290 
NATURE 
[JANUARY 28, 1897 
doubtful phenomena of the inheritance of the effects of 
use and disuse and of other acquired modifications of 
the individual by external conditions, which Darwin 
accepted as a fact, though he remarked upon it: 
‘““ Nothing in the whole circuit of physiology is more 
wonderful.” 
Every one who reads this account of Pangenesis will 
feel admiration for its ingenuity, and surprise at the 
completeness with which it can be made to explain all 
the varied phenomena of inheritance, though some of 
these explanations seem more verbal than real. Readers 
will also understand the fundamental difference between 
this theory and that of Weismann ; and will see, that in 
order to decide which best explains the whole series of 
phenomena, the inheritance or non-inheritance of acquired 
characters, as a matter of fact, must first be settled. 
The difficulty of conceiving the actual operation of the 
theory of Pangenesis may be best illustrated by an ex- 
ample, Taking a bird, such as a peacock, the theory 
implies that not only every cell and fibre of bone, muscle, 
skin, and all internal organs gives off gemmules which 
all find their way into every one of the cells constituting 
the sperm or reproductive fluid, but that every one of 
the feathers also sends gemmules from each of the cells 
that build up its wonderfully complex structure, not only 
in the adult stage, but in the condition they assume in 
the young and adolescent birds ; and further, that every 
detail of varying colour of the barbs of these feathers 
send off their gemmules, and that all this inconceivable 
number of gemmules must travel through the whole 
structure of the quill, and through all the tissues of the 
body, till they reach the reproductive organs, and every 
one of these gemmules must reach all or most of the 
sperm-cells, failing which there would bea corresponding 
deficiency in the offspring. But as important deficiencies 
of feathers, or of colour on the various feathers, which 
produce the beautiful patterns and ornaments of a bird’s 
plumage only rarely occur, we must assume that the 
passage of the millions of gemmules from the ends of 
the feathers of a peacock’s train through the whole 
length of the shaft, and then to the sperm-cells, is almost 
always successfully accomplished. In addition to the 
enormous difficulty, on any theory, of conceiving the 
processes of growth and development of the complex 
parts of living organisms, we have, on this theory, an 
equal or greater difficulty in the reverse process, by which 
the gemmules from every cell get back again to the 
sperm and germ cells. Without asserting that this 
process is impossible or inconceivable, it is well to 
endeavour to realise what it really is and its almost 
incredible complexity. 
Prof. Poulton gives a brief account of the experiments 
made by Mr. Galton and the late Mr. Romanes to test 
the theory of Pangenesis, by the transfusion of blood and 
the transplantation of skin, from one variety of animal 
to another, and then breeding from the modified indi- 
viduals ; but in no case was any effect produced on the 
characters of the offspring. Though, perhaps, not quite 
conclusive, these experiments indicate that there is no 
such continuous transference of gemmules as the theory 
requires. 
The remaining three chapters deal with the descent of 
man and sexual selection, the various botanical works, 
NO. 1422, VOL. 55] 
and a series of hitherto unpublished letters to Prof. 
Meldola, chiefly interesting as illustrating Darwin’s kind- 
ness to all students of natural history, and the amount 
of trouble he took to be of use to them. 
On the whole, Prof. Poulton is to be congratulated on 
the production of so interesting a book, which in a 
wonderfully limited space gives a connected account of 
Darwin’s life and work, and especially of some portions 
of his theories which have been almost neglected by 
other writers. A good print,.from a photograph, of 
Darwin’s statue in the Natural History Museum, forms. 
the frontispiece of the volume. 
ALFRED R. WALLACE. 
LIFE OF BRIAN HOUGHTON HODGSON. 
Life of Brian Houghton Hodgson, British Resident at the 
Court of Nepal. By Sir William Wilson Hunter, 
K.C.S.1., M.A., LL.D. Pp. 389, 8vo. (London: John 
Murray, 1896.) 
N this charming volume Sir William Hunter has.com- 
piled a worthy memorial of one of the most famous 
of our Indian civilians, one of the very few who have 
been able to rise above the details of their daily work, 
and to take a real intellectual interest in the history or 
the science of the strange people and lands in which their 
life is cast. 
Born in 1809, young Hodgson, who had influential 
relatives, was in 1816 offered a nomination to the 
East India Company’s service, and entered Hailey- 
bury College, where all the civilians were then trained. 
Malthus was then Professor of Political Economy in 
the college, and happened to be an old college friend 
of an intimate friend of the Hodgsons. Advantage was 
taken of this to introduce the new scholar, and Malthus 
not only made him his guest during the first session, but 
remained throughout the lad’s college residence his con- 
stant friend. Henry Walter had also just joined the 
college as Professor of Chemistry and Natural History, 
and Sir James Mackintosh became Professor of Law 
two years afterwards. No doubt the future scholar and 
collector owed very much to the teaching of Malthus and 
Walter, and to the personal friendship of the former ; 
though the traces of their influence on any other of the 
collegians of the time are not conspicuous. 
In December 1817 Hodgson passed out of Haileybury 
as gold medallist and head of his term, and sailed in the 
following year, round the Cape, to Calcutta. Sir Charles 
D’Oyly, the Controller of Customs, a connection of 
Hodgson’s family, and a man of much artistic and literary 
culture, welcomed him, and made his house his home. 
Not only were the D’Oylys leaders in Calcutta society, 
but Sir Charles had only lately brought out a book on the 
antiquities of Dacca. And it was through the influence 
of Lady D’Oyly, a near connection of the Governor 
General's, that young Hodgson was shortly appointed 
assistant to the Commissioner of Kumaun—one of those 
appointments in the hills, then very few in number, 
reckoned among the prizes of the Service. 
Kumaun had only just been taken from Nepal by the 
English ; and the duties of the new Assistant consisted 
chiefly in helping to make a revenue settlement in the 
new province. The fine air of those lofty valleys soon 
