170 
the whole of the scientific world, with few exceptions, 
followed their example, and before his death Darwin had 
the satisfaction of knowing that the doctrine of evolution 
had become almost a commonplace in the minds of the 
reflecting and cultivated portion of the community. 
Lamarck was unquestionably a capable, industrious 
and enthusiastic naturalist. He possesses the merit of 
having grasped the truth of organic evolution, though his 
views as to its methods were crude and his arguments 
in its favour unsubstantial. He also carried out the 
principle on a far larger scale and with greater amplifi- 
cation of detail than did any of his transformist prede- 
cessors, and to him we owe the first attempt at the 
construction of a scheme of phylogeny. But while we 
readily allow all this, it seems to us, for the reasons 
above given, that in. the present work the importance of 
Lamarck and of his contribution to the progress of 
evolutionary theory is greatly over-estimated. Never- 
theless, in putting before us within reasonable compass 
a careful and critical account of the little that is known 
of the life and circumstances of Lamarck, and of his 
relations with the leaders of scientific thought in France 
during a period which is full of interest, Dr. Packard has 
done real service. He seems inclined to complain that 
writers on evolution “do not know their Lamarck.” 
Whether this be true or not, the extracts from Lamarck’s 
writings here given are so representative and so copious 
that there will in future be no excuse for ignorance as to 
what Lamarck’s tenets really were. It may be doubted 
whether the well-known chapters in Lyell’s “ Principles ” 
do not really contain all that is requisite for forming a 
working estimate of the Lamarckian doctrine. But there 
are some to whom, for various reasons, a more extended 
acquaintance with this doctrine will be necessary, and 
who yet possess neither the time nor the opportunity for 
attacking the works of Lamarck in their original form. 
To such readers, if they are willing to show indulgence 
towards a certain amount of needless repetition and some 
occasional inaccuracy in translation and other matters, 
Dr. Packard’s interesting and thorough-going volume 
may be recommended with confidence. BE: ALD: 
ELEMENTARY CHEMISTRY. 
By James Walker, 
(London: George 
Elementary Inorganic Chemistry. 
DSc, \PheD:; H.R-S., .Pp:.265. 
Bell and Sons, 1901.) Price 35. 6d. 
Experimental Chemistry. By Lyman C. Newell, Ph.D., 
State Normal School, Lowell, Mass. Pp. xv + 410. 
(London: D. C. Heath and Co., 1902.) Price 5s. 
Elementary Experimental Chemistry. By W. ¥. Watson, 
A.M., Furman University, South Carolina. Pp. 320. 
(New York: A. S. Barnes and Co., 1901.) Price 7s. 
net. 
HE first of these books may be said to meet a dis- 
tinct want, felt in this case by others than the 
author, and to meet it extremely well. It is an ele- 
mentary treatise on chemistry imbued with the spirit of 
the times, but written with restraint and marked by the 
lucid and philosophic style characteristic of the best class 
of scientific writing. It is not an ancient garment em- 
broidered with new ions, nor is it an aggravated 
bouleversement of the chemistry that was presented to 
NO. 1703, VOL. 66] 
NATURE 
[JUNE 19, 1902 
us twenty years ago. It would probably do most chemists 
good to read it, and it is admirably adapted as a first 
college book for students. It contains the essentials of 
chemical theory and a really judicious selection of 
chemical facts, and it is to be commended, perhaps, most 
of all to examiners, whose sins in asking for unimportant 
facts abate but slowly. It is no book for those who have 
to charge their memories with Dutch liquid, puce- 
coloured oxide of lead and powder of Algaroth ; yet it 
does not relegate the conception of mass action and 
reversible changes to a period of grave and senior 
study. It is, in fact, a book which can be unreservedly 
recommended, and Prof. Walker deserves our thanks 
for having written it. 
Dr. Newell’s book is a thoughtful and _ interesting 
attempt to improve upon the older kind of text-book, and 
the author endeavours to interweave a laboratory course 
with adequate descriptive matter. It is difficult to judge 
such a book fairly without putting it to practical use, but 
there seems every prospect that by using it as the author 
intends it to be used the student would be brought to 
the right view of chemical science and to a sound know- 
ledge of the leading principles and facts. The book 
abounds in practical and theoretical problems, and 
encouragement is given to the discussion of laboratory 
results in class—a most valuable form of teaching. There 
is a tendency in books of this kind for some of the 
statements, questions and injunctions to become a little 
puerile, and to conjure up a picture of ingenuousness 
which, in the present writers experience, is not often 
found in real life, at least among male students. How- 
ever, there is not very much to complain of in this way. 
The book has obvious merits, and the author may fairly 
claim that it deserves a trial. 
The third work under review is intended especially for 
students who only take one short course of chemistry. 
A reviewer will, according to his disposition, be either 
intimidated or exasperated by the author’s statement that 
he is “ profoundly grateful to ten different educators for 
reading the proof sheets and making valuable sugges- 
tions.” To make any objections after this announcement 
seems perhaps rash ; but at whatever cost, the author and 
the ten educators must be faced with the statement that 
to an eleventh educator the book has proved disappoint- 
ing. The introduction to the work comprises ten pages, 
and it consists of a series of statements defining matter, 
chemical compounds and mechanical mixtures, atoms, 
molecules, indestructibility of matter and conservation 
of energy. It is difficult to know what purpose is served 
by confronting the student at the very outset of chemical 
study with a series of dogmas such as are found here. 
The idea of the atom, for instance, is introduced by the 
statement that ‘“‘a single symbol as C and Cl indicates 
one atom of the element.” Immediately upon this comes 
“An atom is the smallest portion of matter that can take 
part in a chemical change. It is indivisible.” 
The atom being thus disposed of, the molecule is dealt 
with in like fashion. It is really astonishing to find this 
kind of thing in a book with such pretensions as are set 
forth in the preface. The rest of the book is of the 
sane mould ; there is nothing to distinguish it from 
dozens of other elementary chemical books of the kind 
that in this country have had their day and are happily 
