Bd. XCIX. No. 15. XXVI. jahr.srari^r. 



ßotaiiisclies Centralblatt. 



Reterirendes Organ 



der 



Association internationale des IJotanistes 



für das Gesammtgebiet der Botanik. 



Herausgegeben unter der Leitung 

 des Präsidenten : des Vice-Präsidenten : des Secretärs : 



Prof. Dr. R. v. Wettstein. Prof. Dr. Ch. Flahault. Dr. J. P. Lotsy. 



und des Redactions-Commissions-Mitglieds: 



Prof. Dr. Wm. Trelease. 



von zahlreichen Specialredacteuren in den verschiedenen Ländern. 

 Dr. J. P. Lotsy, Chefredacteur. 



No. 41. 



Abonnement für das halbe Jahr 14 Mark 



durch alle Buchhandlungen und Postanstalten. 



1905. 



Alle für die Redaction bestimmten Sendungen sind zu richten an Herrn 

 Dr. J. P. LOTSY, Chefredacteur, Leiden (Holland), Rijn-en Schiekade 113. 



Merz, J. Th., AHistory of European thought in the 

 Nineteenth Century. Vol. II. (William Blackwood and 

 Sons. 1903.) 



Since Sachs wrote his history of Botany, no historica 

 account of scientific thought has been presented to botanists 

 of such importance and of such lasting value as the book under 

 review. Sachs g£ve us the history of one particular science 

 from its initiation to the middle of the 19. Century, while 

 Dr. Merz aims at giving the history of European thought in 

 general, including biological views, during the last Century, so 

 that naturally both the scope of his book and the manner of 

 treatment of his subject must differ from our Standard history 

 of Botany. In this second volume Dr. Mer z deals mainly with 

 the various views of nature both organic and inorganic, which 

 have been held by the foremost thinkers and it is therefore this 

 second volume which will appeal to Biologists. Botanists in 

 particular will be grateful for a book which so worthily conti- 

 nues Sachs' history to the end of the 19. Century; and though 

 there must obviously be some overlapping in the subject matter 

 presented by the two authors, the difference not only of treat- 

 ment but also in the point of view which must necessarily exist 

 between the botanical specialist and the philosopher, renders 

 it exceedingly interesting to read such portions as are treated 

 by both authors side by side. The excellent summary of the 

 kinetic and mechanical views of nature propounded during last 

 Century by physicists and astronomers cannot fail to be of interest 

 to biologists, who though not competent themselves to take part 



Botan. Centralbl. Bd. XCIX. 1905. 24 



