KNowiJ'.nr.i- 



I'l IIRIAKY. l')12. 



but effaced by the passnui' of time, they preserve for lis <'i 

 record of bvKonc phases of existence, and often point us to 

 some of the sources from which the modern world of livinK 

 things has arisen." PliyloKeiiy, or racial history, seems to be 

 a red rap to many /ooioRists to-day, because of considerable 

 recklessness in pcdiKree-makinj,' in the early days of Oarwinian 

 cntlinsiMsni, but it seems a pity to react to the extent of leaving 

 the doctrine of descent as a sort of abstract fornnila of an 

 evolution-process, which has no doubt occurred, but of which 

 the less we say the better, since all is so uncertain. Mr. 

 GeofTrey Smith is not one of the extreme sceptics as to the 

 iwssibility of phyloRenetic conclusions, for though he does not 

 think that we can speculate to nood purpose in regard to the 

 inter-rclationships of phyla, he believes that within the limits 

 of the fjreat fjroups " coiiiparativo morph(ilof;y has supplie<l us 

 with a number of securely founded gencrali/.itions of real value." 

 To students who wish to turn from the abstract discussion of 

 "factors of evolution" to the concrete problems of afliliation 

 — and there should be many of this mood — this little book 

 will be a welcome guide. It is very fresh and interesting, its 

 scientific temper is in itself educative, it is full of what we 

 venture to call morphologic.il suggestiveness. The first 

 chapter gives an outline of the great series or phyla of animals ; 

 the second discusses beginnings — among Protozoa and I'roto- 

 phyta ; the third treats of the great .Appcndiculate phylum 

 (which seems to us very top-heavy) ; the fourth is a wise 

 discussion of the relation between individual development 

 (ontogeny) and racial evolution (phylogeny) ; the fifth deals 

 with the ancestry of the vertebrates, the sixth with the 

 possession of the dry land, and the seventh with the rise of 

 manunals. The last chapter of reflections, which stretches 

 the title of the book to the breaking-point, may be regarded, 

 we hope, as the bud of another book as good as this one. 



J. .Arthur Thomson. 



Tlu- Siitiiral llixtory and Aiiliqiiilics of Sclhiirnc in the 



Connty of Southampton. — By GlLliliRT Wlirri;. With 



illustrations in colour by George Kdward Collins, K.H..\. 



476 pages. 7i-in. X 10-in. 



(Macmillan & Company. Price 10s. M. net.t 



There are still a number of people who are interested in 

 Natural History who have yet to experience the pleasure and 

 delight of reading Gilbert White's masterpiece. To them we 

 recommend the new rpiarto edition of the Natural History 

 of Selborne which Messrs. .Macmillan & Company have 

 recently published. It is a faithful reprint of the work of 

 " The Naturalist's Calendar, with ob.servations in v.arious 

 branches of n.atural history," which Dr. John Aikin extracted 

 from the "' Naturalist's Journal " kept by Gilbert White from 

 the year 176S. to the time of his death in 179J. This journal 

 and the Garden Calendar, which he kept previously, and began 

 in the year 1751, are now in the British Mu.seum. There 

 are many of those who know "The Natural History of 

 Selborne" who will welcome the opportunity of renewing 

 their acquaintance with it by means of the readable edition 

 under review, which has wide margins and is illustrated by a 

 number of sketches by George Edward Collins, reproduced 

 by the three-colour process. The effect which the work of 

 Gilbert White has had on the study of Nature in this country 

 is very great : for his observations had great influence on many 

 promment naturalists, including Charles Darwin, and it is most 

 fascinating to read how the country curate differentiated 

 between the Willow Warbler, Chift'chaft". and the Wood 

 Warbler ; how he recorded for the first time the occurrence of 

 the minute Harvest Mouse and its ball-like nest; or how. again, 

 he sought for evidence in favour of the old theory, now long 

 exploded, that swallows hibernate in winter. 



THE ASS0CI.\T10N OI-" PlliLIC SCHOOL SCIEN'CE M.ASTERS 



The Twelfth Annual Meeting of the Association of Public 

 School Science Masters was held at the London Day Training 

 College, on January 10th and 11th. The President this year 

 was Sir J. J. Thomson, F.R.S. He urged the necessity of a 

 proper use of text books, and pointed out that although the 

 students who come up to learn Physics at the Cavendish 

 Laboratory were no longer deficient in mathematical knowledge 

 and the classes specially held for their benefit in this subject 

 were being discontinued, there- was a very small proportion 

 who coXild translate a passage from German into English. 

 Considerable discussion was raised by Mr. Matthew Davenport 

 Hill's paper on "The Value of Chemistry and Physics as an 

 Introduction to Biology." School Biology meaning Morphology, 

 Mr. Hill did not think a training in more exact science should 

 necessarily precede it, and we remember Mr. Ashford. when 

 he was at Harrow some years ago, urging in an educational 

 conference that Natural History was the best introduction to 

 science for young children, for they all ,had some amount of 

 interest in living things, whereas Physics and Chemistry were 

 quite new to them. The great advantage of teaching Plant 

 Biology in a school was instanced by Mr. E. I. Lewis. 

 of Oundle. Mr. C. E. Ashford, of The Royal Naval 

 College. Dartmouth, discussed the place of Electrostatics in 

 a science course, while papers were read on the teaching of 

 Qualitative Analysis and on Educational Pschology, the latter 

 by Mr. A. Vassall, of Harrow\ 



As usual there was an exhibition of scientific apparatus 

 and books. Messrs. Philip Harris & Co.. of Birmingh.ini. 

 showed a full series of Galvanometers. Theodolites and so on 

 as well as a novelty in the shape of a cheap stop-clock, working 

 models of a chemical laboratory bench ; verniers and sphero- 

 meters were exhibited by Messrs. Baird &; Tatlock ; while on 

 the stand of Messrs. F. E. Becker & Company was a novelty 

 in the shape of a compact set of wireless telegraphic apparatus 

 which will work over a distance of two miles. Another note- 

 worthy exhibit by this firm was a liquefaction apparatus which 

 will liquify sulphur dioxide or ammonia. 



Messrs. Brown & Sons staged a number of stills of various 



patterns, in addition to examples of their well-known apparatus 

 for physical work. Messrs. Cussons had on \iew a new arrange- 

 ment for finding the force of gravity designed by Mr. Mott. of 

 Giggleswick, and consists of a free-falling plate with an electrical 

 release. The model of this, we believe, was exhibited last 

 year amongst the apparatus designed and shown by members 

 of the Public School Science Masters' Association themselves. 

 We may mention also that Messrs. A. Gallenkamp & Co. are 

 well-known as balance-makers and their physics apparatus is 

 also worthy of mention. Messrs. Reynolds & Bransome, of 

 Leeds, showed a number of new accessories used with Stroud 

 and Rendell's science lantern for demonstrating the laws of 

 optics, and the "' Rystos " optical bench for attachment to the 

 same lantern. 



Among the novelties which might be picked out from the 

 large series contributed by Messrs. Townson tS: Mercer we 

 may speak of Blackmail's improved rapid filter, which depends 

 for its success on the fact that the cone of the filter paper 

 does not come into contact with the glass of the funnel. 

 Allusion may also be made to their vacuum filters. 



Microscopes and accessories were shown by Messrs. W. 

 Watson & Sons, and for the description of a new microscope 

 demonstration table we refer our readers to our Microscopical 

 Column. 



.-\n opportunity- was afforded to those who visited the 

 exhibition of seeing the latest books on science brought out by 

 the Oxford and Cambridge and Tutorial Presses as well as by 

 Mr. Edward .-Vrnold. Messrs. George Bell, Messrs. Macmillan 

 and Messrs. Methuen. 



In the members' section was shown a modified form of 

 Fletcher's apparatus by Mr. D. P. Berridge, of Malvern. By 

 a judicious introduction of metal, the wear and tear which is 

 a drawback to the wooden form has been avoided as well as 

 the great weight which results when the apparatus is made 

 entirely of iron. Messrs. Cussons, who are putting this 

 apparatus on the market also showed an example of it. .An 

 ingenious way of making model volcanoes was demonstrati-d 

 bv Mr. G. H. Martin, of Bradford. 



