 rather is simply the name for Darwin's theory that natural selection 

 ("resulting in the survival of the fittest and best adapted) is the prime 

 factor, agent, and mechanism of evolution. Great changes in biological 

 theories have been made by the recent great activity in biological re- 

 search and Darwin's theories along with others have been subjected to 

 the scientific searchlights. The result has been the proposal of various 

 auxiliary and alternative theories of species forming and even in some 

 scientific writings there is evidence of some weakening in belief in 

 Darwinism. "The fair truth is that the Darwinian selection theories, 

 considered with regard to their claimed capacity to be an independently 



