76 



NA TURE 



[November 28, 1901 



adequately but not over described ; while the results, 

 instead of beini,' merely set forth by the teacher, have to 

 be looked for and thought about by the student himself. 



Faults there are, and probably must be in such a book, 

 and we could criticise somewhat severely the meagre 

 plan of a physiological laboratory submitted on pp. 29 30, 

 and the outline course of study jof structure and of the 

 properties of protoplasm ; but against these deficiencies 

 may fairly be set some neat suggestions and devices, as, 

 for example, those on comparative polygons (p. 15) and 

 for experiments on germination, root-pressure, geotro- 

 pism, &c. We do not like such terms or expressions as 

 "borrowable" (p. 58), "diagramming" (p. 75), "other 

 tropisms" (p. 132), and quite fail to understand how it 

 can be said (p. 135) of locomotion that it is "almost 

 purely ecological, with but a slight basis in pure physio- 

 logy." 



Nor can we pass over the following without protest : 

 " 5. What is the chemical composition of living proto- 

 plasm?" (p. 52). It is obvious on reflection that we 

 know nothing of the chemical composition of living 

 protoplasm. 



We are also struck with the untidy appearance of some 

 of the experiments— (?.^. Fig. 13 — though not all. 



The information (pp. 71-72) regarding nutritive solu- 

 tions, and (p. 100) water cultures is too meagre ; and to 

 say of absorption (of lithium citrate) " But perhaps such 

 absorption is too obvious to need special experiment" is 

 a flagrant departure from the excellent principles incul- 

 cated elsewhere. 



On the other hand, surely the following precaution 

 with the clinostat is of the order of trivialities : "The 

 clock will need winding once in two days, and while the 

 cork is removed for the purpose, it should be kept slowly 

 revolving in the hands" (p. 121). 



A clearly written, excellently printed and compact 

 little handbook for the beginner in laboratory practice 

 has long been wanted, and Dr. Chamberlain's volume 

 comes nearer to satisfying the want than many. But it 

 has, in our opinion, one fundamental drawback which 

 would spoil its claims to be — what it might have been — 

 the elementary laboratory book of methods for botanists, 

 namely, in attempting to be both a guide to laboratory 

 methods and a handbook of exercises in plant-histology, 

 each of its double functions being too incomplete in 

 treatment. For instance, the meagre description of the 

 paraffin bath on p. 4 should either be clearer or omitted 

 altogether, and the practical value of the curious formukL- 

 for alcohols on p. 9 seems to us not obvious. On the 

 other hand, the recommendation to inoculate a mouse 

 with Anthrax (p. 76) can hardly apply to an elementary 

 student, and several of the studies — e.g. of Xylaria 

 (p. 83), Marsilca (p. Ill), &c. — seem to us both unsuit- 

 able and inadequate in treatment. The poor photo- 

 graphic figures of nuclei in Liliuin are also unnecessary. 

 In spite of these criticisms the first half of the book 

 contains many useful hints on methods, and we should 

 like to see it expanded, to the ultimate exclusion of the 

 second half. 



Dr. Atkinson's little book has a wealth of excellent illus- 

 trations and some ideas of value to the teacher and 

 student of purely elementary botany or "Nature study," 

 but it only brings out once more the clear issue that all 

 NO. 1674, VOL. 65] 



such teaching depends for its efficiency on the genius of 

 the individual teacher. In the light hands, Chapters 

 xv.-xvii., for instance, dealing with the formation of 

 starch in the living plant, will assume delightful aspects. 

 We do not doubt that this would be the case in the 

 hands of the author, but even his simple style and 

 ingenious illustrations show only the more clearly that all 

 depends on the personality of the teacher in these funda- 

 mental matters. The section on " Battles of Plants in 

 the World" is excellent reading, but we doubt if children 

 could be made to appreciate the subject e.xcept in the 

 open air and in the company of the ideal teacher, who 

 IS rarely or never present with the book. 



TRUTH AND ERROR IN VON KOLLIKER. 

 A. von Kolliker^s Stellung zitr Desccndenzlehre. Ein 

 Beitrag zur Geschichte moderner Naturphilosophie. 

 Von Dr. Remigius Stolzle. Pp. 172. (,\srhendorflrjche 

 Buchhandlung, Munster i. W., 1901). Price Mk. 2. 



DR. REMIGIUS STOLZLE, professor of philosophy 

 in the University of Wiirzburg, has paid his illus- 

 trious scientific colleague A. von Kolliker a great compli- 

 ment. He has dissected Kolliker's works, and separated 

 the wheat from the chaff, as he did not long ago in the 

 case of Karl Ernst von Baer. The analysis of nine im- 

 portant works, from an article on Darwinism in 1864 to the 

 veteran's interesting " Erinnerungen " in 1899, is careful 

 and scholarly, and the critical exposition is arranged so 

 clearly that the reader can find out at once what Kolliker 

 thought about variation, heredity, natural selection, or the 

 like. While the author has very strong convictions, he 

 expresses these with a dignified restraint, and says 

 nothing harder against naturalists than that it is a pity to 

 be too busy to take advantage of philosophical discipline. 

 For those who are fond of argument the book will serve 

 as an interesting introduction to the problems of organic 

 evolution. 



Prof A. von Kolliker's contributions to biology — 

 through more than half a century — have been many 

 and varied ; indeed, the magnitude of his work, alike 

 in quantity and quality, is a lasting example to the 

 spirit of research ; and, though it is difficult always to 

 read with patience, Stolzle's detection of " fundamental 

 errors " is really part of a tribute to the anatomist's 

 greatness. Is not criticism, after all, the sincerest 

 form of flattery ? But there is, by the way, a lack of 

 discernment or of the sense of humour in placing Profs. 

 Fleischmanu and Weismann side by side among those 

 who are responsible for recent " Angriffe oder Verdikte " 

 on Darwinism. 



The first great error is a purely mechanical interpreta- 

 tion of nature, the second is a denial of purposive 

 principles, and the third is an evolution theory which is 

 said to leave no role for the Creator. In evidence of 

 these hateful heresies there is no lack of citation of 

 chapter and verse ; nor is it to be supposed that the 

 author simply calls them " Irrgange des Denkens" ; he 

 seeks to substantiate his accusations, and to those who 

 agree with him the case will doubtless appear convincing. 



But there is a brighter side to the picture ; there is 

 truth as well as error in the writings of Albrecht von 

 Kolliker. Of permanent truth (von bleibender Wahrheit/ 



