1898] SOME NEW BOOKS 349 



atom, which forms the initial fundamental molecule, again gets into 

 the system of the human female, gathers to itself from the living 

 organism the material to form the fundamental molecule, which is 

 the initial formative power of the growing object — the human egg. 

 And this egg, by the process already described, alters itself by adding 

 to itself the material from the parent organism and forms the human 

 being." Here we have a philosophy of generation and regeneration 

 in a nut-shell. 



Down with Natural Selection ! 



The Argument of Adaptatiok ; or, Natural Theology Reconsidered. By Rev. 

 George Henslow, M.A., F.L.S., &c. London : George Stoneman, 1897. 



Apart from the arguments with regard to Natural Theology, the dis- 

 cussion of which may be left to others, this little volume sets forth 

 the contention that natural selection is an " hypothesis based on an 

 imaginary but baseless inference." Artificial and natural selection 

 are not parallel processes, but diametrically opposite in character. 

 " Not a trace of the innumerable unfavourable variations have [sic\ 

 ever been seen, wdiether in a plant or an animal." There, is, however, 

 no adequate discussion of the evidence for variation under nature. 

 And the assertions with regard to biological questions are so subser- 

 vient to the main theological purpose of the work that it must suffice 

 to state that these opinions among others are to be found in Mr 

 Henslow's booklet. 



Indian Agriculture 



The Foundations of Scientific Agriculture. By Samuel Cooke, M.A., &c., 

 Principal of the College of Science, Poona. 8vo, pp. ix. 268. London : Longmans, 

 Green & Co., 1897. 



Agriculture is unquestionably tlie greatest and most important of 

 all industries, the progress of which has been continually hampered 

 by ignorance of the theory by practical workers. Scientific systems, 

 when applied by rule of thumb, have only too often led to disaster 

 owing to reckless waste of expensive materials and the lack of adap- 

 tation to local conditions. Hence every work which spreads a 

 knowledge of scientific principles upon which some of the improved 

 methods of farming have been founded, is to be welcomed. A con- 

 siderable number of small text-books on elementary agricidture have 

 appeared during the past few years. Prof. Cooke's work will rank 

 among the best. It is especially intended for use in India, but may 

 be read with advantage by English students owing to the freshness of 

 the example quoted. The book is based on a series of lectures 

 delivered to classes working at agriculture and forestry at the 

 Poona College of Science. It consists of fourteen chapters. The 

 first three contain the general introduction and the meteorological 

 part of the subject. The soil is described in four chapters in which 

 are explained the necessary facts of geology, mineralogy, crystallo- 

 graphy, and chemistry. Then follows a chapter on the elementary 

 facts of botany, and three with crops, manures, and on the agricul- 

 turalist himself. Finally conies a chapter on mensuration, a glossary, 

 a list of examination questions, and three appendices. 



The work deals with the elements of so many sciences that a few errors 

 are inevitable. Thus in the table of British strata the coral marbles are 



