138 NATURAL SCIENCE. August. 



and accurate in his text ; not that we can agree with his dictum that, 

 " from a scientific standpoint, avian oology has accomplished much 

 in the past," for the study of egg-shells has always appeared to us 

 to be singularly barren of important results, however pleasurable it 

 may be to its devotees. The biological laws, which Dr, Shufeldt 

 formulates to explain variations in the colour of the shells of eggs, 

 seem to us to be very unsatisfactory where they are not the exposition 

 of self-evident truths. The fact of the matter is that Dr. Shufeldt 

 has attempted to perform an impossibility, in compressing so large a 

 subject into such narrow limits. That he has dealt with it at all is a 

 matter for congratulation. Cursory and superficial as his review of 

 American oology must be admitted to be, we feel grateful that he has 

 endeavoured to generalise at all on this difficult theme. It is to be 

 hoped that he may find leisure to develop his oological impressions ; 

 in which case we shall, no doubt, welcome a substantial addition to 

 the literature of the subject at some future date. 



H. A. Macpherson. 



LiNN^us's " System of Nature." 



Caroli Linn^i Systema Natur.-b. Regnum Animale. Editio decima, 1758, cura 

 Societatis Zoologicas Germanics iterum edita. mdcccxciv. Lipsiag sumptibus 

 Giulielmi Engelmann, 1894. Pp- i^., 824. Price 10 marks. 



As the Bible is to the theologian, so is the tenth edition of Linnaeus's 

 " Systema " to the systematic zoologist. 



The foundation of all binomial nomenclature, the whole scientific 

 naming of existing animals, dates from this tenth edition of Linnaeus's 

 " Systema." In the tenth edition for the first time, the immortal 

 naturalist was consistent in giving two names, a genus-name and a 

 species-name, to everything he described, and therefore the tenth 

 edition represents the sum-total of the Linnaean labours as regards 

 founding a definite and simplified system of labelling organic nature. 



For many years, and chiefly at the instance of the Committee 

 formed by the British Association in 1842, the twelfth edition of the 

 *' Systema " was taken as the base-line, but the tenth is slowly 

 replacing the twelfth in this country, — it has long done so in America, — 

 and this replacement smooths over not a few difficulties that exist 

 from works published between the dates of the two editions (1758 

 and 1766). 



The original edition is now so scarce as to command a high 

 price, and the thanks of all students of zoology are due to the German 

 Zoological Society, and to Mr. Engelmann, for the publication of 

 this reprint, at a price which brings it within easy reach of anyone 

 who takes the smallest interest in his subject. We specially recom- 

 mend it to the notice of all museum curators and librarians. 



Sex. 



Ueber das Verhaltniss des mannlichen und weiblichen Geschlechts in 

 DER Natur. By Dr. Georg Klebs, Professor of Botany in Basel. Pp. 30. 

 Jena: Gustaf Fischer, 1894. Price m. oSo. 



This little pamphlet does not call for much comment. It was 

 delivered as the Rectorial Address in the University of Basel last 

 autumn, and for publication, says the author, has been altered and 

 enlarged in a few points. It forms a readable and quite uncon- 

 troversial account of the general phenomena of sex in the animal and 

 vegetable kingdoms. The language is simple, and — rare occurrence 



