PHYSICAL SCIENCE. 2 i 



BaStian (H. C.)_ continued. 



THE BEGINNINGS OF LIFE: Being some Account of the 

 Nature, Modes of Origin, and Transformations of Lower Organ 

 isms. In Two Volumes. With upwards of 100 Illustrations. 

 Crown 8vo. 28^. 



The subject of this -work is one of the highest interest not only to 

 scientific men, but to intelligent men of all kinds. Dr. Bastian's 

 labours hi this direction are already "well known and highly valued, 

 even by those who differ from his conclusions. These volumes con 

 tain the results of several years^ investigation on the Origin of Life, 

 and it was only atfer the author had proceeded some length with 

 his observations and experiments that he -was compelled to change 

 the opinions he started with for those announced in the present work 

 the most important of which is that in favour of " spontaneous 

 generation " the theory that life has never ceased to be actually 

 originated. The First Part of the ork is intended to show the 

 general reader, more especially, that the logical consequences of the 

 now commonly accepted doctrines concerning the " Conservation of 

 Energy " and the " Correlation of the Vital and Physical Forces " 

 are wholly favourable to the possibility of the independent origin of 

 "living" matter. It also contains \a view of the "Cellular 

 Theory of Organisation.'" In the Second Part of the work, under 

 the head " Archebiosis," the question as to the present occurrence or 

 non-occurrence of "spontaneous generation" is fully considered. 

 " He has made a notable contribution to the literature of scientific 

 research and exposition," Daily News. "// is a book thai 

 cannot be ignored, and must inevitably ad to renewed discussions 

 and repeated observations, and through these to the establishment of 

 truth." A. R. WALLACE in Nature. 



Birks (T. R.) ON MATTER AND ETHER ; or, The Secret 

 Laws of Physical Change. By THOMAS RAWSON BIRKS, M.A., 

 Professor of Moral Philosophy in the University of Cambridge. 

 Crown 8vo. $s. 6d. 



The author believes that the hypothesis of the existence of, besides matter, 

 a luminous ether, of immense elastic force, supplies the true and suf 

 ficient key to the remaining secrets of inorganic matter, of the phe 

 nomena of light, electricity, etc. In this treatise the author endea 

 vours first to form a clear and difiniif. (wnp'wn with regard to the 



