6o6 



NATURE 



[April 27, 1893 



It is not proposed to enter into any detailed criticism 

 of this volume. Some idea of the scope of the work was 

 given in the former notice ; we are glad to hear that an 

 English translation is in preparation, and when this ap- 

 pears a further opportunity will be given for a general 

 account of the whole. In point of interest the second 

 volume is fully equal to the first ; there is, however, 

 perhaps more room for adverse criticism of certain parts. 

 Speaking quite generally it may be said that while the 

 " biology," or natural history of the subject is admirable, 

 the morphology is on the whole rather weak. The former, 

 however, is the more important for the general reader, 

 for whom the book is intended. 



The account of reproduction begins with the asexual 

 organs of propagation, including spores, buds, and 

 gemmae. This is succeeded by the much more extensive 

 section on reproduction by fruits, including all sexual 

 processes. The great value of this part lies in the ex- 

 tremely full, and in many respects original, treatment of 

 the fascinating subject of the pollination of flowering 

 plants, to which nearly 300 pages are devoted. Special 

 stress is laid here on the phenomena of geitonogamy, or 

 the crossing of different flowers on the same inflorescence. 

 and of autogamy, or self-fertilisation of hermaphrodite 

 flowers. The whole account is of the greatest possible 

 interest, and familiar as the subject has now become, in- 

 numerable fresh points of view are opened up. 



The second part of the volume is on the history of 

 species, including the whole subject of variation. Changes 

 produced by external agencies, such as parasitic fungi, 

 and gall-forming insects, form the subjects of special 

 sections. 



As regards the origin of new species, the author, like 

 Prof. Weismann, attributes the greatest importance to 

 sexual reproduction, and especially to cross-fertilisation. 

 He occupies a peculiar position in so far as he believes 

 that hybridisation has played an important part in nature 

 as a source of new forms. 



This second part of vol. ii. includes classification, and 

 a fairly full account is given of ail the important groups 

 of plants, each cohort, or " Stamm," receiving separate 

 treatment. 



Sections on the distribution of species, and on their 

 extinction, conclude the book. 



A really good index is added, which will be a great 

 boon to all who wish to make use of the vast store of 

 facts which the book contains. The illustrations, con- 

 sisting of twenty coloured plates and 1547 figures in the 

 text, reach the same high standard as those of the 

 previous volume. 



To the book as a whole the highest praise must be 

 given. No such popular account of the natural history 

 of plants has appeared before. The publication of an 

 English version will be anticipated with great interest. 



D. H. S. 



Bibliografia Medica Italiana. By P. Giacosa, Prof, 

 straord. di Materia Medica e Chimica fisiologica all' 

 Universita di Torino. (Torino-Roma : L. Roux e C. , 

 1893) 

 This work is a collection of abstracts of the chief papers 

 bearing on the medical sciences published by various 

 Italian authors during the year 1892. Prof. Giacosa has 

 been aided in his work by several experts, whose names 

 are a sufficient guarantee for the accuracy of the ab- 

 stracts, such as Profs. Marcassi of Palermo, Maggiora of 

 Modena, and Sperino of Torino. The medical reading 

 public is familiar with the excellent Jahrberichte and 

 Centr alb latter published in Germany, which deals chiefly, 

 though rot exclusively, with scientific papers by German 

 authors. There has been a great want of similar publi- 

 cations of Italian work, and Prof. Giacosa's "Bibliografia" 

 is a welcome addition to medical literature. In it will be 

 found abstracts of all the chief Italian papers published 



NO. 1226. VOL. 47] 



in 1892 on parasites and helminthology (zoology), physi- 

 ology, biological chemistry, pharmacology, histology, 

 human and pathological anatomy, bacteriology and 

 hygiene. The abstracts are done by experts in the 

 particular subject, are short but clear and intelligible, 

 and have the advantage of not being critical. 



The Evolution of Decorative Art. By Henry Balfour, 



M.A., F.Z.S. (London: Percival and Co., 1893.) 

 It is remarkable that in these days, when the question of 

 " origins " holds a place of commanding importance in 

 almost every department of investigation, comparatively 

 little should have been done to trace the evolution of art 

 back to what Mr. Balfour calls "its very simplest begin- 

 ning." Mr. Balfour does not, of course, undertake to 

 present in this small book anything like a complete view 

 of the subject. His aim is merely to indicate some of 

 the main conclusions to which he has been led by his 

 own researches. He finds in early art three distinct 

 stages — (i) adaptive ; the appreciation of curious or 

 decorative effects occurring in nature or as accidents in 

 manufacture, and the slight increasing of the same by 

 artificial means in order to augment their peculiar 

 character or enhance their value as ornaments ; (2) 

 creative ; the artificial production of similar effects where 

 these do not occur (imitation or copying) ; (3) variative ; 

 gradual metamorphosis of designs by unconscious and 

 conscious variation. Mr, Balfour brings out admirably 

 the significance of these stages, and it is scarcely neces- 

 sary to say that the Pitt Rivers collection, of which he 

 is curator, provides him with ample means for the clear 

 and effective exposition and illustration of his ideas. 



LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. 



The Editor does not hold himself responsible for opinions eX' 

 pressed by his correspondents. Neither can he undertake 

 to return, or to correspond with the writers of, rejected 

 manuscripts intended for this or any other part of Nature, 

 No notice is taken of anonymous communications. ] 



Palaeontological Discovery in Australia. 



Many readers of Nature will learn with interest that I have 

 this day received a telegram from Prof. Stirling, of the Uni- 

 versity of Adelaide, as follows : — 



" Made discovery immense deposit fossil remains excavated 

 several nearly complete skeletons Diprotodon besides two 

 thousand bones also large Struthious bird giant Wombat par- 

 ticulars letter." 



I need scarcely add that I shall await with impatience the 

 promised particulars of this discovery, which may prove to be 

 one of great importance. Alfred Newton. 



Magdalene College, Cambridge, April 21. 



An International Zoological Record. 



It is much to be regretted that the praiseworthy agitation of 

 this subject, opened by Mr. Minchin (Nature, vol, xlvi. p. 367), 

 has not been continued. There cannot be the slightest doubt 

 of the desirability of such a reform. Possibly the reason why 

 the letters of Mr. Minchin and Mr. Bathers {ib. p. 416) have 

 not aroused more interest lies in the fact that they both wrote as 

 recorders. They showed the absurd burdens that the actual 

 system imposes upon the recorders ; but they left somewhat in 

 the background the advantages which the great world of 

 zoologists could receive. 



However this may be, it is certain that the rank and file of 

 investigators of the present day are supporting an utterly un- 

 necessary burden, and one from which they ardently desire to be 

 freed. Any one who desires to test the sentiment has only to 

 make inquiries among those of his acquaintance. Having my- 

 self agitated in this quiet way a method of reform that had 

 occurred to me nearly two years ago, I can hardly doubt that 

 the concourse of opinion is strong enough to effect a radical 

 change, if only concerted action can be taken. 



Mr. Minchin and Mr. Bathers have pointed out that the 



