PHYSICAL SCIENCE. 21 



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. JBastian's 

 labours in 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 cJiange 

 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 tJic 

 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. " It is a book that 

 cannot be ignored, and must inevitably ad to renewed discussions 

 and repeated observations, and through Jiese to the estdblishment of 

 truth" A. R. WALLACES 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 secrete of inorganic matter, of the phe- 

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

 vours first to form a clear and dt finite, cwctp'ion with regard to the 



