[86 



NA TURE 



[FkBKUARY 2 2. 1^94 



fricha) cchinulata, is recorded, and the species is de- 

 scribed in detail. Among'-t the additions to the fauna, a 

 fresh-water Nemertine {Tetrastemma laciistrc) and a 

 northern leech {Placobdella rabott, recorded by Prof. 

 Blanchard), several Protozoa and Rotifers are note- 

 worthy. It is, however, to the Plankton that the Director 

 has devoted special attention since the founding of the 

 station in 1891, and accordingly the influence of tempera- 

 ture on the constituents, their unequal distribution 

 tnrough the lake, and their appearance, maximum abund- 

 ance, and gradu.il disappearance are carefully noted, 

 together with the bearing of these facts on the present 

 position of the Plankton question. 



The occurrence of certain Protozoa {CarcJiesiiiiii poly- 

 pinuv and Epistylis lacusiris) freely floating in the Pioner 

 See durmg June and July m great numbers, and under 

 conditions that do not warrnnt the supposition that they 

 had been torn away from their supports, is recorded by 

 Dr. Zacharias, who sujjgests that this may be a periodic 

 change from the fixed to the free-floating habit, and that, 

 further, the pelagic species of Di}iobryom.x\d, Floscularia 

 may have a similar origin. The researches conducted at 

 Plon are, however, not the first to direct attention to this 

 point, as Dr. Zacharias asserts (p. 123). Lang (" Ueber 

 den Einfluss der festsitzenden Lebensweise," p. 152 ijena, 

 1888) has already made the same suggestion, based on 

 the presence of Zoothamiiiuin noticed by himself, and 

 more frequently by Brandt and others in plankton col- 

 lected at Naples. 



Another interesting point about which we at present 

 know very little, is the changes of form assumed by the 

 same species at different times of the year. In reference 

 to this matter, Dr. Zacharias describes the seasonal 

 changes in three species of Hyalodap/ima, Bipalpus 

 7>esiciilosiis (a rotifer), and Ceratium hirunditiella. 



The enlarged size of this report gives evidence of the 

 increa-ing interest in fresh-water biology, also shown 

 by the fact that a new station is in process of erection on 

 the border of the Miiggel See, near Berlin. Two plates, 

 illustrating the new species obtained, and a map of the 

 neighbourhood of Plon, are given with this part. 



F. W. G. 



Biology as it is applied agaitist Dogma and Freewill, 

 and for Wetsinannism. By H. Croft Hiller. Second 

 edition. (London: Williams and Norgate, 1893.) 



On a first glance through this unusual book, there rises 

 in one's mind the delightful remark that the mother of 

 David Hume is reputed to have made to him — " Man, 

 Davie, you'ed believe anything if it's no in the Bible." 

 For Mr. Croft Hiller accepts in the most trusting spirit 

 the newest conclusions and theories of modern biology, 

 and thrusts them with a fierceness that makes the index 

 as combative as the text, against freewill and dogma — by 

 dogma apparently meaning ecclesiastical Christianity. 

 But it is only fair to say that although his acceptance of 

 scientific authorities is from the point of view of science 

 absolutely uncritical, he states the views he has selected 

 with an acumen that his discursive and flamboyant style 

 cannot disguise completely. A considerable part of the 

 book is given to accounts of controversies in which the 

 author has been engaged, and hell-fire, plenary inspir- 

 ation, and the immorality of the clergy reappear like 

 King Charles' head. He endeavours to show that 

 recent investigations have established the dependence of 

 man's physical qualities on physical structure, and he 

 accepts Weismann's view that acquired characters are 

 not inherited. From these premises he draws socio- 

 logical conclusions that made a writer in the National 

 Reformer (to the pages of which Mr. Hiller was an 

 esteemed contribu'or) accuse him of Toryism. Bu* his 

 conclusions do not alwavs justify such a use of that ap- 

 pellation. They are such as the following : — That how- 

 ever society may attempt to equalise men, nature will L 



NO. I 269, VOT . 40] 



insist on producing great inequalities. That education, 

 as its effects are not transmitted, will not directly 

 ameliorate society by raising the general standard. That 

 criminals are no more worthy of punishment than 

 geniuses of reward. That while for the benefit of 

 individuals training of individual qualities is necessary, 

 for thebenefit of the race selection of the naturally better 

 endowed is necessary. That the mainspring of all action 

 is selfishness, but in practice the selfishness of the 

 individual is restrained by the selfishness of the com- 

 munity. ' P. C. M. 



Heat : an Elementary Text- Book, Theoretical and 

 Practical, for Colleges attd Sc/iools. By R. T. Glaze- 

 brook, M.A., F.R.S. (Cainbridge : University Press, 

 1894.) 

 A FEW months ago it was announced that the Cambridge 

 University Press intended to publish a series of science 

 manuals, and since that time we have looked forward 

 with pleasurable anticipation to the appearance of the 

 works in the series. But expectations are rarely realised. 

 The book before us is the first of the volumes devoted to 

 physical science, and we are not strikingly impressed 

 with it. Some books favourably force themselves upon 

 one's notice by their originality of treatment or lucidity 

 of expression, but Mr. Glazebrook's volume possesses 

 neither of these characteristics to a noticeable degree 

 This is said at the risk of being considered hypercritical ; 

 but there are so very many ordinary books in exis- 

 tence, that we almost expect a new work to be different 

 from its predecessors in order to Justify its publication at 

 all. However, though the book before us is not the best 

 elementary class-book on heat, it is very good. The 

 author has not confined himself to the experimental or to 

 the theoretical side of his subject, but has happily com- 

 bined the two, so that the book suits both the lecture- 

 room and the physical laboratory. Another commendable 

 feature is the statements of" sources of error" after the 

 descriptions of some of the experiments. The illustra- 

 tions are line-drawings, and though somewhat coarse, 

 they possess the merit of being clear, and that is^ 

 perhaps, the chief desideratum of a book designed for use 

 in our schools and colleges. These institutions will 

 certainly benefit by adopting the book for their students. 



Electrical Experiments. By G. E. Bonney. (London : 



Whittaker and Co.) 

 "This book," the author states, " is written in response 

 to suggestions received from correspondents," and is in- 

 tended to stiow how " induction coils and other electrical 

 apparatus" may be used for instructive amusement. 



In the two hundred and fifty pages to which the book 

 extends, the writer describes in some detail a number of 

 well known electrical experiments. The experiments de- 

 scribed appear to be well chosen, and the instructions 

 given for performing them are fairly accurate, but the 

 theoretical explanations are, in most cases, entirely 

 wrong. The claims of the book to scientific accuracy 

 may be judged of from the following typical extracts, 

 which convey the full meaning of the context. On p. 68 

 it is stated that "an electric current passing through a 

 wire conductor develops therein a magnetic condition 

 which exeits an influence on the air surrounding the wire, 

 converting it into a magnetic shell," and on p. 203 we 

 find the statement that " the quantity of electricity pass- 

 ing through a resistance of one ohm in one second will 

 liberate 0001 58 grain of hydrogen." Inaccuracies of this 

 kind are far too serious to pass unnoticed, even in a book 

 intended to provide instructive amusement, and we cannot 

 recommend the seeker after electrical knowledge to trust 

 to the guidance of a work in which they occur. From 

 the publisher's point of view, however, the book is well 

 got up, and will no doubt answer the purpose for which it 

 was written and published. 



