120 



KNOWLEDGE. 



March, 1913. 



the Devonian, in the form of fully developed fishes. These 

 are evidently a more highly organised type than any of the 

 groups of vertebrates by which they are preceded ; and it is 

 obvious that they must have taken origin either from some of 

 these preceding forms already known to us, by means of a 

 strongly-marked transformation, or from other extinct types 

 with which we are at present unacquainted. On either 

 supposition, as the author observes, the missing links must 

 date from the Silurian period : and considering the relatively 

 large size of the earliest known vertebrates, it is a matter for 

 surprise that these missing links have not yet been found. 

 When we reach the Silurian " the main trunk of the animal 

 kingdom, upon which the whole vertebrate stock rests, is lost, 

 leaving, without reason or warning, a vast unknown abyss, 

 beside which the gap between man and his immediate pre- 

 decessors sinks into microscopic insignificance." 



The annelids, the ascidians, Balanoglossus and its rela- 

 tives have each been claimed in turn as the groups which 

 came nearest to filling the gap ; but Professor Patten will 

 have nothing to do with any of them, and he pins his faith to 

 the arachnids as representing, through the intervention of the 

 so-called ostracoderms, the stock from which the great verte- 

 brate phylum has sprung. And, to illustrate his views, he gives 

 at the end of the volume an elaborate phylogenetic tree, whose 

 roots are formed by the Protozoa, while mammals, birds, and 

 reptiles form the topmost branches, with fishes branching off 

 from the ostracoderms somewhat above the middle of the 

 stem, and the latter, in turn, standing immediately above the 

 arachnids. Not that the tree presents anything like a straight 

 and unbroken trunk ; for the ascidians, Balanoglossus, 

 echinoderms, annelids, and a host of other forms, radiate out 

 as complex lateral branches from near the base. Whether or 

 no his views be generally accepted by morphologists, either 

 wholly or in part, Professor Patten is to be congratulated on 

 the completion of a most elaborate and valuable contribution 



to our knowledge of vertebrate evolution. „ 



K. E. 



Outlines of Evolutionary Biology. — By Arthur Dendy, 



F.R.S. 454 pages. 190 illustrations. 8£-in. X5£-in. 



(Constable & Co. Price 12/6 net.) 



In claiming that biology should form one of the foundation 



stones of a modern system of education, the author points out 



that even an elementary study of biological theory should be 



preceded by a systematic course of laboratory work in zoology 



and botany. To aid students in this is the object of the volume 

 before us, which commences with an account of a couple of 

 primitive forms as a basis on which to explain some elementary 

 ideas with regard to the nature of living things, and the 

 differences between animals and plants. Then follows an 

 account of the cell theory ; while in later chapters we are 

 introduced to the evolution of sex, variation and heredity, 

 and the evolution of organic nature and adaptation to 

 surroundings; while in the final chapters we have an excellent 

 summary of the factors of organic evolution, commencing with 

 a review of the works of the most eminent exponents of the 

 theory of evolution, and ending with the evolutionary history 

 of man himself. The whole subject is treated in a manner 

 which should render the volume acceptable both to the 

 beginner and to the student who has had some previous 

 training ; the freedom from unnecessary technicalities being 

 a welcome feature. Among many interesting items, we have 

 been specially enthralled by Professor Dendy's account of a 

 peculiar organ in the head of a frog, which represents the last 

 remnant of an unpaired pineal eye. We confess our own 

 previous ignorance of the existence of such a structure in this 

 well-known animal, but console ourselves by the thought that 

 there are probably others who were in the same boat until 

 they had read the many marvels revealed in Professor Dendy's 

 excellent volume. r 



YEAR BOOK. K ' L ' 



Who's Who in Science — International, 1913. — Edited by 



H. H. Stephenson. 572 pages. 9-in. X5f-in. 



(J. & A. Churchill. Price 8/- net.) 



To this, the second issue of a most useful book, many 

 additions have been made. The sections already appearing 

 in the "Who's Who in Science" for 1912 have been enlarged, 

 while Psychology and Geology have been added to the 

 sciences represented. An important amplification is the list 

 of the scientific societies of the world with their addresses 

 and the many useful details about them. Endeavour has 

 also been made to extend the list of the world's universities, 

 and to supply the names of the principals, registrars and 

 senior professors of all ; but we are sorry to see that quite a 

 long list of existing universites did not take the trouble to 

 respond to the editor's request for information. We might 

 emphasise the international character of the publication and 

 say in conclusion it bids fair to be indispensable to every 

 serious worker in science. 



NOTICES. 



USEFUL KNOWLEDGE SERIES.— We have received 

 from Messrs. Hodder & Stoughton a list of new forthcoming 

 publications, including the titles of the books coming under 

 the above heading, as well as several for amateur gardeners 

 and the first four volumes of the Open-air Series. 



MACMILLAN'S NEW BOOKS.— The classified list of 

 books issued by Messrs. Macmillan during the past month 

 contains many dealing with scientific matters and education. 



FRANCO -BRITISH TRAVEL CONGRESS. — It is 

 intended to hold this congress in September, 1913, under the 

 presidency of Lord Montagu of Beaulieu. From the proposed 

 Agenda which has reached us, it should prove of considerable 

 usefulness; and we notice in the first number of France, 

 the official organ of the Franco- British Travel Union, which 

 accompanies the Agenda, some interesting notes by Count 

 Plunkett, F.S.A., on the Museums of France and Algeria. 



THE JOURNAL OF THE ALCHEMICAL SOCIETY.— 

 We welcome the appearance of a new journal, the first 

 number of which (price 2s.) contains a paper on " The Origin 

 of Alchemy" by our contributor, Mr. H. Stanley Redgrove, 

 B.Sc, with a resume of the discussion which followed its 

 delivery. The journal is published for the Society, by Mr. 

 H. K. Lewis, of 136, Gower Street, W.C. 



A NEW COMPANY.— In future the business of Mr. J. H. 

 Steward will be carried on by a private limited liability 

 company under the style of J. H. Steward, Limited, at 

 406, Strand, London, W.C., from which address all outstand- 

 ing liabilities will be discharged by the Company. 



THE GOLDEN EAGLE.— Messrs. Witherby & Company, 

 the publishers of " The Home-life of a Golden Eagle " have 

 by special request prepared enlargements (measuring nine 

 and a quarter by eleven and a half inches) of six of the 

 principal photographs which were reproduced to form the 

 plates in the book. 



THE RAMBLERS' HANDBOOK.— The Federation of 

 Rambling Clubs has issued for the first time a useful hand- 

 book containing many valuable hints and much information as 

 to maps, houses of refreshment, ramblers' books, and so on, 

 alitor the modest price of 2d. The energies of the Union are 

 primarily directed towards obtaining advantages for and giving 

 help to the constituted clubs, but the good work which is done 

 is helpful to all who ramble about the country. The Honorary 

 Secretaries may be addressed at 25, Victoria Street, Westminster. 



THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION.— For the meeting of 

 the British Association, which will take place in Birmingham 

 on September 10th to 17th next, the following sectional 

 presidents have been appointed : — A (Mathematics and 

 Physics), Dr. H. F. Baker, F.R.S. ; B (Chemistry), Professor 

 W. P. Wynne, F.R.S.; C (Geology), Professor E.J. Garwood ; 

 D (Zoology), Dr. H. F. Gadow, F.R.S.; E (Geography), 

 Professor H. N. Dickson; F (Economics), Rev. P. H. 

 Wicksteed; G (Engineering), J. A. F. Aspinall, M. Eng. ; H 

 (Anthropology), Sir Richard Temple, Bart., CLE. ; I (Physi- 

 ology), Professor F. Gowland Hopkins, F.R.S. ; X (Botany), 

 Miss Ethel Sargent, F.L.S.; L (Education), Principal E. H. 

 Griffiths, F.R.S.; M (Agriculture), Professor T. B. Wood. 



