328 



NATURE 



[November 21, 1912 



specific for living organisms and without analogues 

 in inanimate nature," are both shown to be sus- 

 ceptible of a physico-chemical analysis. 



The question of adaptation is next dealt with. 

 " In the answer to this question, the metaphysician 

 finds an opportunity to put above purely chemical 

 and physical processes something specific which 

 is characteristic of life only." But the phenomena 

 of adaptation only cause apparent difficulties be- 

 cause " we rarely or never become aware of the 

 numerous faultily constructed organisms which 

 appear in nature." "The number of species exist- 

 ing to-day is only an infinitely small fraction of 

 those which can, and possibly do, originate," but 

 which "cannot live and reproduce." "Dishar- 

 monies and faulty attempts in nature are the rule, 

 the harmonically developed systems the rare ex- 

 ception. But, since we only perceive the latter, 

 we gain the erroneous impression that the "adapta- 

 tion of the parts to the plan of the whole " is a 

 general and specific characteristic of animate 

 nature." "Nobody doubts that the durable chemi- 

 cal elements are only the product of blind forces. 

 There is no reason for considering otherwise the 

 durable systems in living nature." 



Lastly, the author discusses the question 

 whether what he terms the " contents of life " or 

 "inner life" (psychical life) — "our wishes and 

 hopes, disappointments and sufferings ". — are also 

 amenable to a physico-chemical analysis. In spite 

 of the gulf which separates us to-day from such an 

 aim, he believes that it is attainable. "As long 

 as a life-phenomenon has not yet found a physico- 

 chemical explanation, it usually appears inexplic- 

 able." But that in the case of one's inner life such 

 an explanation is possible is shown by the fact 

 that we are able to explain the phenomena of 

 animal tropisms, which are cases of simple mani- 

 festations of animal instinct and will, on a physico- 

 chemical basis. Thus, to take as an example the 

 tendency of certain animals — some of them by no 

 means low in the scale of organisation — to be at- 

 tracted to a source of light. This appears to be 

 explicable by the law of Bunsen and Roscoe for 

 photochemical effects in inanimate nature, which 

 states that within wide limits the effect equals the 

 product of the intensity of light into the duration 

 of illumination ; although the direct measurements 

 in regard to the applicability of the law to animal 

 heliotropism have still to be made. " But we may 

 already safely state that the apparent ' will ' or 

 instinct of these animals resolves itself into a modi- 

 fication of the action of the muscles under the 

 action of light ; and for the metaphysical term 

 ' will ' we may in these instances safely substitute 

 the chemical term ' photochemical action of 

 light' " 



NO. 2247, VOL. 90] 



But the point will naturally be raised : " If we 

 are only chemical mechanisms, how can there be 

 an ethics for us? " The answer is that our in- 

 stincts are the root of our ethics, and that these 

 instincts are hereditary. The mother loves and 

 cares for her children, not because metaphysicians 

 had the idea that this was desirable, but because 

 the instinct of taking care of the young is in- 

 herited. We seek and enjoy the fellowship of 

 human beings because we have a hereditary im- 

 pulse so to do. " Not only is the mechanistic con- 

 ception of life compatible with ethics : it seems 

 the only conception of life which can lead to an 

 understanding of the source of ethics." 



The above quotations will suffice to show that, 

 with regard to the nature of living processes, 

 Prof. Loeb speaks with no uncertain sound, and 

 it would be well for biologists of the arm-chair 

 and rostrum variety to bear in mind that he also 

 speaks with the authority of personal experimenta- 

 tion and first-hand observation. E. A. Schafer. 



THE FRENCH ARTHURIAN ROMANCES. 

 The Vulgate Version of the Arthurian Romances. 

 Edited from manuscripts in the British Museum 

 by H. Oskar Sommer. Vol. i., "Lestoire del 

 Saint Graal." Pp. xxxii + 296. (1909.) Vol. ii., 

 "lestoire de Merlin." Pp. 446. (igo8.) Vol. 

 iii., " Le Livre de Lancelot del Lac." Part i. 

 Pp. ii -1-430. (1910.) Vol. iv., ditto. Part ii. 

 Pp. 399. (191 1.) Vol. v., ditto. Part iii. Pp. 

 474. (1912.) (Washington : Carnegie Institu- 

 tion.) 



THESE sumptuous volumes are priceless gifts 

 to the world of scholarship by the Carnegie 

 Institution of Washington. No one knows better 

 than the erudite editor, whose studies of the 

 sources available are well known, "both from a 

 physical and from a pecuniary point of view, 

 that no single scholar was equal to the task of 

 producing a critical text of the vulgate cycle, even 

 if he devoted the better part of his life to the 

 work, and that it could be achieved, within a 

 measurable space of time, only by the united 

 efforts of many, all working on a common basis." 

 What the editor has accomplished, single- 

 handed as he tells us, is the erection of a "funda- 

 mental structure " in the form of a " reliable 

 printed edition of a manuscript which contained 

 the whole cycle, and was provided with all the 

 essentials for comparison and reference" (vol. i., 

 pref. iii., iv.). That the transcript he presents us 

 with may be depended on is well assured by the 

 modus operandi used. The preparation of the 

 transcript for press fully occupied the author's 

 time for three vears and seven months. " I have 



