~~) aie 
Marcu 10, 1923] 
NATURE 
319 


























occur in plant life, adapts the subdivision of his field 
into carotinoids in Phanerogams.(ch. ii.) and caro- 
tinoids in Cryptogams (ch. iii.). Although, as ad- 
mitted by the writer, there is no logical reason for so 
doing, as the various pigments are widely distributed 
through Nature, this method of treatment has been 
orked up in an interesting manner and the interest 
deepens as each group is dealt with. 
_ Passing from plant to animal life, the literature con- 
cerning the occurrence of carotinoid pigment in Verte- 
brates (ch. iv.) and Invertebrates (ch. v.) is surveyed. 
water chapters deal with the very highly interesting 
roblems concerning the chemical and biological re- 
ationships which may exist between plant and animal 
arotinoids ; also with the ideas that have been put 
ward concerning the functions which carotinoids 
erform in plant and animal life. 
_ Three chapters are devoted to the description respec- 
ively of the methods of isolation, the properties and 
nethods of identification, and the quantitative estima- 
ion of carotinoids. Interesting plates show the crystal 
lorms of several pigments of this group, also spectro- 
shotographic records of their absorption bands. A 
ummary follows each chapter. 
A comprehensive bibliography is included, and 
pllowed by author and subject indexes—which, how- 
ver, cannot be described as complete. It is unfor- 
unate that in places careless phraseology is used, which 
onsiderably detracts from the pleasure of the reader. 
he volume contains a very large mass of information 
t will be invaluable to all investigators working in 
is field. 
Paradoxical Science. 
The Constitution of the Universe. (The Theory of 
Intersistence), dedicated to my Subscribers. By Louis 
‘Stromeyer. Pp. xx+255+xv. (Bangalore : Higgin- 
bothams, Ltd., 1922.) n.p. 
OST secretaries of local scientific societies (as 
well as many other people) have experience of 
e man who possesses the type of mind exemplified in 
his book : a mind as attracted by scientific hypothesis 
$ a moth to a flame, and as wanting in discretion as 
e moth. The author is a mining engineer in India, 
ind in his preface writes not without some modest 
nse of his temerity in composing this book and 
inducing a number of friends to finance its publication. 
few words of apology, however, and particularly 
he confession that it has been written hastily and 
without opportunity to consult proper scientific 
iterature, will scarcely excuse so hardy a piece of 
presumption. No man occupied with practical affairs, 
especially if his work is based on the application of 
NO. 2784, VOL. IIT] 
physical science, like mining, would fail to adopt an 
attitude of severe disapproval towards an amateur who, 
while confessedly ignorant, proposed to reverse all the 
conclusions arrived at by men experienced in these 
affairs, and to substitute wholly new theories and 
methods ; yet most practical arts are relatively simple, 
compared with the vast and complex structure of 
modern science, which these amateurs are eager to 
raze and rebuild. It is, indeed, remarkable that this 
obvious consideration should not prevent men, often 
capable and successful in their own work, from em- 
barking on so foolish an enterprise, and imagining 
that they ‘ 
“Can tell us easy how the world was made, 
As if they had been brought up to the trade, 
And whether chance, necessity, or matter, 
Contrived the whole establishment of nature.”’ 
This book bears the typical marks of its class: a 
title of ample scope, chapter-headings of appropriate 
vagueness (“‘ The Fundamentals,” ‘“‘ Form and Posture,” 
“Co-ordination,” “ Phases,’”’ etc.), arguments in an 
involved pseudo-philosophical style, and, as befits such 
a work at the present day, preoccupation with relativity 
and the magic name of Einstein. By request, the 
author has included a chapter specially devoted to 
the criticism of “ modern theories”; it is surprising 
to find the bulk of this devoted to objections against 
a subject so relatively simple as the kinetic theory of 
gases and of matter generally. 
The objections here raised (and they are typical of 
those brought forward elsewhere in the book) merely 
show, when examined, that the theories in question 
have proved difficult to the author’s comprehension, 
and difficulties of this kind are probably the bond of 
union between the author and his supporters. There 
is nothing to be ashamed of in finding theories difficult 
to understand, especially if, as is often the case, they 
require an acquaintance with mathematics and a back- 
ground of physical knowledge which are themselves 
only attainable by careful study. Such difficulties are 
by no means a mark of inferior ability : the late Lord 
Rayleigh, for example, mentioned at a British Associa- 
tion meeting some years ago that he had formed no 
opinion on a certain result in the theory of diffraction, 
obtained by Sommerfeld, because to appreciate the 
matter properly would require a fortnight’s serious 
reading, which he did not feel ready to give to it. 
But in science, as in religion, there are some who by 
their own unaided powers 
“‘ Will undertake the universe to fathom, 
From infinite down to a single atom. 
And, where they’ve least capacity to doubt, _ 
Are wont t’ appear most perempt’ry and stout.” 
