62 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



neglected and had to be removed to avoid fouling 

 tlie water. During intervals of cold weather the 

 tadi^oles lay amongst the aquatic plants in a semi- 

 dormant state, and growth seemed arrested. This 

 ,was also the case (with their growth) when placed 

 solely amongst filamentous algre, from which it 

 was soon evident they could not obtain sufficient 

 nutriment. The treatment described induced a 

 wonderful degree of transparency in the tadpoles 

 without subjecting them altogether to '"water diet," 

 and the details of the circulatory system could, at 

 all times, be well observed. 



A GOSSIP ABOUT NEW BOOKS. 



A NEW 



l\ a li 



NEW book by Darwin " is sure to cause 

 ttle stir in the scientific world. The 

 Power oj Movement of Plants, by Charles Darwin, 

 LL.D., assisted by Francis Darwin (London : John 

 Murray), is another of those contributions of experi- 

 mental scientific research which would have made 

 the name of the author famous, apart from the 

 brilliant theory with which it is popularly connected. 

 The chief movement to which Dr. Darwin more 

 particularly calls attention is that of ' ' circumnutation," 

 in which he shows how highly sensitive to external 

 influences is the growing tip of the roots of plants. 

 The physiologist in general, and the botanist in 

 particular, will study this book with the impression 

 that it is one of the most extraordinary, from the 

 nature of the facts set forth, and the manner in which 

 they are formulated, which has yet appeared from 

 the pen of the author. Dr. Darwin concludes as 

 follows: "It is hardly an exaggeration to say that 

 the tip of the radicle thus endowed, and having the 

 power of directing the movements of the adjoining 

 parts, acts like the brain of one of the lower animals." 



Siberia in Europe, by Henry Seebohm, F.L.S. 

 (London : John Murray), is a most entertaining book 

 of .ornithological travel and adventure, in which, 

 however, sport so largely predominates over science, 

 that the true naturalist feels somewhat pained in 

 reading the detailed chronicles of bird-slaughter here 

 registered. The author and a friend paid a visit to 

 the lower valley of the Petchora, in North-East 

 Russia, which appears to be quite an ornithological 

 paradise. Many rare birds and tlieir eggs were 

 obtained. Mr. Seebohm is most acceptable when 

 he speaks of the geographical distribution of birds ; 

 and his chapter on the hybernation of birds, their 

 migrations, and the possible origin of that habit is 

 profoundly interesting. Not less so, and even more 

 picturesque in its portrayal, is the extraordinary 

 description of the appearance of migrating birds at 

 certain times of the year in Heligoland. The illus- 

 trations in this book are exquisite specimens of 

 woodcutting art. 



The Natural Conditions of Existence as they affect 



Animal Life, by Professor Karl Semper (London : 

 C. Kegan Paul & Co.) is one of the well-known 

 volumes of the "International Scientific Series," 

 and one of the most important and interesting of any 

 yet issued. ^Yhilst accepting in a great measure 

 the doctrine of Natural Selection, the author thinks, 

 with Jaeger, that enough of philosophising has for 

 the present been done by Dr.rwinists, and that the 

 task now before naturalists is to apply the test of 

 exact investigation to the received hypotheses. The 

 biological student will here find a perfect crowd of 

 facts illustrating how animal forms are affected by 

 natural conditions of every kind. 



History of N'orth American Pinnijiedes, by Joel 

 Asaph Allen (Washington : Government Printing 

 Office). This is another of the miscellaneous volumes 

 issued under the direction of the United States Geo- 

 logical and Geographical Survey of the Territories, and 

 its author is the best man in America to deal with the 

 subject. The book is, in short, a Monograph of the 

 Walruses, Sea-lions, Sea-bears, and Seals of North 

 America. Many zoologists will object to Mr, Allen 

 denominating the well-known walrus family Odobce- 

 nidiE, as an unnecessary zoonomial complication. 

 Indeed the new generic names which replace the well- 

 known older ones will at first teii^d to confuse the 

 student. These, however, are comparatively trivial 

 matters, hardly affecting the full and thoroughly scien- 

 tific value of the work. Mr. Allen adds his protest, to 

 that of all naturalists who have studied these animals, 

 against the profligate and cruel destruction of seals 

 on the hunting ground. It is high time that civilised 

 nations took joint action in this matter, with a view 

 to arrest it. 



Insect Variety : Its Propagation and Distribution, 

 by A. H. Swinton. (London : Cassell, Petter, Galpin, 

 & Co.). This work is by a well-known and frequent 

 contributor to our pages, and in many respects it is a 

 very remarkable book. It gives evidence of an enor- 

 mous range of reading and study on the part of its 

 author, who is also evidently gifted with a keen 

 appreciation of the beauties of nature. Our readers 

 will find it most comprehensive in its grasp of details 

 affecting insect life in all and every circumstance, and 

 there are not lacking original reflections which agree- 

 ably diversify the narrative. 



A Polar Reconnaissance, by Captain Markham. 

 (London : C. Kegan Paul & Co.). This is a very 

 lively account of the voyage of the " Isbjorn " to 

 Novaya Zemlya in 1879, and as Captain Markham is 

 the chief observer and director we may be sure that 

 no point of natural interest was ignored. Thus 

 we learn that Novaya Zemlya is composed largely of 

 carboniferous limestone rocks which, in three of the 

 localities visited, were exceedingly rich in fossils 

 exactly like those we find so abundantly in the same 

 formation in Derbyshire and North Wales. The 

 birds, however, appear to have been the chief objects 

 of study, although collections of plants, Crustacea, 



