28 



JVA rURE 



[May 9. 1 90 1 



quite impossible to carry out the logical method con- 

 sistently, and at the same time cover any but the most 

 elementary parts of the subject ; the only question is as 

 to the nature of the compromise. 



Dr. Newell has attempted to cover a very wide field, 

 with the result that a large amount of matter has been 

 inserted which is beyond the range of an elementary 

 student and of little use to the more advanced. His 

 method is one that is excellent in theory, but in practice 

 easy to carry to e.xcess. To the title of a treatise on 

 elementary chemistry the book lays no claim ; it is 

 nothing more than a guide-book for use in the laboratory, 

 and must be supplemented by others for detailed informa- 

 tion ; while as a work of educational value it is by no 

 means the most efficient that could be devised. Ele- 

 mentary students, however, will doubtless find portions of 

 it of considerable assistance, for the e.\periments are 

 carefully described, and the illustrations clear. 



The Elements of Dar^uinisiii, n Primer. By A. J. 

 Ogilvy. Pp. 160. (London : Jarrold and Sons, 1901.) 

 Price 2s. bd. 



The object of this little book is, as the author states in 

 the preface, to give the ordinary non-expert reader an 

 intelligent notion of the theory of natural selection. There 

 is no doubt that there is scope for such a work, for even 

 at the present time it is remarkable how widespread are 

 the ignorance and misapprehension of Darwin's teaching 

 among the general public. Mr. Ogilvy divides the sub- 

 ject into three parts : general statement, consisting of 

 eleven chapters ; illustrations, consisting of seven chap- 

 ters ; and a third part consisting of nine chapters. 

 Although keeping fairly well within the limits of Darwin's 

 teaching, the author shows some originality of treatment, 

 and has not slavishly followed the custom so prevalent at 

 one time of simply rearranging the facts collected by our 

 great master and dishing them up as an original contri- 

 bution to science. Several new illustrations of Darwinian 

 principles are introduced, some of them appropriate and 

 forcible, others less appropriate and in some cases alto- 

 gether questionable. In the chapter on flight, for 

 example, the author attempts to define two kinds : " Now 

 some birds fly chiefly by muscular, some by nervous 

 power." The condor and the albatross are quoted as 

 examples of the former, and the partridge as an example 

 of the latter. The principles which have governed the 

 author in classifying the contents of the various chapters 

 are not in all cases clear, and a rearrangement might 

 have been made in some instances with advantage. One 

 other very obvious defect is the too facile exposition of 

 evolutionary steps which are at present difficult to under- 

 stand, and of which the course is confessedly obscure. 

 The kind of reader for whom Mr. Ogilvy has written his 

 book is just the person upon whom such treatment would 

 produce an impression of dogmatic security. In spite of 

 these defects, however, any one previously ignorant of the 

 subject who carefully reads the volume cannot fail to 

 acquire a fairly sound idea of Darwinism, and this is all 

 that the author claims to have had in view. It should be 

 added that the manuscript has been read by Dr. Alfred 

 Russel Wallace, who does not, however, hold himself 

 responsible for all the statements. R. M. 



La Betterave a Sucre. Par L. Malpeaux. Pp. 206. (Paris : 

 Mayson and Gauthier-Villars. No date.) Price 

 fr. 2.50. 



This small volume, one of the series known as " I'Ency- 

 clopedie scientifique des .\ide-Memoire," is prefaced by a 

 few general considerations upon the importance of the 

 sugar beet. In the opening chapter the history and the 

 present state of cultivation, as well as the future of the 

 NO. 1645, VOL. 64] 



sugar beet, are dealt with. As regards the future it is 

 interesting to note that as the supply already meets or 

 even exceeds the demand, the only hope held out to the 

 cultivator is an increase in the consumption of sugar. 

 The second chapter treats shortly of the production of 

 sugar in the plant. A brief description of the different 

 varieties of beet is follow-ed by a chapter on the produc- 

 tion of seed This is perhaps the most interesting portion 

 of the volume before us. In it the methods of selection, 

 physical, chemical and genealogical, the culture of seed 

 plants and the analysis of the roots are given at some 

 length. Then follow chapters on the influence of climate 

 and soil and manures. The important fact that the beet 

 removes from the soil very little else than carbon, hydro- 

 gen and oxygen, and therefore the manures supplied to 

 it benefit the crops which follow, is duly insisted on. Two 

 short chapters on sowing, hoeing and thinning are fol- 

 lowed by one on diseases, insect and other pests. Al- 

 though a number of remedies, such as sprinkling with 

 copper arsenite, &c., are mentioned, proper cultivation is- 

 upheld as the most important factor in preventing and 

 overcoming such diseases and insect ravages. The 

 remaining pages are devoted to the harvesting and 

 storage, the marketing, and, in connection therewith, the 

 analysis of the juice and the cost of cultivation. 



The illustrations are clearly drawn and the curves 

 showing annual production of roots, &c., are a valuable 

 feature of the book. A bibliography of the subject, in 

 which French authors only are mentioned, is attached. 

 The addition of an index would add to the value of this 

 useful monograph. J. E. M. 



Assimiliaiion cltlorophYlicnne ei la Structure des Plantes. 



By Dr. Ed. Griffon. Pp. 106. (Paris : Georges Carre 



et C. Naud.) Price 2 francs. 

 LEvoluticn du Pigment. By Dr. G. Bohn. Pp. 96. 



(Same publishers.) Price 2 francs. 



These two manuals belong to the biological section of 

 the valuable " Scientia " series, each volume of which 

 contains authoritative descriptions of subjects in w^hich 

 progress is being made. 



Dr. Griffon's brochure deals with a subject which has 

 engaged the attention of many physiological botanists. 

 Numerous determmations have been made of the physico- 

 chemical properties of chlorophyll ; and the experimental 

 methods employed to measure the changes resulting 

 from the action of its functions have been so much im- 

 proved in recent years that valuable results are frequently 

 obtained. But there is a matter which has almost been 

 left in the background, namely, the influence of the 

 structure of plants on the decomposition of carbon dioxide. 

 It is true that important data have been obtained upon 

 this subject, but they are chiefly from special pomts of 

 view, and no general conclusions have been reached. 

 Dr. Griffon reviews the work which has been done upon 

 this subject, both as regards plants which naturally differ 

 among themselves in anatomical characters and plants of 

 the same species of which the structural differences are 

 due to varying conditions as regards light, heat, hygro- 

 metric state, presence of various mineral salts, (Sic. A 

 chapter upon the nature and measurement of assimilation 

 in plants precedes this treatment, and one on the principal 

 factors determining the rate at which carbon dioxide is 

 decomposed concludes the book. Dr. Griffon succeeds 

 in presenting a connected account of researches and 

 results of interest to all students of botany. 



Dr. Bohn's book opens with a general statement of cell 

 structure, bacteria and pigmentary bodies. He then 

 deals in succession with the constitution and biology of 

 pigments, modifications of pigment in organisms, evolu- 

 tion of pigment in various groups of animals, and 

 utilisation of colour in nature for protecti"e and other 

 purposes. 



