October 27, 1904] 



NATURE 



625 



In its new form, however, the book no longer specially 

 appeals to those who dwell in this neighbourhood, but 

 is equally applicable to any river basin. 



While the value of the book is undoubtedly much 

 enhanced by tt;e judicious additions which have been 

 made to the text, the most notable feature of the new 

 edition is the abundance of excellent illustrations. 

 The majority of these are from actual photographs, 

 and depict a great variety of natural objects and pheno- 

 nii'na, among which are clouds, glaciers, volcanoes, 

 earthquakes, and geological structures. This unique 

 collection of photographs, each of which is of real 

 value, makes the book of quite exceptional interest, 

 and it is pleasant to learn that many of the pictures 

 have been generously contributed out of regard for the 

 memory of Huxley. The scope of the subject, as here 

 set forth, is such as to make it the natural complement 

 of the " nature-study " which refers chiefly to the 

 various forms of life. That is to say, it is regarded 

 entirely as an introductory subject, dealing with in- 

 animate nature ; and it may be remarked that it does 

 not unduly encroach on the domains of physics, 

 chemistry, or astronomy. We are glad to note that 

 instructions for practical work, which is obviously 

 essential to make the study of the greatest educational 

 value, are in course of preparation. Meanwhile, the 

 present book will be heartily welcomed as a clear, 

 attractive, and trustworthy introduction to the study 

 of science. A. F. 



Die Theorie det Direkten Anpassung und ihre Bedeu- 

 tung fiir das Anpassiings- und Deszendenzproblem. 

 Wrsuch einer methodologischen Kritik des 

 Erklarungsprinzipes und der botanischen Tatsachen 

 des Lamarckismus. By Dr. Carl Detto. Pp. 214; 

 mit 17 Abbildungen im Text. (Jena : Gustav 

 Fischer, 1904). Price 4 marks. 



Oi-' two well-known tenets of Lamarckism, the inherit- 

 ance of acquired characters, and the power of " direct 

 adaptation " on the part of the individual organism, 

 I he consideration of the former is relegated to a few- 

 pages at the end of the present work, which is mainly 

 concerned in combating the latter. This pro-Dar- 

 winian book is, in fact, occupied in an endeavour 

 to prove that individual organisms possess no 

 mysterious and inexplicable power of adjusting them- 

 selves to their surroundings, and that from this point 

 of view the theoretical basis of Lamarckism is unsatis- 

 factory. The first two chapters largely deal with 

 psychological considerations, terminology, and defini- 

 tions. The third chapter quotes and considers the 

 views of Lamarck, H. Spencer, Eimer, Warming, von 

 Wettstein, and others, so far as they relate to " direct 

 adaptation." The fourth chapter (pp. 81-188) is de- 

 voted to the discussion of the facts and phenomena that 

 are usually cited as demonstrating the power of direct 

 adaptability on the part of individual organisms, and 

 to alternative explanations of these. It is this chapter 

 that will appeal most to the busy botanist, who, after 

 ascertaining the meaning of the two new terms 

 " eccologism " and " oecogenesis," may find it 

 advisable to commence the book at this point. The 

 following selected headings suffice to illustrate the 

 kind of subjects dealt with : — methods of interpreta- 

 tion of the facts of "direct adaptation"; direct 

 adaptation in bacteria, fungi (including a discussion 

 of a biological species of Uredineae), and Euglena ; 

 physiological adaptation among highly organised 

 plants [races produced by nutrition, climatic adapta- 

 tion in respect to duration) ; structural adaptations 

 among highly organised plants (oecological conver- 

 gence of types; parallel variation in xerophytes, 

 hydrophytes, halophytes ; shade-leaves). 



NO. 1826, VOL. 70] 



The Photographic Reference Book. Edited by 

 J. Mcintosh. Second edition. Pp. 344. (London : 

 Iliffe and Sons, Ltd., 1904.) Price 15. 6d. net. 

 The first edition of this book was chiefly compiled by 

 using- the columns devoted to answers to corre- 

 spondents of Photography as a basis, the work being 

 undertaken by Messrs. W. A. Watts and Henry 

 Sturmey. In the present issue the material has been 

 largely rewritten and much new matter added, so that 

 the book may be considered as practically a new one. 

 The editor has, however, confined himself to the 

 original object for which the book was written, namely, 

 a worker's handbook, and as such the reader will find 

 that the present volume is a handy and useful vade 

 mecuin. The great point about a work of this 

 character, if it is to be useful, is the facility with which 

 any information that is desired can be found and 

 correctly given. Both these desiderata are here, for 

 a capital index supplies the former and the paragraphs 

 under the different headings complete the latter. 

 Many subjects were chosen at random, and in each 

 case the facts required were easily found and fully 

 given. As a book of reference this issue should be the 

 companion of many photographers. 



Transactions of the South African Philosophical 

 Society. Vol. xiii. Part i. Pp. 1-293; plates 1-4 

 (43-46 of the whole series). Descriptive Catalogue 

 of the Coleoptera of South Africa (Lucanidee and 

 Scarabaeida). By L. P^ringuey. (Cape Town, 

 1904.) 

 An exceedingly valuable synopsis of South .African 

 Coleoptera, chiefly by Mr. P^ringuey, the worthy 

 successor of Mr. Trimen in the South African Museum, 

 is at present being published in the above named 

 Transactions. Vol. xii. was devoted to the descriptive 

 catalogue of Lucanidse and Scarabaeidae, and vol. xiii., 

 a goodly instalment of which now lies before us, con- 

 tinues the subject. It includes the subfamilies 

 Sericinae (tribes Sericini and Ablaberini) and Melolon- 

 thinje (tribes Pachypodini, Sparrmannini, and the first 

 four groups of the Melolonthini). Many of the species 

 figured are very handsome, resembling in miniature 

 the magnificent Goliath beetles of the west coast of 

 Africa. The work is too highly technical for detailed 

 notice here, but the excellent tables and descriptions 

 of genera and species will render it very useful to 

 students of South African Coleoptera. We hope in 

 time to possess equally elaborate works on the insects 

 of all the British colonies. W. F. K. 



Toning Bromides and Lantern Slides. By C. Win- 

 thrope Somerville, F.R.P.S. Pp. 72. (London : 

 Dawbarn and Ward, Ltd., 1904.) Price ix. net. 

 This is a collection of formulae for many methods, 

 practically, perhaps, all the methods in use, for toning 

 " bromide " prints. Lantern slides do not appear to 

 be mentioned in the text, and it can hardly be sup- 

 posed that all the processes given are available for 

 them, as, for example, the " hypo and alum, or ' boil- 

 ing ' process." Perhaps in future editions this part of 

 the subject will receive more attention. The author 

 is enthusiastically in favour of the choice of bromide 

 printing rather than the other methods of photographic 

 printing available. To him it is " the ideal of the 

 present day." He actually compares it with platinum 

 and carbon printing to the disadvantage of these for 

 fineness of result, and claims for it an equal per- 

 manency. Of course many will not agree with the 

 author in this, but it is an advantage to have the 

 formulae preferred by one who thoroughly believes that 

 the process treated of is altogether the best, and to have 

 the results of his experience. 



