June 30, 1904] 



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OVR BOOK SHELF. 

 Religion and Science: Some Suggestions for the Study 

 of the Relations Between Them. By P. N. Waggett, 

 M.A. Pp. xii+174. (London: Longmans, Green 

 and Co., 1904.) Price 2S. 6d. net. 

 It is pleasant to find in a book which seeks to deal 

 from the religious standpoint with the relations between 

 religion and science, a full and candid recognition of the 

 claims of natural knowledge. The author of the pre- 

 sent volume, whose qualities would no doubt have 

 carried him far had he chosen the field of scientific re- 

 search for the exercise of his chief activity, has not for- 

 gotten his early training. We should not expect from 

 Father Waggett, nor do we find, the least attempt to 

 blink or to minimise the results of scientific investig- 

 ation in any department of learning. " Religion," as 

 he says, " can have no possible interest in believing 

 what is not true "; nor, it may be added, can religion 

 afford to ignore what is true, from whatever quarter 

 the demonstration of truth may arrive. 



The book is not to be taken as a manual of apologetics 

 — in fact many of those to whom it is primarily ad- 

 dressed mav be inclined to complain of the author for 

 not coming to closer quarters with the outstanding 

 questions between religion and science. Its object is 

 rather to state the present position, to suggest the lines 

 on which future discussion should proceed, and to indi- 

 cate the most hopeful means of arriving at a satisfac- 

 tory conclusion, whether in the realm of thought or 

 conduct. This object is carried out temperately and 

 fairly, and with no lack of appreciation of what is 

 strong in the scientific and philosophical position. 



The author speaks, with possibly undue modesty, of 

 his own opinions on the " domestic " issues that divide 

 biologists. Holding, as he does, that " natural selection 

 remains scientifically the most probable and philo- 

 sophically the most welcome account of the adaptations 

 of animal and vegetable life," he is perhaps inclined to 

 attach too much weight to the arguments that have 

 been brought forward by various scientific authorities 

 on the other side. We miss any explicit reference to the 

 views of Baldwin, Osborn and Lloyd Morgan, which 

 have an important bearing on the whole question of 

 adaptation, and go far towards removing some of 

 the difficulties inherent in the rigid view of heredity. 

 More stress might also have been laid on the quantita- 

 tive aspect of variation, which is now taking definite 

 shape in the hands of Karl Pearson and other workers. 

 The book, however, on the whole is well abreast of 

 modern inquirv, and may be studied with advantage by 

 many others besides the class of readers for whom it is 

 chiefly intended. F. A. D. 



The Thompson-Yates and Johnston Laboratories 

 Report. Vol. v. (New Series). Part ii. December, 

 190V (Published for the Liniversity Press of Liver- 

 pool bv Longmans, Green and Co.) Price 12s. 6d. 

 This new volume of the " Thompson-Yates and 

 Johnston Laboratories Reports " opens with obituary 

 notices of the Rev. Stephen Yates, to whose munifi- 

 cence the Thompson-Yates Laboratories owe their 

 foundation, and of Prof. Nocard. The preliminary 

 report of the trvpanosoma expedition to Senegambia 

 of the Liverpool' School of Tropical Medicine occupies 

 two-thirds of the volume, the authors being Mr. Button 

 and Dr. Todd, to whom praise is due for the careful 

 and detailed account of their journey and researches. 

 (This has also been published as a separate report.) 

 The laboratory methods of investigation are first de- 

 scribed, and tlie results of the examination of a number 

 of natives and of various animals for the presence of 

 trypanosomata are then detailed. Only a small pro- 

 portion of natives was found to be infected, and various 

 NO. 1809, VOL. 70] 



experiments on the transmission and pathology of the 

 trypanosoma are given at length. Horses were found 

 to suffer from a fatal trypanosoma disease differing 

 apparentlv in some respects from nagana. Trypano- 

 somes were also detected in a number of birds, frogs, 

 tortoise, mice, &c. The report is copiously illustrated, 

 and forms an important contribution to the subject of 

 ti vpanosomiasis, the appended bibliography being a 

 verv full one. Mr. Theobald adds notes on the species 

 of mosquitoes collected in this expedition. .\mong 

 these is a new species coming very near Stegomyia, for 

 which a new genus is created, Catageiomyia. Prof. 

 Ronald Ross contributes a brief article on a new 

 human parasite, the Leishmann-Donovan body, which 

 has already been referred to in these columns (Nature, 

 vol. Ixix. p. 495). Messrs. Glynn and Matthews give 

 some interesting details of the numbers of bacteria 

 and their variation under different conditions in 

 swimming baths, and Dr. Stephens and Prof. Boyce 

 detail the examination of a diseased haddock, with 

 description of a parasite the nature of which is not 

 clear. The general " get-up " of the volume main- 

 tains the standard of its predecessors, paper, printing, 

 and illustrations all being excellent. 



R. T. Hewlett. 



L'Industrie de la Snudc. By L. Guillet. Pp. 178. 



(Paris : Gauthier-Villars, n.d.) Price 3 francs. 

 This little book is a publication of the Encyclopedie 

 Scientifique des Aide-Memoire. It treats of the ex- 

 traction of common salt, and the hydroxide and car- 

 bonates of sodium and of sodium peroxide, and within 

 its compass it gives a fairly accurate account of the 

 modern methods of manufacture of these articles. It 

 is not obvious, however, for what class of readers the 

 work is intended. It is too technical for ordinary 

 people; indeed, most manuals of theoretical chemistry 

 give quite as much information on these special sub- 

 jects as is contained in this book. On the other hand, 

 no technologist or person actually interested in the 

 manufacture of these articles would rest satisfied with 

 the extent and nature of the descriptive matter. There 

 may, however, be persons to whom a book with a 

 modicum of theory and a minimum of practice 

 appeals. 



Telephoto-Work. By G. H. Deller. Pp. 64. 

 (London : Dawbarn and Ward, Ltd., 1904.) Price 

 15. net. 

 This little book on telephoto work is one that will 

 appeal to the numerous photographers who now keep 

 a telephoto lens among their photographic equipment. 

 The late author has described fully, illustrating his re- 

 marks with an excellent set of process reproductions, 

 the many directions in which this lens may be success- 

 fully used, such as in landscape work, architecture, 

 portraiture, and, finally, in short exposure work. Two 

 other useful chapters, by H. Wild and H. M. Hames, 

 deal respectively with the advantages of the " Adon " 

 lens, and with an inexpensive means of practically 

 learning the elements of telephotography by means of 

 a home-made lens. 



Buy English .^cres. By C. F. Dowsett. Pp. 224. 

 (Published by the Author, Winklebury, Basing- 

 stoke.) Price 35. 6d. net. 

 This is not a book in the ordinary sense. It is a 

 collection of miscellaneous arguments, extracts from 

 books, and biographical notes, all intended to prove 

 that pleasure and profit may be derived from the pur- 

 chase of English land. The absence of any attempt 

 at coherence or sustained economic discussion is atoned 

 for, so far as possible, by the author's great earnest- 

 ness, .^part from that, the book has no serious 

 qualities. 



