5o6 



NA TURE 



{Sept. 29, 1881 



Such in the most general terms is the doctrine advocated 

 in " Der Kampf der Theile ini Organismus." Perhaps 

 tlie most striking feature in the detailed exposition which 

 the author gives of the doctrine is his ignorance of the 

 fact that the doctrine is not original. His work is per- 

 vaded by expressions of the importance which he attaches 

 to his idea as that of a new light shining in a dark place, 

 and he is surprised that in the domain of physiology the 

 thoughts of Darwin should not have been earlier applied. 

 Bat in this country, at all events, the idea is far from 

 being a novel one. Not to mention writers of less repute, 

 Mr. Spencer has meditated deeply upon the causes of 

 '■ direct equilibration," and his works are over-charged with 

 analogies drawn between the organism physiological and 

 the organism social — analogies whi Ji include the struggle 

 for existence and survival of the fittest in all their 

 ramifications. Nevertheless, although Dr. Roux seems 

 strangely ignorant of the philosophy of evolution as 

 taught by Mr. Spencer, his work is of value in pursuing 

 this branch of the subject into greater detail, and with 

 more extensive knowledge of physiology, than has been 

 hitherto done The topic is a deeply interesting one, and 

 we therefore welcome this attempt at its elucidation. We 

 must, however, ob5erve that Dr. Roux, in the ardour of 

 speculation, is too prone to endow a " muss sein " with 

 the value of an inductive verification ; and we must 

 emphatically express our dissent from him wherever he 

 appears to insinuate that the doctrine of natural selection 

 in the domain of physiology has evidence in its favour at 

 all comparable with that which belongs to it in the domain 

 of zoology and botany. GEORGE J. ROMANES 



067? BOOK SHELF 



Pflanzenphysiologie : ein Haiidbuch des Stoffwechsels imd 

 Krati-iVechscls in der PJJanze. \'on Dr. W. Pfeffer, 

 Professor an der Universitat Tiibingen. Band I. " Stoff- 

 wechsel." (Leipzig: Engelmann, 1881.) 

 In treating of the Physiology of Plants, Prof. Pfeffer very 

 naturally divides his subject into two parts, the first being 

 " Stoffwechsel," or metabolism, the second the concomi- 

 tant " Kraftwechsel," that is, the conversions of latent into 

 kinetic energy and vice versa which are involved in the 

 metabolic processes. The volume now before us treats of 

 the " Stoffwechsel," and it does so in a very thorough 

 and satisfactory manner. In the first place there is evi- 

 dence in the work of a very complete acquaintance with 

 the extensive literature of the subject, and further, of a 

 critical power of recognising and bringing into promin- 

 ence those observations which are worthy of being incor- 

 porated in the canon of physiological knowledge. The 

 general treatment, too, of the subject is clear and logical, 

 though it suffers from a fault which is not uncommon 

 with German authors, namely this, that the main line of 

 thought becomes here and there olDscured by the cloud of 

 detail with which it is enveloped. Still the book is a 

 mine of information for original workers, and a trust- 

 worthy guide for advanced students. It is not too much 

 to say that it is the best work in existence on the subject. 

 If the second volume is as good as the first, Prof Pfeffer 

 will indeed have to be congratulated. 



Sydney H. Vines 



The Norwegian North Atlantic Expedition, 1876-1878. 



III. Zoology. (Christiania, 1S81.) 

 Part III. of the account of the animals obtained during the 

 above expedition is by the well-known naturalists, D. C. 

 Danielssen and J. Koren, and treats of the group of the 



Gephjrea. It is illustrated by six plates and one map. 

 Of the ten genera and the sixteen species collected during 

 the expedition four of the genera and seven of the species 

 prove to have been undescribed, and a new family is 

 formed for the remarkable new genus Epithetosoma. 

 This genus differs in many respects from any known genus 

 of the Gephyrea ; most notably so by reason of the fis- 

 sured opening through which the sea water gains access 

 to the perivisceral cavity. The analogue of this respiratory 

 fissure is probably not to be found in the class, but the gene- 

 ral organisation of this new form is still truly Gephyrean. 

 Unfortunately but two examples of this interesting form 

 w'ere dredged up, and even these were not well preserved. 

 They were found in sandy clay at a depth of 870 fathoms, 

 in the cold area. In concluding the memoir the authors 

 remark that the two groups into which the class Gephyrea 

 is subdivided, viz. G. inermia and G. armata, can hardly 

 be regarded as satisfactory. Of several new forms which 

 they describe, and m hich by reason of their anatomical 

 structure they refer to the second subdivision, none are 

 furnished with the armature on which that subdivision is 

 based. Had therefore the systematic classification been 

 rigorously applied, these would have been referred to the 

 first subdivision, one with which they have but little in 

 coaimon, compared to the striking resemblance they bear 

 to those forms comprised in the other. A list of all the 

 species met with and their principal synonyms are 

 appended. 



A Manual of Injurious Insects, with Methods of Preven- 

 tion and Remedy for their Attacks to Food Crops, 

 Forest Trees, and Fruits, and witli Short Introduction 

 to Entomology. By Eleanor A. Ormerod, F.M.S. 

 Pp. 1-323. 8vo. (London : W. Sonnenschein and 

 Allen; Edinburgh: J. Menz'es and Co., 18S1.) 

 The authoress of this book is well known as an en- 

 thusiast in the department of Economic Entomology, 

 and may thoroughly be congratulated upon having pro- 

 duced a work that cannot fail in many ways to be useful 

 to the class of readers for whose instruction and profit 

 it is intended. In many respects it is based upon Curtis's 

 familiar (but somewhat obsolete) " Farm Insects," and 

 many of the usually excellent illustrations are counterparts 

 of those that appeared in that work ; many others were 

 originally from the f-iithful pencil of Prof. Westwood : in 

 both cases the old volumes of the Gardeners' Chronicle 

 have furnished contributions ; a few are from other 

 sources. As in Curtis's work the subject is dealt with 

 according to the plants attacked, not according to the 

 attacking insects, a plan to be much commended in such 

 a work. In each case a short description of the insect 

 and of its methods of attack precede the consideration of 

 Prevention and Remedies. Naturally much is compiled 

 from previous writers ; much information given is the 

 result of records obtained from the many willing assistants 

 of the authoress ; much is original from her own observa- 

 tions. It is not our duty to enter into an examination of 

 the suggested "remedies"; we vastly prefer to look with 

 more favour upon the means of prevention, and are glad 

 to see that generally sound advice in the way of scientific 

 cultivation is given throughout. Nor are the meteoro- 

 logical conditions overlooked : we ran modify many things 

 — we cannot rule the elements ; and in very bad seasons 

 we fear our farmers and gardeners must be content to 

 "pocket the loss" occasioned by insect ravages on crops 

 the constitutions of which have been already ruined by 

 atmospheric conditions. In a few cases subjects appear 

 to have been introduced for the sake of effect. For in- 

 stance, we doubt if any farmer in the kingdom is one 

 penny the worse for the occasional presence in his potato- 

 fields of the larva of the Death's Head Moth ; on the 

 other hand many bee-keepers could tell a different tale 

 from the ravages of the moth it=elf in their hives. The 

 Colorado beetle, of course, has "honourable mention"; 



