REVIEWS 335 



Les Mouvements des Vegetaux. Du Reveil et du Sonimeil des Plantes. 



Par Rene Dutrochet. [Pp. viii + 121.] (Paris: Gauthier-Villars 

 et Cie, 1 92 1.) 



This little reprint of two memoirs of Dutrochet in the series of Les Matires 

 de la Pensee Scientifique will be welcomed by all plant physiologists. In 

 1837 Dutrochet collected his more important works into two volumes bearing 

 the title Memoire pour servir a I'hisioire anaiomique et physiologique des 

 vegetaux et des animaux. It is from this work that the two memoirs on the 

 movement of plants and sleep of plants have been reprinted. Dutrochet was 

 a strong opponent of vitalism, maintaining that life phenomena should all 

 be explicable on the laws of physics and chemistry, and it was from this point 

 of view that he attacked the problems of plant and animal physiology, and 

 so became one of the outstanding figures of biology in the early years of the 

 nineteenth century. His outlook was the same as that of physiologists 

 to-day, and his work on movements in plants and on endosmosis formed the 

 basis for the subsequent great development of these subjects. We are glad 

 to learn that the publishers contemplate also reprinting in the same series the 

 work of Dutrochet on endosmosis. W. S. 



ZOOLOGY 



An Introduction to Zoology. By C. H. O'Donoghue, D.Sc, F.Z.S. [Pp. 

 X + 501, with 178 illustrations in text.] (London: G. Bell & Sons, 

 1920. Price 165. net.) 



We have felt some reluctance in writing a review of this work in view of 

 certain facts connected with its issue. In the copies originally issued the 

 author in his preface states "... much if any good it may contain is due 

 indirectly to the excellent courses given by Prof. A. Dendy, F.R.S., and 

 Prof. J. P. Hill, F.R.S., of the University of London, to both of whom the 

 author is deeply indebted." 



In the copies issued for review at a later date, the page vii of the preface 

 has been cut out, and a new one gummed in ; the new preface reads like the 

 old one except for the addition of the following paragraph after the words 

 " deeply indebted " : " In the case of Prof. Hill, moreover, my indebtedness 

 is more direct, since, for several ^^ears, I was in charge of the practical classes 

 accompanying his lectures, and so had an opportunity of becoming familiar 

 with them. This was of considerable advantage to me in preparing the book, 

 parts of which are more or less directly based upon his lecture notes ; and I 

 desire, therefore, to express to him my sincere thanks." (The italics are mine.) 



The book is bristling with errors, some minor, yet very misleading for the 

 student, others much more serious. Some of these mistakes are as follows : 

 Page 15, " internal nares," instead of " external nares " ; page 27, " parietal " 

 instead of " parasphenoid " ; page 44, " dermis " and " epidermis " 

 wrongly placed ; page 62, " spermatic " instead of " splenic " ; page 67, 

 the author confuses " arteries " and " veins " ; page 81, nerve missed out 

 in diagram. Articles on Protozoa very " shaky." Diagram on page 196 

 wrong. Page 254, " myelencephalon " confused with " metencephalon," and 

 " pineal " with " pituitary " ; page 259, innervation of eye muscles con- 

 fused ; page 310, " pulmonary veins " do not open into " right atrium " ; 

 pages 368-370, description of " Reduction " in germ-cell inaccurate ; page 463, 

 Darwin misquoted. 



Throughout, the author's grammar is slipshod, and the English bad. 

 We have no doubt that the author should have got someone to read the proofs 

 carefully, for this is most desirable in a book destined to be used by students. 

 As it stands now, it only seems to confuse them with regard to many problems 

 which they are expected to understand clearly. 



J. Bront:^ Gatenby. 



