94 THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE LINNEA.N SOCIETY 



of others, or to communicate to others one's own. The analytical 

 experience also, which is involved in the act of description, and the 

 carefu 1 study it necessitates of structure and anatomy, render it a 

 good as we 1 ! as useful way of laying the solid foundation of know- 

 ledge, on which a superstructure of " high science " may be reared. 



The progress of natural science generally throughout the year 

 1875, if estimated by the number of publications and the mass of 

 printed matter laid before the public, would be perhaps above the 

 average. 



And undoubtedly some men of the highest renown as physi- 

 ologists have daring that period contributed much towards our 

 acquaintance with both animal and vegetable structure. But 

 unfortunately it seems to have become the fashion, even among our 

 best men, English and foreign, to aim at originality by ueing 

 obscure, to confound physics and metaphysics, and to substitute 

 transcendentalism for a p 1 ain statement of facts. And I am afraid 

 that this sort of writing is encouraged by a reading, but not very 

 discerning pub i; c who are prone to accept sensationalism as a mark 

 of genius, and ^ong words as proofs of knowledge. 



Foremost amongst the books of the year must be reckoned 

 Darwin's " Insectivorous Plants." In this admirable work we 

 have, as indeed in all his productions, an example of patient and 

 laborious investigation, coupled with sjmthetical genius of most 

 remai'kabie power. 



Next to Darwin may be ranked Hackel. No modern physio- 

 logist has been a more ardent or voluminous supporter of the 

 evolution theory of- creation for some years than Hackel. His 

 latest work, p- Wished in 1874, though not reaching this country 

 till 1375. entitled " Die Gustrsea — Theorie, die phylogenetische 

 Classification uud die Hemelogie der Keimblatter," is an attempt 

 to found a theory of classification, or even creation, upon an 

 embryonal form, which he names gastraa. 



Another German, Dr. Alexander Gotte, Professor of the Uni- 

 versity of Strasburg, has another embryonic theory, and endeavours 

 to show that every species originates through the laws regulating 

 the first divisions of the yolk. 



