174 NOTICES OF BOOKS. 



the student's mind a continual demand for explanation of mor- 

 phological fact either in terms of function or by means of the 

 still more fundamental laws of physics and chemistry. The 

 subjects, however, that have chiefly occupied the attention of 

 cytologists during the last few years have been the material basis 

 of hereditary transmission and of the determination of sex. 

 Towards the solution of both these problems Prof. Doncaster 

 has contributed very largely. 



The plan of this book follows that of the course of lectures 

 given by the author at Cambridge, and its purpose is to interest 

 the student in the subject by showing some of the ways in 

 which cytological investigation is related to the fundamental 

 problems of biological research. A statement of the more im- 

 portant facts relating to the subject is given, but the author's 

 predilection has led him to devote considerable attention to 

 those sides of the subject in which he is chiefly interested, 

 especially the cytological basis of hereditary transmission and of 

 sex determination. The subject of parthenogenesis is treated 

 at length, and the author has drawn upon his own interesting 

 researches in this subject. This chapter naturally leads to one 

 devoted to Artificial Parthenogenesis, where an account is given 

 of the methods adopted and of the results obtained ; also the 

 bearing of these results on cytological study in the future, as 

 important advances may be anticipated in our knowledge of 

 the physiological or functional aspects of Cytology. The book 

 is fuUy illustrated, and an attempt has been made to employ 

 as far as possible copies of original figures, and only to make 

 use of diagrams where they appeared necessary. There is a 

 bibliography and an index. 



Since the publication of this book we have had to deplore 

 the loss to science by the death of the author, who passed away 

 at an early age after achieving, by his brilliant researches and 

 devotion to science, a position of notable distinction in the subject 

 of his choice. 



