RECENT ADVANCES IN SCIENCE 239 



An investigation of " Biological Enigmas and the Theory of 

 Enzyme Action" by Troland (ibid. June 191 7) has resulted 

 in a critical and somewhat polemical paper which is in the 

 main an expansion of the author's statement : "It has for 

 some years been my conviction that the conception of enzyme 

 action, or of specific catalysis, provides a definite, general 

 solution for all the fundamental biological enigmas : the mys- 

 teries of the origin of living matter, of the source of varia- 

 tions, of the mechanism of heredity and ontogeny, and of 

 general organic regulation." In truth a most accommodating 

 and inclusive solution. 



Other papers include : " Sources of Anatomical Litera- 

 ture," by Moodie (Amer. Nat. vol. li. April 1917) ; " Linkage 

 in Maize: Aleurone and Chlorophyll Factors" (ibid.); 

 11 Nucleus and Cytoplasm as Vehicles of Heredity," by Dunn 

 (ibid. May 191 7) ; " Mutation in Didinum nasutum," Mast 

 (ibid. June 191 7) ; " The Method of Evolution from the 

 View-point of a Geneticist," by Shull (ibid.). 



ANTHROPOLOGY. By A. G. Thacker, A.R.C.Sc. 



In mentioning the recent rebellion in Nyasaland in these notes 

 last April, I referred to the importance, both theoretical and 

 practical, of the study of race-psychology. In the Eugenics 

 Review for April 191 7 (vol. ix. No. 1) there is a short but very 

 arresting contribution to the subject by the Rev. A. T. Bryant, 

 under the title " Mental Development of the South African 

 Native." The author has had prolonged experience of the 

 natives, both male and female, young and adult, and it may 

 be mentioned that the article shows none of that bias in favour 

 of theories of race-equality which characterises some Christian 

 missionaries and philanthropists. The natives discussed are 

 the Bantus, not the Hottentots. The essay consists mainly of 

 a comparison of the mental powers of Bantus and Europeans. 

 Mr. Bryant thinks that up to the time of puberty the Bantu 

 boy is rather in advance of the European boy, though he is 

 careful to point out that this may only be due to the fact that 

 in the higher departments of mentality, such as the power 

 of reflection, wherein the European specially excels, all boys 

 display but little development up to that age. At puberty, 

 however, the author found that not only is the mental develop- 



