NATURE 



THURSDAY, DECEMBER 9, iS 



COMPARA TIVE ANA TOMY OF VERTEBRA TES 



Elements of Comparative Anatomy of Vertebrates. 



Adapted from the German of Robert Wiedersheim, 



by W. Newton Parker. (London : Macmillan and 



Co., 1886.) 



IN examinations for the higher degrees and diplomas 

 in science and medicine, candidates are required to 

 show that they possess not only a knowledge of the 

 anatomy of the chief types of the animal kingdom, but 

 also of comparative morphology. Indeed, with respect 

 to medicine, this latter is the more important, especially 

 the morphology of vertebrates. For some time past 

 English students have found themselves considerably 

 handicapped by the want of a short and concise text- 

 book on this subject, to enable them to meet the require- 

 ments of E.xamination Boards ; the text-books available 

 for their perusal being generally of too advanced a cha- 

 racter, and better suited for the use of those wishing to 

 make comparative anatomy a lifelong study, than for 

 students whose ulterior aim is the practice of medicine 

 or some of its branches. German students, notwith- 

 standing the numerous works on comparative anatomy 

 published in that country, seem to have been equally as 

 ill off for a suitable text-book as their English confreres. 

 So impressed was Prof. Wiedersheim that his " Lehrbuch 

 der Vergleichenden Anatomic," a work well known and 

 appreciated by comparative anatomists in this country, 

 and one of the leading works on the subject in Germany, 

 was not a suitable book for ordinary students of medicine, 

 that before bringing out a new edition of it he published 

 a smaller one, entitled " Grundriss der Vergleichenden 

 .Anatomic der Wirbelthicre." expressly to meet their 

 requirements. The number of English students suffi- 

 ciently acquainted with German to be able -to take 

 advantage of this work in the original is unfortunately 

 very small, but to those who could do so it has proved 

 to be of great assistance. So well has the German edition 

 fulfilled the object of its author, that the idea occurred to 

 others besides Mr. Parker, that the translation of so 

 useful a work into English was very desirable in the 

 interests of English-speaking students, though it cannot 

 but be a matter of regret that this should be necessary, 

 and probably would not have been so, were English 

 students as well acquainted with the German language as 

 its importance demands they should be. 



Throughout the work before us Mr. Parker has retained 

 the original plan of Prof. Wiedcrsheim's " Grundriss,'' 

 but a considerable number of additions to and modifica- 

 tions of the original text have been introduced. For some 

 of these he acknowledges that he is responsible, while 

 others have been inserted on the suggestion of Prof. 

 Wiedersheim, who has also revised the whole work 

 previously to its publication. 



The work begins with a general introduction, in which 

 the nature and meaning of comparative anatomy is ex- 

 plained, a short outline of the embryological development 

 and structural plan of the vertebrate body is sketched 

 out, and a table is given containing the general classifica- 

 tion adopted by the authors throughout the work, of the 

 Vol. xxkv. — No. 893 



principal existing vertebrate groups ; there is likewise a 

 second table from H. Credner, showing the gradual deve- 

 lopment of the \'ertebrata in time. This part of the work 

 occupies only 15 pages, and is well illustrated by means 

 of nine woodcuts. It is preceded by a list of general 

 works on comparative anatomy and embryology. 



The comparative anatomy of vertebrates, constituting 

 the special part of the work, and occupying 315 pages — 

 the remainder of the book — is dealt with under nine 

 sections, arranged according to the different organs of 

 the body. These are treated of in the following con- 

 secutive order : integument, skeleton, muscular system, 

 electrical organs, nervous system, organs of nutrition, 

 organs of respiration, organs of circulation, and urino- 

 genital organs. This part of the work is illustrated by 

 320 woodcuts, most of which are taken from the German 

 edition, but some are new. After each section is 

 appended a short bibliographical list of the more im- 

 portant and recent works relating to the subject under 

 consideration in the chapter. 



In treating each section the plan adopted is to begin 

 with a few general introductory remarks, applicable to the 

 whole of the Vertebrata, on the anatomy of the organ or 

 set of organs to be dealt with in the section, and then to 

 proceed to the consideration of its special characters in 

 the different groups of vertebrates. By two kinds of type 

 being used, one larger than the other, the more essential 

 characters of organs or structures are readily distinguish- 

 able by the elementary student from the more theoretical 

 and detailed information regarding them printed in the 

 smaller type. The more important words and passages 

 are further indicated by the use of heavy black and 

 spaced types. The former we think might well have 

 been dispensed with, as the use of so many kinds of 

 types tends rather to confuse than render clear. The 

 use of spaced type for important passages and words, 

 though extensively used in German text-books, is 

 only just beginning to be adopted by English authors 

 and printers in place of italics, on which it is a very great 

 improvement. We must, however, enter a decided protest 

 against the use of clarendon type for any purpose except 

 headings, on account of the blotted and disfigured ap- 

 pearance it gives to the pages and on account of the dis- 

 traction it produces on the reader. Notes explanatory of 

 the text are frequently added at the foot of the page 

 throughout the whole work ; that this should have been 

 done is, we consider, a mistake. The introduction of 

 footnotes into any work, and particularly such a work as 

 the present, is extremely objectionable, and should be 

 resorted to as seldom as possible e.xcept for references 

 to other publications, where its use may be permissible. 

 Nor is there any excuse in the present instance why so 

 many footnotes should have been introduced, when by 

 the use of a few lines of the smaller type in the body of 

 the page it could have been avoided. 



Throughout the text there is a want of uniformity in 

 the manner in which the different kinds of type are 

 used, which will probably be corrected in a new edition ; 

 thus, for example, on p. 49 the word " Snakes ' is 

 printed in spaced type, whereas three lines lower down 

 "Lizards," another group of Reptiles, is printed, in 

 ordinary type, as are also the words " Birds " and 

 "Mammals'' on the next page. There are also some 



