850 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



ing instruments and practice in manipula- 

 tion that he is ready at the start to investi- 

 gate the operation of electrical apparatus." 

 The following titles of experiments will give 

 an idea of the sort of problems proposed : 

 Comparison of magnetization curves of dy- 

 namos, characteristics of the Waterhouse 

 dynamo and study of third-brush regulation, 

 calibrating a voltmeter, effects of speed 

 variation with a series dynamo, photometry 

 of the arc light, specific heat of a liquid, in- 

 fluence of temperature upon the color of 

 pigments, spectrophotometry, exploration of 

 the earth's magnetic field. In preparing 

 this volume. Prof. Nichols has had the co- 

 operation of Messrs. George S. Moler, Fred- 

 erick Bedell, Homer J. Hotchkiss, and Charles 

 P. Matthews. 



An Introduction to Structural Botany. 

 By DuKiNFiELD Henry Scott, F. L S., 

 F. G. S. London : Adam and Charles 

 Black. New York : Macmillan & Co. 

 Pp. 281. Price, $1. 



There is a touch of irony in the preface 

 to this volume that is too good to be lost. The 

 author observes, " If science is to be taken 

 seriously, it rather seems desirable that those 

 who study it should have to use their brains 

 as much as in learning Euclid, algebra, or 

 grammar." 



Although it is often urged in behalf of 

 scientific study that its disciplinary effect 

 equals that of drill in the classics, the notion 

 is wonderfully prevalent, even in this country, 

 that a knowledge of science may be imbibed 

 in a haphazard fashion without much appli- 

 cation. 



A little investigation of such a book as 

 this will tend to convince the aspirant for 

 mental exercise that as much of it is involved 

 in becoming precisely acquainted with one 

 flower as in mastering a chapter in Greek. 



With the exception of a dissertation on 

 the physiology of nutrition and an introduc- 

 tion explaining simple botanical terms and 

 divisions, the whole volume is devoted to a 

 consideration of three floral types, the Wall- 

 flower, the White Lily, and the Spruce Fir. 

 These higher plants are chosen, not only be- 

 cause they are familiar forms, but also since 

 they exemplify the division of labor and give 

 an opportunity to become acquainted with 

 the more specialized organs and their func- 



tions. The vegetative and reproductive or- 

 ganization of each, their external characters 

 and internal structure, are minutely described. 

 The phenomena of pollination, fertilization, 

 the chemistry of the nutritive process and 

 protoplasmic movements, are traced out in 

 like fashion and the mysteries of plant life 

 unfolded. 



In method, arrangement, and language 

 the book is altogether commendable. It is 

 also well illustrated and contains an index. 

 The addition of a glossary might be sug- 

 gested, as likely to prove convenient to the 

 young student. 



Biological Lectures. Marine Biological 

 Laboratory of Wood's Hole. Boston : 

 Ginn & Co. Pp. 242. Price, $2.15. 



This volume is the second of a series, 

 the first of which appeared in 1890. Like 

 its predecessor, it does not include the gen- 

 eral course of lectures given at Wood's Hole 

 pertaining to the work pursued, but indicates 

 special lines of inquiry involving unsettled 

 problems. 



Necessarily different points of view are 

 developed, and the reader can test whether 

 he believes fully in the cellular theory as ex- 

 pounded in The Nature of Cell Organization 

 or in its inadequacy as presented by Prof. 

 Whitman, who quotes from Huxley's essay 

 of 1853 that the cells are no more producers 

 of vital phenomena than shells on the sea 

 beach, marking only where vital tides have 

 been. 



A valuable and interesting paper also is 

 that on physiological morphology, in which 

 the author, Jacques Loeb, maintains that all 

 life phenomena are determined by chemical 

 processes. 



On the other hand, in Dynamics in Evo- 

 lution, we learn that natural selection is a 

 mischievous metaphor; that morphologists 

 and physiologists are on the wrong track and 

 can not settle the greater questions in biol- 

 ogy. Surface tension is the important factor 

 in the shaping of the cell, and the changes 

 in amoeboid form are understood only by dy- 

 namical analysis. No progress can be made 

 in regard to the meaning of life until specu- 

 lation about germ plasm or a lot of biophores, 

 plastidules, et sic, superintending the busi- 

 ness of development is abandoned. 



Two popular and attractive essays are 



