42 



KNOWLEDGE. 



I'ebri-ary 1, I'JOl. 



iuherited : that if the speed of a horse is increased by training, 

 the increase of muscular power so obtained is not transmitted." 

 Wei.^mann has provided biological explanations of these 

 phenomena, his chief generalisations being that ihe reproductive 

 elements — the germ-plasm— of the higher organisms are 

 immortal, while the rest of the body — the somatoplasm — dies. 

 Such are baldly some of the chief speculations with which 3Ir. 

 He.adley is concerned. One of the main objects of the book is 

 to show that the Lamarckian view has no basis in fact, and that 

 it offers no exjilanation of the phenomena of animated nature. 

 At the same time this is only one of the objects, for the volume 

 consists of two parts, the second being taken up with the 

 problems of human evolution. Human evolution is treated of 

 under the headings of physical, moral, and intellectual evolution, 

 and the question of physical degeneration is dealt with very 

 fully. Mr. Headley writes in a stimulating and interesting 

 manner, and avoids any partisanship very successfully. To 

 anyone who wishes to read an up-to-date account of evolu- 

 tionary theories, Mr. Headley 's hook can be recommended in 

 full confidence. 



" Stuiues: Scientific ash Soci.\l." By Dr. Alfred Russel 

 Wallace. Two volnmes. Illustrated. (Macmillan.) ISs. — In 

 these two volumes we have an epitome of Dr. Wallace's views on 

 many subjects of science and philoso]>hy, covering a period of 

 about thirty-five years. The essays have appeared in reviews 

 and other publications, and have not only been enlarged and 

 simplified in places, but have also been given additional interest 

 by numerous striking illustrations. There are, in the first 

 volume essays on questions of physical geology, descriptive 

 zoology, plant distribution, animal distribution, the theory of 

 evolution, anthropology, and instinct : while the second volume 

 contains contributions on educational, political, ethical, and 

 sociological subjects. The ground covered is thus so extensive 

 that it cannot be adequately sui vej-ed in a short review; there- 

 fore we must content ourselves with mentioning a few of its 

 prominent features. Dr. Wallace holds that the oceanic areas 

 beyond the depth of 20 fathoms, constituting about seventy 

 per cent, of the whole ocean floor, have been ocean throughout 

 all known geological time. There ha-s been a large amount of 

 controversy over this question of tl e permanency of the ocean 

 bed, but in England a compromise seems to have been effected 

 between the two schools of geologists. Dr. Wallace remains in 

 possession of his 2000 fathom boundary— at least so far as 

 Jlesozoic and subsequent ages are concerned but abandons his 

 earlier limit of lOUi' fathoms. He accepts the Rev, O. Fisher's 

 conclusion that the average thickness of the earth's crust on 

 lands near the sea-level is onlj- about eighteen miles, which is 

 all that separates ns from a layer of molten lava. It can 

 sciircely be said, however, that the data available are suflBciently 

 exact to justify any very definite pronouncement upon this 

 matter. The Viilley-lakes of highly-glaciated districts are 

 believed by Dr. Wallace to have beeu formed by ice-action. This 

 view of Ramsay's is maintained by a group of distinguished 

 geologists, but others — Prof. Bonney among them — explain the 

 lakes as the result of earth movements and other causes. 

 Wales, Scotland, Switzerland, Scandinavia, and Xorth America 

 all present an abundance of these lakes, and all of these countries 

 have been subjected to glacial action. On the other hand, as 

 Mr. Oldham pointed out some time ago, there are valleys in 

 regions showing no elfects of glaciation, very similiar to those 

 in which lakes occur, but fiUed with the dt.%ns of rocks instead 

 of water, and there is no evidence that they have been scooped 

 out by glacier action. The biological es.says are most interesting 

 to read, and several of them set forth in the clearest possible 

 manner the theory of the origin of species by means of natural 

 selection, Dr, Wallace shows that objections to the theory are 

 often based upon incorrect interpretations of facts of natural 

 history. He will have nothing to do with discontinuous variation 

 or the inheritance of acquired characters, or any other modification 

 - or substitute forthe Darwinian hypothesis as the methodof organic 

 evolution. His definite conclusion, after esamining the cases 

 put forward by naturalists who seek for a modified Darwinianism, 

 is that •■ no case has yet been made out for the inheritance of 

 individually acquired characters, and that variation and natural 

 selection are fully adequate to account for those various 

 modifications of organisms which have been supposed to be 

 beyond their power." No space is left even to mention the 

 other subjects dealt with in the volumes — the disguises of 



insects, the distribution of animals, the functions of museums, 

 the origin of speech, the nationalisation of the land, and other 

 matters of human interest. There are fifty-two essays in all, 

 and each o£ them wiU prove a source of instruction to the 

 reader. Few men have wider sympathies with Nature than 

 Dr. Wallace, and none have a more extensive influence. 



•' PiBLic.wiO-VS OF THE LiCK OusEP-v.^TORY," Volume IV.. 

 1900. — "Meridian Circle Observations of 310 Standard Stars." 

 By R. H. Tucker. — This is a work of great importance for pro- 

 fessional astronomers, being the systematic and repeated obser- 

 vation of the standard stars of the four great ephemerides of 

 the United States, England, France, and Germany, carried out 

 with the thoroughness aud skiU which are associated with 

 Mr. Tucker's name. A fidl description of the instrument, of 

 the methods of observation, and of the corrections, is given in 

 the Introduction. 



" Who's '\yHo. 19ol." (Adam and Charles Black.) 5s.— We 

 suppose it will always pass the wit of man to set- up a standard 

 of distinction in the preparation of a work of this kind, but 

 the continuous growth of a miscellaneous crowd of country 

 J.P.'s, obscure M.P.'s, and still more obscure peers, will certainly 

 necessitate some rule on the subject, or it may become a greater 

 distinction to be out of the book than in it. Apart from this 

 obvious danger to the utility of the work, it maj- be most 

 heartily commended for its lucid and informing character 

 throughout, and if it should hapjien that one wants to know 

 anything about anyone at any time, then the information is 

 most likely to be contained in ■' Who's Who." But there is such 

 a dist''«ssingly large number of names of whom it may be safely 

 said that few people will ever have any occasion to consult their 

 record, to become interested in th<;ir orderly progress from the 

 Universitv to the Bench, or excited concerning their recreations. 

 Still "Who's Who ' is a greit work, grateful to the journalist, 

 and comforting to those included in its pages. 



"The EN"i;r.i5iiw)M.iN's Year Book and Dieectory, 19o1." 

 Edited by Emily Janes. (Adam and Charles Black.) 2s. 6d. 

 net. — A truly remarkable record of the successful result of 

 sustained effort. So far as we can see, covering the vvhole field 

 of their activities, the book is an object lesson in the amazing 

 advances of women during the past few years in every branch 

 of human activity. 



A copy of Darwin's "The Origin of Species" can now be 

 obtained for the sum of 2s. 6d., Messrs. Murray having, on the 

 approaching expiration of the copyright of that work, issued a cheap 

 edition. Ttie new book nas a cover which will not shame any library, 

 and is well printed on thin paper. Tbat the mass of erroneous 

 and harmful ideas which associate themselves in the popular 

 mind with the name of Darwin will be replaced by clear 

 perceptions of his theories is a hope" too sanguine perhaps to be 

 fulfilled. But to possess miy mean to p»-rnse, and Messrs. 

 Murray have at least removed the excuses of those who have 

 light pockets. 



We have received from the Hon. Secretary of the Anthropo- 

 logical Insiitute a copy of the first number of a new monthly 

 journal entitled ■' Man," to be devoted to the record of progress 

 made in the various branches of the study of mankind. The 

 scope of the new periodical will include physical anthropologj-, 

 ethnography, psychology, the study of language, and of the earlier 

 stages of civilization, industry, and art, as well as the history of 

 social institutions and of moral and religious ideas, so that there 

 should be no lack of material wherewith to fill the allotted 

 number of pages. A wise provision in the scheme is the 

 concentration of attention on those sections of its subjects 

 which at present suffer from lack of a journal devoted to their 

 special interests. In addition to occasional text figm-es, each 

 number will be illustrated with a full-page plate. That there 

 is room for such a journal there can be little doubt, and the 

 January issue promises well for the future. This part contains 

 five original articles, one of which is illustrated with a coloured 

 plate of the Japanese '■ Wheel of Life.'' These are followed 

 by nine reviews from the pens of well-known authorities. 

 Each article is headed by a short ■• subject-title '' in large type, 

 and is also marked with a reference number by which it should 

 be quoted. The annual subscription for the general public is 

 ten shillings. The new venture has our lieartv sood wishes. 



