1899] CO-OPERATIVE GEOGRAPHY 447 



When a new edition is required, as no doubt it will be, some alterations 

 should be made in the allotment of space, on the basis of the importance of the sub- 

 ject, and not on a comparison of text-books ; for " The International Geography " 

 is more than a mere text-book. It may be found advisable to slightly extend 

 the work, so as to form two volumes of more moderate size. Space might also 

 be profitably saved by the omission of the historical paragraphs. A history of 

 a country compressed into a single paragraph is useless, nor has history a locus 

 standi in a geographical work unless it be connected with the physical features. 

 Except Professor Davis, who indicates briefly how the natural features deter- 

 mined the lines of penetration into the American continent, hardly any author 

 gives more than a few bare historical facts. 



In conclusion, we must give a word of praise to the numerous small sketch- 

 maps and diagrams scattered throughout the volume. They are clearly and 

 carefully drawn, and exhibit the particular facts or phenomena they are designed 

 to impress on the reader, unobscured by unnecessary details. 



PALAEONTOLOGY IN MINIATURE. 



Palliontologie. Bv Dr. Rudolf Hoernes, Professor in the University of 

 Graz. Pp. "212, with 87 figs. Leipzig: G. J. Goschen, 1899. 

 Price 80 pf. 



This primer of palaeontology is a little marvel. Of a size familiarised to 

 many students of ten years ago by Macalister's " Zoology " and MacNab's 

 " Botany," with excellent type, with over fourscore excellent figures, and with 

 over 200 pages of sound, descriptive palaeontology by a well-known authority, it 

 costs about nine pence ! We should like to hear the comments of a British pub- 

 lisher on this the 95th number of the Sammlung Goschen. After an intro- 

 duction of 32 pages on the scope and aims of palaeontology, there are 50 pages 

 on the plants of the past, and more than 100 on the animals. The author has 

 been more conservative than was necessary, thus Spongiae are ranked under 

 Coelenterata, Anthozoa precede Hydrozoa, Vermes are separated by Echino- 

 dermata from Bryozoa and Brachiopods, and so on. As we peruse it, how- 

 ever, some of the simplicity of the table of contents disappears, for while Pisces 

 form the first class of Vertebrata, it is expressly noted that forms like 

 Amphioxus and Palaeospontl//(us may well be referred to special classes. We 

 have great admiration for this little book, but would make two general 

 criticisms : — (1) that there is too little suggestion of history, of movement, of 

 progress, of evolution, in short, of the keynote of a true palaeontology ; and (2) 

 that in a primer, above all, insecure conclusions should be very cautiously 

 stated, and surely the doctrine of Kinetogenesis, for instance, which finds a 

 prominent place in the introduction, is still an insecure generalisation. 



Missouri Botanical Garden Tenth Annual Report. St. Louis, Mo., U.S.A., 

 published by the Board of Trustees, 1899. 



This well-known publication sustains its former high standard in every 

 respect. The present report is specially valuable, because it gives a resume of 

 the work of the Garden for the first decade of its existence, 1889-98 ; and also 

 a complete index, of 51 pages, of the ten volumes of the Record. 



The objects of the late Mr. Shaw, the founder, are summarised, and not the 

 least important of these is the encouragement of botanical research in the 

 broadest sense. The endowment of the generous founder enables these objects, 

 which he contemplated, to be carried out successfully, and permits of the gradual 

 growth and extension of the Garden in all its branches. 



The interchange of seeds, cuttings, and small plants with similar institutions 



