Recent Biology ^ilZ 



much admiration. Not only will it be of great value to biolo- 

 gists, but students in neighbouring departments, especially in 

 psychology, will find it a reliable and readable introduction to 

 the newer biological problems in their latest phases. One 

 feature strikes the present writer as peculiarly good — albeit 

 exceedingly difficult — i.e., the attempt of the editor to gather up 

 in a few pages a statement of the advance made during the year 

 under each great heading, thus giving a r^sum^ of each of the 

 successive r^sum^s of literature made by the contributors. 

 Such a ' skimming-off of the cream ' could only be done by a 

 master, and must in any case involve some personal equation ; 

 but Professor Delage has shown in his earlier work the sort of 

 grasp on the entire subject — both as to information and as to 

 judgment — which such an undertaking demands. 



The allowance of space to psychology, under the head of 

 ' mental functions,' is adequate and just. It is sincerely to be 

 hoped that the editor will not take the advice of certain reviewers 

 and restrict this department in future issues. Not only is this 

 section of value to psychologists, as bringing their work into 

 organic connection with biological results, but even more to 

 biologists, who are thus informed of the light which psychology, 

 especially in its genetic and evolutionary phases, is coming to 

 throw on some of the standing problems of biology. This is 

 seen in the volume before us in the statement of recent advances 

 in the questions of instinct, individual adaptation, and deter- 

 minate evolution. 



On the ^vhole, therefore, w^e may count this publication as a 

 distinct addition to the apparatus of the natural sciences, and 

 extend congratulations to its learned editor and his collaborators.^ 



The two posthumous works of Romanes (2 and 3) are valu- 

 able additions to our legacy from that acute mind. The book 

 of essays is less valuable than the other, seeing that it is a col- 

 lection of papers published at various dates, which do not in all 

 cases represent the latest and most matured opinions of the 

 author. They all have biographical value, however, — meaning 



1 The Annee Biologique maintains its high excellence from year to year, the 

 fifth volume, 1899-1900, having now appeared (1901). 



