THE ENERGY OF LIVING PROTOPLASlI. 103 



It is, we think, evident tliat Mr. Jackson should have exercised 

 a more rigorous selection in the papers he has included. Nothing 

 is more unwise on the part of a biographer than the dragging to 

 light of early papers which their writer would willingly let die : 

 early fragments which may indeed have given a promise of genius, 

 but a promise which has long since been forgotten in the per- 

 formance. The enthusiastic panegyrist thinks to give credit to his 

 subject by the unearthing of some newspaper article or unsigned, 

 essay, unconscious that by this action he can add nothing to a 

 reputation based on the author's finished work, and may indeed 

 even detract from it. In a similar way Dr. Dyer has, we think, 

 reason to complain that the imprudent enthusiasm of his biblio- 

 grapher has placed him in a somewhat false position. Thus, to take 

 the entries on one page, he is credited with a paper on "Peat-floods 

 in the Falklauds," and another bearing the exciting title "Collection 

 of Hairs after Earthquakes in China." The latter consists of two 

 extracts — one from Dr. Macgowan, the other from Fortune — Dr. 

 Dyer's share in the paper attributed to him being practically con- 

 fined to the sentence — " I think there can be little doubt that Dr. 

 Macgowan's conclusion is well founded, and that the 'white hairs' 

 have no real connection with the earthquake." The former is a 

 reprint of two Colonial Office papers by the Governor and Acting 

 Governor of the Falklauds, to which Dr. Dyer contributes a 

 prefatory note of ten lines ! 



It is only fair to say that Dr. Dyer's contributions to botanical 

 literature are not to be judged by these examples, which, however, 

 afford some indication of that versatility which is farther evidenced 

 by the list of his papers. It is doubtless owing to this, and to the 

 frequent indulgence of his natural tendency to advise and to direct 

 the work of others, that we find few papers of more than third-rate 

 importance among these contributions — none, indeed, worthy of the 

 capabilities which Dr. Dyer undoubtedly possesses. The control of 

 a large garden is also no doubt a great tax upon its director, 

 although Dr. Dyer's illustrious predecessor contrived to find time 

 for most of his work on the Genera Plantarum, as well as for 

 numerous memoirs and monographs; audit was under his direction 

 that Kew attained the important position which it still occupies. 

 But, considering his splendid opportunities for investigation, we 

 may yet hope for some work from Dr. Dyer's pen which shall carry 

 on the traditions of the Hookers, and remain a lasting monument 

 of his directorate. 



The Enenjy of Licimj Protoplasm. By Oscar Loew, Ph. D., Professor 

 in the Imperial University, Japan. London : Kegan Paul & Co. 

 1896. 8vo, pp. iv, 115. Price 2s. 6d. 



A TREATISE on oue of the most modern questions of modern 

 science by a German Professor in a Japanese University, printed 

 in Enghsh at Tokio and published by a London house, is somewhat 

 of a novelty. To Kokubuusha (the printer) we would suggest that 

 with a little more pressure when printing and a little care in getting 

 the type straight he will do very well ; also, if he is responsible for 



