LITERARY NOTICES. 



Loeb, Jacques. Studies in General Physiology. Chicago, The University of 

 Chicago Press, 1905. Part I. xiii +423, Part II. xi -|- 425-782. 



These volumes contain a series of thirty-eight of the author's 

 papers, all of which are reprinted and most of which originally appeared 

 in German. Within the field of comparative neurology and psychol- 

 ogy we note the following papers of the series : "The Heliotropisra of 

 Animals and its Identity with the Heliotropism of Plants ; Further In- 

 vestigations on the Heliotropism of Animals and its Identity with the 

 Heliotropism of Plants ; On Instinct and Will in Animals ; Geotropism 

 in Animals ; The Artificial Transformation of Positively Heliotropic 

 Animals into Negatively Heliotropic and vice versa ; Contributions to 

 the Brain Physiology of Worms ; Has the Central Nervous System 

 Any Influence upon the Metamorphosis of Larvae ? ; On the Theory 

 of Geotropism." 



Since the vai'ious papers of these volumes received review notice 

 when first published it will suffice, while announcing the fact that they 

 are now available in English, to call attention to the author's scientific 

 life-purpose and the relation which these papers bear to it. From the 

 preface we quote, "a single leading idea permeates all the papers of 

 this collection, namely, that it is possible to get the life-phenomena 

 under our control, and that such a control and nothing else is the aim 

 of biology. " According to their method of approach to this goal of 

 research the papers fall into three groups : first, those which are con- 

 cerned with the control of movement ; second, those which deal with 

 the control of regeneration and the determination of organ-formation ; 

 third, tho.se which concern the control of the development of the egg. 



It is needless to say that Professor Loeb has made great strides 

 toward the accomplishment of his scientific purpose. His work is of 

 great importance; indeed, even when it has followed wrong paths, it 

 has been of value for its stimulating and research-impelling in- 

 fluence. R. M. V. 



