412 



NATURE 



[March 2, 1905 



of sponges {Asirodera willcyana), a very interesting 

 novelty. Mr. VV. P. Pycraft discusses the pterylo- 

 graphy of the Megapodii, Prof. Hickson and Miss 

 Isa L. Hik's tho Slolonifera and Alcyonacea, and Dr. 

 Ashworth the Xcniida. 



In part v. Mr. Arthur E. Shipley gives a description 

 of the Entozoa which Dr. Willey collected during his 

 sojourn in the western Pacific, including Paroccphalus 

 tortus, Shipley, a member of the interesting family 

 LinguatuHdae. Mr. R. C. Punnett discusses some 

 South Pacific nemertines, Mr. L. A. Borradailc has 

 an interesting note on the young of tho robber crab. 

 Miss Edith M. Pratt describes the structure of Neohelia 

 porcellana, Mr. Boulenger reports on a new blind 

 snake from Lifu, and the Rev. T. R. R. Stebbing deals 

 with the Crustacea. 



Part vi. contains Dr. Willey's contributions to the 

 natural history of the pearly nautilus — a fine piece of 

 work — and his personal narrative, which is not less 

 creditable. In his narrative, amid interesting details 

 of how he went about his collecting business, he dis- 

 cusses, as a zoologist, his new Pcripatus, the Ascidian 

 Styeloides eviscerans, which readily throws out its 

 entrails in holothurian fashion, the interesting inter- 

 mediate type Ctcnoplana, " which no zoologist could 

 encounter without experiencing a momentary thrill 

 of satisfaction," the lancelets and enteropneusts which 

 he observed, some of the remarkable new forms which 

 he discovered, such as Astroclera, and the egg-laying 

 of nautilus — his main quest. The whole story reflects 

 great credit on the indefatigable explorer himself and 

 on those who have assisted him in working up the 

 descriptions which form this imposing six-volume 

 series of zoological results. 



OUR BOOK SHELF. 



Flora oj the County Dublin. By Nathaniel Colgaii. 



Pp. lxx + 324. (Dublin : Hodges, Figgis and Co., 



Ltd., 1904.) 

 In many respects this district is an interesting one, 

 and the floral distribution not quite what might have 

 been expected from a consideration of the adjacent 

 counties. The flora resembles that of southern rather 

 than northern Britain, but the somewhat unexpected 

 result is arrived at that the western Irish flora has 

 a considerably larger proportion of northern plants 

 than has the corresponding eastern flora. The book 

 opens with a summary of previous work in the dis- 

 trict from the fifteenth century to the present day. 

 The physical features are then described, and a section 

 headed " Relations of Plants and Soils " lays par- 

 ticular emphasis on the distinction between " calci- 

 fuges " and " calcicoles." 



Some plants curiously absent from the county are 

 mentioned, one of which, Nympliaea alha, L., occurs 

 in Meath, Kildare, and Wicklow. Both Trifoliiim 

 repcns, L., and 7'. dubium, Sibth., are stated to do 

 duty as the shamrock or shamrogue. Probably Oxalis 

 acctosella, L., has never served as the Irish national 

 badge, this erroneous impression apparently dating 

 from a paper by J. E. Bicheno published in 1830. Mr. 

 Colgan cannot add Epilobium tctragonum, L., to the 

 Irish list, although E. obscurum, Schreber, is common 

 in the upland districts. A description of that interest- 

 ing hybrid Senecio Cineraria, D.C., x 5. Jacobaca, L., 

 NO. 1844, VOL. 71] 



is given. The belief that one of its forms is identical 

 with the Italian 5. Cahescens must be abandoned if 

 Sig. Sommier's conclusion that this last plant is 

 5. Cineraria xS. erraticus, Bertolini, be accepted. It 

 is decidedly suggestive to find that our common 

 S. Jacobaea hybridises so much more readily with 

 an alien species than with its fellow Senccios of the 

 British Isles. Another curious fact concerning 

 hybrids deserves mention. The common cross Primula 

 vcris X vulgaris, as found in Kenmure Park and in 

 several other localities, approaches very nearly to 

 the primrose, while the Ballinoscorney plant closely 

 resembles the cowslip. This curious state of affairs 

 demands experimental investigation. Space limit- 

 ations forbid mention of any more of the numerous 

 points of general botanical interest contained in the 

 volume. 



The author is to be congratulated on having pro- 

 duced something far more useful than the mere cata- 

 logue of names and places sometimes dignified by the 

 title " County Flora." Particularly pleasing is the 

 attention paid to local names, given in the Irish-Gaelic 

 characters. It is rather surprising that philologists 

 do not devote more study to local and often rapidly 

 disappearing dialects. The botanist working a 

 country district is exceptionally well placed for collect- 

 ing information on such subjects, and might with 

 advantage make use of his opportunities. 



Exercises in Practical Physiological Chemistry. By 

 Sydney W. Cole, M.A. Pp. vii+152. (Cam- 

 bridge; W. Heffer artd Sons; Lxjndon : Simpkin, 

 Marshall and Co., Ltd., 1904.) Price 5.9. net. 

 Practical Exercises in Chemical Physiology and 

 Histology. By H. B. Lacey and C. A. Pannett, 

 B.Sc. Pp. 112. (Cambridge: W. Heffer and Sons ; 

 London : Simpkin, Marshall and Co., Ltd., 1904.) 

 Price 2s. net. 

 Nothing more forcibly illustrates the growing im- 

 portance attached to the chemical side of physiology 

 than the institution of practical courses dealing with 

 this branch of the subject in centres of physiological 

 teaching. Accompanying this is a multiplication of 

 practical guides. Every teacher has his idiosyncrasies 

 in tlie exercises he selects for his classes, but one is 

 inclined to doubt whether tliese are always sufficiently 

 pronounced or important to justify him in issuing a 

 fresh handbook. Competition, however, is not to be 

 despised, and will in the end lead to tlie survival of 

 the fittest. In the struggle, Mr. Cole's little book, 

 which represents the Cambridge course, will doubt- 

 loss maintain its own. Though short it is admirably 

 clear, and the practical exercises are judiciously 

 selected. The author is well known for his researches 

 in physiological chemistry, and possesses that pre- 

 liminary knowledge of pure chemistry which is so 

 necessary nowadays for a successful pursuit of its 

 physiological application. 



The book is free from illustrations ; the student is 

 required to make his own drawings of crystals, 

 absorption spectra, and so forth in the blanks left 

 for the purpose. This is an admirable idea, and one 

 hopes that the zealous and interested care that Mr. 

 Cole a.sks from the sludinls in his preface will be 

 responded to in the manner he desires. 



The book does not pretend to be complete, but as 

 an elementary introduction to more advanced work it 

 is excellent. I do not propose to direct attention to 

 faults of omission, for these are obviously intentional ; 

 the only fault of commission I have discovered is on 

 p. 78, where the statement made implies that 

 potassium ferricyanide contains oxygen. 

 The second book, that by Messrs. Lacey and 



