234 



NATURE 



[December 22, 1910 



position, &c. But the details of the scientific process, 

 and consequently its results, are a function of the 

 mind of, the investigator, as well as of the "facts" 

 investig-ated. Thus there are well-defined types — 

 especially national types — of scientific interpretation, 

 corresponding to typical differences upon the subjec- 

 tive side of the epistemological relation. It follows 

 that an inquiry into the scientific process, to be fruit- 

 ful, must be based upon a study of its concrete mani- 

 festations in historv. 



This principle is applied in the chapters that make 

 up the greater part of Herr \'olkmann's book. The 

 last third is devoted to an analysis of the influence of 

 scientific thought and discovery upon the general in- 

 tellectual life of our time, as represented in its 

 philosophy, its views on education, &c. A lengthy 

 appendix consists of a reprint of two papers, one a 

 criticism of Newton's methods in the "Principia," 

 the other a critical comparison between the funda- 

 mental ideas of Newton's mechanics and the alter- 

 native concepts proposed by Hertz. 



OUR BOOK SHELF. 



Photo grams of the Year 19 lo. Typical Photographic 

 Pictures Reproduced and Criticised. Edited by 

 H. S. Ward. Pp. 160. (London : G. Routledge 

 and Sons, Ltd., Dawbarn and \\'ard, Ltd.; New 

 York : Tennant and \\'ard, 19 10.) Price, paper 

 cover, 2^. 6d. net. ; cloth cover, 35. 6d. net. 

 It is very useful and helpful to the photographer to 

 have under one cover a typical set of the photographs 

 of the year with attendant criticisms of each. It is 

 especially valuable to those who have not had the 

 opportunity of studying the originals for themselves. 

 This annual should therefore be appreciated bv a great 

 number of workers, and the one now issued is a 

 worthy follower of the former publications. In the 

 collection here submitted the photographs have been 

 chosen from an enormous number, and the selection, 

 as we are told, has been made by one "who has had 

 exceptional opportunity of considering the world's out- 

 put for a quarter of a centurv." 



This year the book has been increased by the addi- 

 tion of eight pages of plates, reproduced bv the three- 

 colour process from originals by the three-colour car- 

 bon method, as well as by the newer single exposure 

 processes on autochrome, Thames, and dioptichrome 

 plates. While the editor points out that these pro- 

 cesses and their reproductions are not yet at the 

 " ideal " stage of natural colour photography, thev vet 

 afford examples of the expression of artistic indi- 

 viduality. The book, as usual, is of an international 

 character exhibiting photographs by Continental. 

 Colonial, and American workers. It contains fortv- 

 eight pages of letterpress and 161 reproductions in 

 monochrome and eleven in colours. 



The " Code " School Garden and Nature Note-Booh. 

 Edited by G. Lewis. Pp. 96. (London : H. Mar- 

 shall and Son, n.d.) Price gd. 

 This little note-book is intended to help the scholar 

 and the teacher in systematising the work and the 

 observations in the school garden. L'nless a careful 

 record is kept, the full educational value of manv of 

 the observations cannot be obtained, but there may 

 be some difficulty in keeping;^ the records in such a 

 way that they shall be readily accessible. This diffi- 

 culty is obviated in the present book. The main part 

 of it is divided into twelve parts, one for each month, 

 each consisting of five pages. On the first are a few 

 NO. 2147, VOL. 85] 



reminders for the month, showing what should be 

 done in the fruit, flower, and vegetable gardens, what 

 the animals and birds are doing, and what to look for 

 in wild plant-life. The next two pages are for a 

 record of work done in the garden ; the fourth is ruled 

 up for meteorological observations, but as onlv four- 

 teen entries can be made it is clear that daily readings 

 are not contemplated. The last page is for nature 

 observations. At the end of the book are pages 

 for crop records, for temperature and rainfall 

 charts — one for atmospheric pressure might usefullv 

 have been added — and for profit and loss account. 



The mechanical labour of keeping observations is 

 thus reduced to a minimum, and at the same time 

 the record can always be traced back if necessary. 

 Only those who have attempted to get together class 

 records can realise entirely what a saving of time 

 and trouble this means. 



One or two points in the introductory pages want 

 alteration. A loam is not "a soil composed of equal 

 parts of clay and sand." It is not only unnecessary-, 

 but undesirable, to give the name " sulpotide " to the 

 definite and well-known sulphide of potassium wash ; 

 if the scholar or teacher looked in the index of a 

 standard gardening book he would hardly be likelv 

 to see the word mentioned. The author recommends 

 the injection of carbon bisulphide into the soil to kill 

 the larvae of the click beetle (wireworms) ; this is 

 hardly a school operation, even if it were effective, and 

 the evidence on this point is bv no means clear. But 

 apart from these little noints the book is very useful, 

 and can be commended for class purposes. 



Handbuch der vergleichenden Physiologic. Edited 

 by Hans Winterstein. Band ii., Erste Halfte. 

 Neunte Leiferung. Physiologic des .Stoffwechsels, 

 Phvsiologie des Zeugung. Pp. 819-980. Band iii. 

 Zweite Halfte. Zehnte Lieferung. Phvsiologie der 

 Energieproduktion. Physiologic der Form. Pp. 161- 

 320. (Jena : Gustav Fischer, 19 10.) Price per 

 fasciculus 5 marks. 

 When the earlier fasciculi of this ambitious work 

 appeared, we noted the general characters and aims 

 of the undertaking. The ninth fasciculus contains a 

 continuation of Prof. W. Biedermann's article on 

 nutrition in the different classes of the world ot life ; 

 but the article in question is not yet concluded. Each 

 group is considered in detail, and the outcome will be 

 a most valuable work of reference, and contains a 

 mine, not only of information, but of references to 

 original researches. The bibliographical notices relat- 

 ing to digestion and nutrition in the insects and 

 myriapods alone number 247. 



The tenth fasciculus is a portion of the third volume, 

 which deals with quite different subjects. No doubt it 

 is a convenience to the editor to print the bits as they 

 are readv, thoug^h it is a little confusing to the reader. 

 It contains portions of two articles; the first is the 

 conclusion of an article on the production of elec- 

 tricity in animals and plants, by Prof. S. Garten, 

 and the second the commencement of an article by 

 Prof. Ernst Mangold, on the production of light in 

 livine things, especiallv in anima's. The two articles 

 manifest the same thoroughness of treatment notice- 

 able in the previous fasciculi, and we congratulate the 

 editor on having secured the service of collaborators 

 who are all actuated by the same high ideals. 



Guide to the British Vertebrates Exhibited in the 

 Department of Zoology, British Museum (Natural 

 History). Pp. vii+122, with a plan and 26 illus- 

 trations. (London : Printed by order of the 

 Trustees of the British Museum, 1910.) Price is. 

 This guide contains a concise account of the British 

 vertebrates other than the turtles and marine fishes. 



