670 



NATURE 



[February 20, 19 13 



attempt an explanation of the prefix until they 

 reach chapter xxv. ; even then they are not in 

 a position to give any explanation which would 

 be recognised as valid by any serious student of 

 chemistry. Here again the lack of logical sequence 

 might have been avoided by describing the gas 

 as "carbonic anhydride"; even "carbonic acid 

 gas" would be an improvement on "carbon di- 

 oxide " under the conditions imposed by the ele- 

 mentary character of the course. 



(5) The American book on " Elementary Applied 

 Chemistry " bears many signs of its country of 

 origin, including a brief introduction written in 

 the style of a "display advertisement." On the 

 very first page of the book the student is required 

 to make a note of his first chemical experiment 

 as follows : 



Copy and sign the following statement : 

 I hereby certify that a mixture called Tonsil- 

 litis Specific and examined by me conlains 



Name 

 Date 



The mixture is one of sulphiu- and sugar, to be 

 prepared ad hoc by the instructor. English 

 readers may derive from this book considerable 

 amusement and at the same time obtain a number 

 of useful hints as to the possibility of introducing 

 to youthful students the chief tests used in examm- 

 ing water, milk, baking-powder, &c. 



(6) The Italian volume is a translation of the 

 well-known American text-book, and will there- 

 fore not be likely to circulate in this country. It 

 is well printed and is presented in an attractive 

 form. T. M. L. 



OUR BOOKSHELF. 



The Theory oj Evolution in the Lisihl of Facts. 



By Karl Frank, S.J. With a chapter on Ant 



Guests and Termite Guests, by P. E. Wasmann. 



Translated from the German by C. T. Druery. 



Pp. xii-l-241. (London: Kegan Paul, Trench, 



Triibner and Co., Ltd., 1913.) Price 55. net. 



The object of this book, as stated in its preface, 



is to substitute "pure postulates " for those which 



are reierred to as " postulates of the theory of 



evolution," put forward by "many students of 



nature at the present day." .'Vs examples of 



these precious pure postulates we ma)' cite the 



following : (a) The oldest known fossils represent 



the beginnings of life on the globe (p. 22). (b) 



The absence of nU the intermediate forms between 



great groups indicates a "transformation and 



alteration of form rather than an actual higher 



evolution " (p. 76). (r) "We are not justified in 



bringing animals, like mammalia, birds, fishes 



and worms, into genetic connection with plants, 



like trees, ferns, and mosses " (p. 108). (This, 



we are told in the preface, is the chief postulate.) 



NO. 2260, VOL. Qoi 



(d) Explanation of the origin of life is essential to> 

 any theory of evolution (pp. 83-108). 



Starting from these "postulates," there is no 

 difficulty in forecasting the author's conclusions. 

 Indeed, but for the fact that some recent re- 

 searches are referred to in order that they may be 

 tortured into support of the author's views, we 

 might imagine that we were reading one of the 

 reviews of the "Origin of Species " written fifty 

 years ago ; and this idea would be confirmed as 

 we come upon contemptuous and vituperative re- 

 ferences to Darwin, Haeckel, and other men of 

 science. Not having seen the German original of 

 the book, we cannot say whether the inaccuracies, 

 which abound in every part of it, are due to the 

 author or the translator. Within the compass of 

 a dozen lines we find "Ouartiary," " Musse! 

 Chalk," " Dyas (Perm.) = Permian Limestone 

 and Old Red Sandstone," and " .'\lgonkium = pre- 

 Cambrian." Nor are we impressed, as we wade 

 through misconceptions, misstatements, and mis- 

 spellings, by the fact that the book bears the 

 Imprimatur + ]ohan\tes J. Glcnuon Archiepiscopus 

 Sti. Ludovici. 



Tile Story of a Hare. Hy J. C. Tregarthen. 



Pp. xi -)- 199+ plates. (London: John Murray, 



1 91 2.) Price 6s. net. 

 In this life-storv of a hare the author has success- 

 fully combined narrative with instruction. Most 

 books on natural history for general readers are 

 too informatix e and lack the living feeling which 

 always commands a w'ide appeal. This touch, 

 which makes the whole world kin, is largely a 

 thing of sympathy, and no book on the life of 

 a wild animal can be successful without it. Mr. 

 Tregarthen possesses that attribute and has there- 

 fore written a book which will be appreciated by 

 all lovers of wild animals and observers of their 

 habits. He describes the life of a hare from birth 

 to death from the point . of view of the animal 

 itself, and amid the scenes of a century ago. We 

 have thus an account of the hare's habits and its 

 struggles for existence in an attractive setting. 

 The author has insight as well as sympathy, and 

 ills book should interest many readers. 



Les Frogrcs Rccents dc F Astronomic. Hy Prof. 



Paul Stroobant. Pp. 173. (Brussels : Hayez, 



Rue de Louvain, 112, 1912.) 

 Prof. Stroobant's annual resume of the 

 advances made in astronomy during the previous 

 year is becoming a work of increasing usefulness 

 to the astronomical reader ; a wide range of 

 subjects is treated concisely and with a discerning 

 appreciation of relative importance. As usual, 

 the review of 191 1 is not restricted to observations 

 only, but includes the recent advances in theory, 

 such, for example, as Miller's and Stormer's papers 

 on the mechanics of the corona and Birkeland's 

 suggestions as to the formation of sun-spots. 

 Tables of new variable stars (148), minor planets 

 (now totalling 732) and new spectroscopic binaries 

 (94), and several fine plates, add considerably 

 to the value of the work. W. E. R. 



