June 22, 1911] 



NATURE 



559 



it often came over the path, on a hot day in dry 

 weather I have more than once appUed a match to 

 it and burnt it down. In a very short time a new 

 heap of branches and twigs was piled on the ashes 

 of the old tugong hula." The author points out that 

 a man prefers almost any other punishment than that 

 of having a tugong hula erected to his memory, for 

 other punishments are soon forgotten, while this 

 remains as mute evidence against him for succeeding 

 generations, and is a disgrace even to his children's 

 children. 



Mr. Gomes gives a good account of the Dyak burial 

 rites, though it may be doubted whether the cemetery 

 shown in the plate facing p. 136 is not in fact of 

 Kenyah origin, and some of the accoutrements of the 

 warriors shown in the other plates are not strictly Sea 

 Dyak. The illustrations are perhaps the weak part 

 of the book, for although thev are all of excellent 



dducation of advanced or popular character. In the 

 introduction he lays down some general guiding prin- 

 ciples regarding the situation and functions of 

 stations of different types — for research, teaching, and 

 economic work^and gives some useful hints on fit- 

 tings. Then follow descriptions of the stations, that 

 of the Naples Station coming first. The inception, 

 organisation, staff, financial arrangements, plans of 

 the building (including floor plans and sections), 

 details regarding aquarium fittings, pumps, pipes, 

 valves, storage and circulation of water, apparatus, 

 boats, and many other matters connected with this 

 famous station are considered in a clear and concise 

 manner, and the account, which extends over twenty- 

 four pages, cannot fail to be of interest and of great 

 use to those who have the management of, or are 

 planning, marine stations. 



The descriptions of other stations are not so de- 



Dyak H 



quality, there is not that variety in the subjects 

 selected for reproduction which might legitimately be 

 expected from one who has lived so long among the 

 Dyaks. It would, however, be unfair to blame the 

 author's judgment for this, as he was dependent on 

 borrowed photographs, but he may be strongly recom- 

 mended to learn to use a camera before returning to 

 Sarawak. C. G. S. 



THE BIOLOGICAL STATIONS OF EUROPE^ 



PROF. KOFOID'S report referred to below admir- 

 ably fulfils the purposes for which he prepared 

 it, namely, to put in convenient form for reference an 

 account of the history, organisation, equipment, and 

 work of the various biological stations of Europe, 

 and to indicate their relations to research and to 



1 "The Biological Stations of Europe." By Prof. C. A. Kofoid. U.S. 

 Bureau of Education, Bull. 1910, No. 4. Pp. 13, 36°- 55 ^l"-. *^ 'e"' "8*. 



iio. 2173, VOL. 86] 



tailed, but the chief features of each are mentioned, 

 and opportunity is taken to give the details, often 

 with a photograph or a drawing to scale, of any 

 specially ingenious device or effective piece of appa- 

 ratus, which the author observed during his tour of 

 inspection. Plans are given of all the more important 

 buildings, showing the arrangement of the labora- 

 tories, aquaria, workrooms, &c. Prof. Kofoid has 

 earned the thanks of biologists by providing this 

 excellent account of equipments and working arrange- 

 ments. 



The opening paragraph in the introduction to the 

 stations of Great Britain is quoted here, as it so 

 accurately states the conditions and limitations under 

 which they carry on their work. Prof. Kofoid 

 writes : — " The direct support of biological stations by 

 educational funds of local or State origin, often in 

 connection with universities, so generally prevalent in 

 other European countries, is almost wholly lacking 



