REVIEWS 167 



lectures were delivered : 1. "The Origin of the Earth," by Prof. Barrell ; 2. " The 

 Earth's Changing Surface and Climate," by Prof. Schuchert ; 3. " The Origin of 

 Life," by Prof. Woodruff; 4. " The Pulse of Life," by Prof. Lull ; and 5. " Climate 

 and Civilisation," by Prof. Huntington. 



In scope, of course, it is extremely broad, dealing as it does with most of the 

 aspects of the past history of this planet and the forces that have been at work to 

 produce the world and its inhabitants as we see them to-day. It seems rather a 

 pity that it did not include one further chapter containing a more detailed account 

 of the origin of man himself and our knowledge of the development of pre-Grecian 

 arts and civilisations since, although this is but a small branch of animal evolution 

 in general, and as such is treated in lectures 4 and 5. It is a topic of such 

 immediate interest to ourselves, and could have been treated so as not to interfere 

 with either of the two lectures just mentioned. This would, we feel, have rounded 

 off the treatment of the subject as a whole, and have been a fitting inclusion in one 

 of the most interesting and stimulating series of lectures we have read. 



At first sight it would appear that such a series, with each subject being treated 

 by a specialist, would of necessity be uneven and scrappy. As a matter of fact 

 the reverse is the case, and the series forms one whole with quite a remarkable 

 unity of idea and continuity of thought. Indeed the plan of the work and of each 

 lecture might have been the work of one man, if such a one could be found, and 

 the differences in treatment and expression are only such as must follow from the 

 variety in the subjects and the personalities of the lecturers. 



Perhaps one chapter, the last, does provoke a minor criticism. There does 

 not appear to be a consistent attitude towards the relationship between climate 

 and its effect upon man. It is not quite clear throughout how it is supposed that 

 climate influences human civilisation ; whether it is by directly adapting mankind 

 to its conditions as a direct causal agent (a point of view necessitating the accept- 

 ance of the doctrine of the inheritance of acquired characters in a modified form) 

 or by the elimination of the non-adapted types. Thus it is suggested that by a 

 series of chemical changes due to climatic influences, the negro has " acquired " an 

 indslent character ; again, he has " not acquired any special adaptation to a hot 

 climate " ; or, further, that climate stress has permanently modified man's mental 

 response. - Howeyer, " All's well that ends well," and the final conclusion that 

 climate "is not a determiner of civilisation but a condition which prevents civilisa- 

 tion from advancing in some places and stimulates it to greater activity in others " 

 will probably be accepted, and is in accordance with what may be called orthodox 

 biological views. 



It is not often that a reviewer is able to agree with the claims of the publisher 

 on behalf of a book, but that pleasure has been forthcoming in the present 

 instance. The statement that " for those who are interested in the various stages 

 of development through which the earth and its forms, organic and inorganic, 

 have passed from their origin to the present age, these chapters, written by 

 scientists of note, offer a comprehensive and readable account," can be thoroughly 

 endorsed. Indeed, it can further be added that the method of presentation in all 

 the chapters is such as to maintain the interest, stimulate thought, and arouse 

 further curiosity. C. H. O'D. 



Forced Movements, Tropisms, and Animal Conduct. By Jaques Loeb, M.D., 

 Ph.D., Sc.B. [Pp. 209, with 42 text-figures.] (London and Philadelphia : 

 J. B. Lippincott & Co., 1918. Price $2.50 net.) 



This book is the first of a series of Monographs on Experimental Biology, which 



