342 



NATURE 



[August 13, 1903 



archenteron communicates with the segmentation 

 cavity in all Anamnia, which is hardly the case; on 

 the other hand, it seems to get over the difficulty of 

 deriving the conditions found in the Amniotes from 

 those observed in lower forms. 



We imagine, however, that few morphologists will 

 accept so imaginative an hypothesis. It is not diffi- 

 cult to explain the differences between these two great 

 divisions of the Vertebrates more logically by refer- 

 ence to the Gymnophiona. But putting that aside, 

 it is open to grave doubt whether it is possible to 

 attach any phylogenetic significance, any morpho- 

 logical value in the determination of homologies, to 

 the germ-layers of the Vertebrates, or, indeed, of any 

 other group. Their significance is rather physio- 

 logical, and can only be analysed by the ordinary 

 physiological methods of observation and experiment. 



PSYCHOLOGICAL STUDIES. 

 Harvard Psychological Studies. Vol. i. Edited by 

 Hugo Miinsterberg. Pp. 654. (New York : The 

 Macmillan Company, 1903.) 



THIS, the fourth volume of monograph supplements 

 to the Psychological Review, consists of sixteen 

 papers by the students of the Harvard School of 

 Psychology, fifteen of which represent the principal 

 results of the work done in the laboratory in the last 

 few years. Most of the papers show, properly enough, 

 the influence of Prof. Miinsterberg 's vigorous and 

 original mind, and it is no doubt owing in part to his 

 teaching and direction that each of the researches deals 

 with a well-defined problem by appropriate and original 

 methods. But the individual workers have preserved 

 their independence, and the standard of treatment and 

 achievement reached is in all cases a high one. 



Of six studies in perception, Mr. Holt's explanation 

 of the bands seen on passing a rod across the surface 

 of a rapidly rotating disc bearing coloured, or black 

 and white, sectors, is an admirable example of neat 

 and convincing experiment. Of three studies in 

 memory, those of Messrs. Meakin and Moore are 

 interesting as achieving valuable results by system- 

 atically conducted introspective observation of the 

 primary memory-image. Even the " purest " and most 

 old-fashioned psychologist could hardly raise objection 

 to their procedure. Their results suggest that much 

 valuable knowledge is to be gained by those who have 

 the patience to follow up this line of research, but 

 the absence of all objective control of the results makes 

 the method a dangerous one, unless subjects innocent 

 of psychological theory can be found to carry out the 

 introspective observations. 



Of four studies in eesthetic processes, the principal 

 are elaborate and ingenious researches on the consti- 

 tution of objective rhythm-forms and on symmetry. 

 In the case of the latter, the experimental conclusions 

 are supported by analyses of pictorial compositions 

 ranging from the ornamental designs of primitive 

 people to the altar-pieces of Raphael. In two studies 

 in animal psychology, Mr. Yerkes breaks new ground 

 by registering accurately the reaction-times of the leg 

 of the green frog in response to a variety of stimuli, 

 and he shows that the frog and the crayfish are alike 

 NO. 1763, VOL. 68] 



capable of learning by experience, of acquiring new 

 associations, though but slowly; he thus refutes the 

 view that they are but unconscious automata, a view 

 that has been based on the belief that they are devoid 

 of such capacity. 



The volume is completed by a short paper in which 

 Prof. Miinsterberg briefly restates the main con- 

 clusions reached in his " Grundziige der Psychologic " 

 (Leipzig, 1900). He claims that under the term 

 psychology two fundamentally different sciences are 

 commonly confused together; the one treats of "the 

 inner life as objective content of consciousness, as 

 phenomenon, the other of the inner life as subjective 

 attitude, as purpose." The former science is descrip- 

 tive and explanatory, those who pursue it are 

 " phenomenalists " ; the psychical objects with which 

 they deal are abstractions, comparable to the physical 

 objects dealt with by the physicist. The other science, 

 improperly called psychology, is "voluntarism"; it 

 is teleological and interpretative, but not explanatory, 

 it includes the normative and historical sciences, and 

 gives " a more direct account of man's real life than 

 psychology can hope to give." These remarks prepare 

 the way for a comprehensive tabular classification of 

 all the sciences, which, whether it be found acceptable 

 or no, is certainly novel and extremely interesting. 



W. McD. 



OUR BOOK SHELF. 

 A Gloucestershire Wild Garden. By the Curator. 



Pp. xii + 230. (London : Elliot Stock, 1903.) Price 



65. net. 

 Gardening books are becoming noted for containing 

 a small amount of gardening information largely 

 diluted with something that has little or no relevance 

 to horticultural pursuits. The diluting medium may 

 be cookery or hygiene, tirades against vivisection, 

 stale jokes, spiritualism, anything, in fact. In the 

 present book gardening, or one phase of it, represents 

 the slices of bread, between which are inserted, sand- 

 wich-fashion, dissertations on the molecular structure 

 of the brain and nerve centres, and discussions on the 

 origin of thought and the nature of religious im- 

 pressions. 



The " Curator " is the gardener who evidently 

 knows plants and loves them. To him appear when 

 he is tired of work, or, at any rate, without preface 

 or apology, a somewhat prosy " Professor," who sup- 

 plies the anatomical details above mentioned, and 

 explains them from the materialistic standpoint, and 

 an orthodox " Padre," who is somewhat shocked at 

 the views propounded by the professor. The Curator 

 acts as moderator, and when discussion seems likely 

 to become dangerous, suggests a pipe of tobacco or 

 a cup of tea as effectual " shunters." At any rate, we 

 pass abruptly from metaphysical subtleties either to 

 the tea-table or to another chapter, in which we are 

 told how to construct a " wild " garden. As if all 

 this were not enough, a love story— a very short one 

 — is introduced, and so the book has one quality which 

 a garden should possess, and that is, variety. 



The author tells us that he does not write for critics, 

 but we hope he will not mind our saying that the 

 gardening part of his book is on a higher level than 

 that to which we are accustomed in similar books, 

 and as for the remainder, we should prefer in this 

 Journal not to express any opinion, but to leave the 

 reader to form his own conclusions. 



