$66 SCIENCE PROGRESS 



Martin [Plant World, 20, 67-86, 191 7.) report a marked increase 

 in transpiration rate following spraying with Bordeaux Mixture 

 No attempt is made to explain the phenomenon, but the 

 important bearing of the point should lead to further in- 

 vestigation. 



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



Of recent anthropological papers the most important are 

 once more concentrated in the Journal of the Royal Anthro- 

 pological Institute, vol. xlviii. pt. 1, January to June 1918 

 The first article in this number is the Presidential Address o: 

 the Anthropological Institute by Sir C. Hercules Read. The 

 address is more brief than those usually given by the Presidents 

 and is entitled " Primitive Art and its Modern Developments.' 

 The author is himself not only a scientist, but an artist, and is 

 therefore singularly competent to write upon this subject 

 He naturally refers once again to the marvellous art of the 

 later Cave-men. It is interesting to have his opinions on these 

 He says : 



"As to the artistic perfection of his (the Cave-man V 

 drawings of the fauna of the time (and in my opinion per- 

 fection is a term that is but little in excess of the truth), 3 

 fear that words can be of but little avail. A long and sympa- 

 thetic study has led me to believe that it is hard to use an} 

 but superlative terms in referring to them. But, howevei 

 sympathetic we moderns may be towards Cave-art, the wore 

 is weak and inadequate when one tries to realise the relatior 

 of Cave-man to his animal models. 1 his relation was refinec 

 and intensified by a superhuman understanding of ever} 

 attitude and every detail of the beast to be represented, anc 

 such was his confidence as an artist that he often performec 

 marvels in the subtle indication of characteristic features." 



His study of these drawings and paintings appears to have 

 led Sir Hercules Read to the opinion that such perfect repre 

 sentations of animals would have been impossible if the ari 

 of their domestication had not been understood. This is o: 

 course an unorthodox opinion to hold, but coming from s< 

 great an authority it will naturally arrest attention immediately 



The author then proceeds to advance a theory to explair 

 the extraordinary forms sometimes assumed by art in oui 

 own day. He describes the tendency which white men ir 



