REVIEWS 169 



been evolved from its non-mimetic ancestor L. arthcmis by such selection ; but 

 arthends is still very abundant in Canada and the north-eastern States, together with 

 Danaida plexippus, whose recent invasion of the region is supposed to be the 

 cause of the evolution of the mimic. If the presence of the model caused the 

 selection of the mimetic form, how does Prof. Poulton explain the fact that the 

 non-mimetic ancestor is still very abundant ? 



J. T. Cunningham. 



Super-organic Evolution. By Dr. Enrique Lluria, with Preface by Dr. 

 D. Santiago Ramon y Cajal. Translated by Rachel Challice and 

 D. H. Lambert, B.A. (Oxon.). [Pp. xx -f 233.] (London : Williams & 

 Norgate. Price "js. bd. net.) 



By super-organic evolution the author of this book, of which the subsidiary title is 

 " Nature and the Social Problem," appears to mean the future evolution of human 

 society. The goal of this evolution is the attainment of extremely vague socialistic 

 ideals ; the author's conception of the processes of evolution betrays a very 

 imperfect acquaintance with the recent advances of biological science. In fact, 

 his knowledge of biology seems to be derived almost exclusively from Haeckel, 

 Herbert Spencer, and Ramon y Cajal. His conception of the course of human 

 evolution involves the asssumption of the transmission of somatic, especially 

 cerebral, modifications ; but he adopts the theory that this transmission is effected 

 by means of the nervous system, evidently in ignorance of the recent discoveries 

 which tend to show that the connection between the gonads and the soma is 

 chemical and not nervous. In support of his views he quotes a Manual of 

 Pathology, the authors of which, Hillemand and Petrucci, state that "the heredity 

 of acquired characteristics is a cerebro- medullar reflex action upon the ger- 

 minatmg cells, the impressions received by the reflex centres of the grey substance 

 of the brain being transmitted to the genital centre of the medulla and finally to 

 the ovoblasts and spermatoblasts by the nerve fillets which, starting from this centre, 

 are distributed in the testicles and ovaries." Regarding heredity as a mode of 

 motion, the developmental properties of the fertilised ovum as due in some way to 

 specific vibrations, the idea that the character of these vibrations is modified by 

 vibrations transmitted^ constantly from the soma while the gametes are within the 

 soma seems very reasonable, but at present there are no direct observations which 

 prove an actual connection between nerve fibrils and reproductive cells. 



In all that Dr. Lluria says concerning the ideas and problems of evolution, 

 akhough he is sometimes original and suggestive, there are the fatal defects of 

 indefiniteness and confusion of ideas. For example, he deliberately states that 

 "adaptation, selection and heredity are one and the same thing, studied separately 

 for greater clearness ; selection is the same adaptation but journeying towards a 

 fixed end," and so on. In the last sentence the obscurity seems partly due to the 

 translators, but obviously the man who says that adaptation, selection and 

 heredity are one and the same thing does not understand what these terms mean. 

 Dr. Lluria writes in a vague and lofty way of adaptation as the harmony of the 

 organism with the cosmic forces, without considering, or, indeed, being aware of 

 the various problems connected with the origin of adaptation or its limits ; his 

 fundamental proposition is that when the institution of private property is 

 abolished, humanity will enjoy universal health and happiness, without any danger 

 of excessive increase of population. He makes no attempt to show how society will 



