NOTICES OF BOOKS. xxiii 



fuller knowledge of the details and technicalities of metallurgical 

 processes than are to be found in chemical text-books. The methods 

 of "Coking" have been brought well up to date by the introduction of 

 a description of the newest form of Semet-Solvay oven; and the 

 section devoted to gaseous fuel and regenerative furnaces is much to be 

 commended. It is to be regretted however that with the exception of a 

 somewhat scant description of the electrical method for the production 

 of aluminium no mention is made of this most modern of metallurgical 

 engines, the electric furnace. 



Die Morphologie mid Physiologic des pflanzlichen Zell Kerne Eine 

 Kritische Litteratiirstudie. Von Prof Dr. A. Zimmermann. 

 Mit 84 Figuren im Text. Jena : Verlag von Gustav Fischer, 

 1896. 



The author of this work has laid the general Botanical, and indeed 

 Zoological, public under a debt of gratitude by producing an epitome of 

 the multitudinous papers which have appeared on the subject of the 

 vegetable cell-nucleus. We say Zoological public advisedly, because 

 the results of their co-workers in the field of vegetable cytology are too 

 often ignored by those who make animals their special study. But if 

 there is one fact which stands out more clearly than another in the 

 history of modern cytological investigation, it is this one, namely, that 

 it is impossible, as well as unprofitable, to generalise either from the 

 purely animal or the purely plant side in these inquiries. True it is 

 that the partnership between Botany and Zoology has long ago become 

 practically divorced, but that was but the inevitable consequence of the 

 divergent paths followed in the evolution of the respective subjects of 

 the two sciences. But the Protoplasm and Nucleus are structural 

 entities common to both, and the conclusions arrived at on the two 

 sides demand mutual completion and, not less, mutual checking. It is 

 difficult enough to generalise soundly as it is, without going out of our 

 way to avoid utilising the means of assistance which are accessible. 



Dr. Zimmermann's book is one which will prove of great use as a 

 guide to the literature on the plant side. It is very thorough, and on 

 the whole seems remarkably free from the mistakes which it is very 

 difficult to exclude from such compilations. 



An account is given of the various histological methods in common 

 use, together with their direct application to the study of the nucleus. 

 The structure of the latter is discussed, and its behaviour during divi- 

 sion is fully described. A few pages are devoted to a consideration of 

 the physiology and function of the nucleus. 



In the special part of the book, the nucleus is treated of as it occurs 

 in plants belonging to the various divisions of the vegetable kingdom, 

 and many interesting facts are here brought incidentally under review. 

 An admirable bibliography forms by no means the least valuable feature 

 of what we are glad to be able to characterise as an extremely useful 

 book. 



