APRIL II, 1912] 
NATURE 
135 
As regards the Tetrapoda, the most striking 
innovation is the interpolation of the class ‘‘ Para- 
theria” between Aves and Mammalia, as origin- 
ally proposed by the author in the Zoologischer 
Anzeiger for 1910 (vol. xxxvi., pp. 113-124). At 
the risk of repeating what has been already men- 
tioned in this journal, it is advisable to remind 
our readers that this group is taken to include 
therapsidans (as represented by the African Tri- 
assic Lycosaurus and its relatives), chelonians, 
typical anomodonts (Dicynodon, etc.), therio- 
donts, and monotremes. Such, it should be men- 
tioned, is the classification given in the table of 
contents, although in the text we find some 
departure from this, the Therapsidi there forming 
a “Hauptordnung,” with the Testudinata and 
Anomodontii as ‘‘Nebenordnungen,” while the 
Theriodonti constitute a second Hauptordnung, 
with the Monotremati as a Nebenordnung. 
To recapitulate the characters on which the 
author relies as a reason for including suck 
diverse types as chelonians and monotremes in a 
single class would occupy too much space; but 
it may be questioned whether any of these are 
really sufficiently important to justify such a 
sweeping change. Clearly neither the production 
of young by means of eggs nor the formation of 
secondary noses by means of an under-roofing of 
the palate comes under this category; while such 
features as a depressed and small-brained skull, 
large and lateral eyes, certain points connected 
with the dentition, and the structure of the occi- 
pital condyle or condyles are of little or no im- 
portance. Similarly, the constancy of the 
phalangeal formula (except when it has been 
specially modified, as in turtles) throughout the 
group can scarcely be regarded as more than an 
inheritance of a common archaic feature. On the 
other hand, the author allows no value to the 
possession by monotremes of hair and certain 
other mammalian features (exclusive of warm 
blood, which may be regarded as a secondary 
character). Accordingly, while giving full credit 
to Dr. Jaekel for his careful and painstaking 
investigations, we are not yet prepared to accept 
his views of the classification of the higher verte- 
brates in their entirety. Rea: 
THE PRODUCTION OF WHEAT. 
Wheat-growing in Canada, the United States, and | 
the Argentine: including comparisons with other 
areas. By W. P. Rutter. Pp. x+315. (Lon- 
don: A. and C. Black, 1911.) Price 3s. 6d. net. 
HIS book represents an inaugural disserta- 
tion submitted by the degree of Master of 
Commerce of the University of Manchester, and 
constitutes a general examination of the condi- 
NO. 2215, VOL. 89] 
tions under which our present wheat supply is 
grown and marketed. 
It opens with a discussion of the nutrition of 
the wheat plant, the effect of climate, and the 
limits within which wheat can be commercially 
grown, the varieties and their appropriate regions 
and soils. While it is easy to perceive certain 
relationships between environment (including 
therein latitude, soil, and such meteorological 
factors as temperature and rainfall), it proves as 
yet impossible to give these factors any quantita- 
tive expression; we can only say generally that 
wheat is most suited by what climatologists call 
“steppe” conditions, and that the hard, strong 
wheats are generally spring sown and grown in 
areas with a dry, cold winter and a summer of 
progressive heat and desiccation. Some discus- 
sion then follows of the character of western farm- 
ing, the systems of land tenure, and the labour 
conditions that prevail, following which come 
tables setting out the yield per acre and the total 
production in the countries under consideration. 
An account of the methods of transporting 
wheat in America will be of particular interest to 
the English reader; here are described the great 
railroad systems, the ports, and waterways, the 
freights, both local and overseas, so that one can 
get an idea of the charges which the foreign grain 
has to bear before it is marketed in competition 
with our home-grown produce. 
Later chapters explain the system of elevators, 
the storage charges, the inspection and grading 
which enable dealings to be made without the 
purchaser seeing samples or even knowing where 
may be the parcel of wheat that he is buying. 
The great grain markets are described, and the 
dealing in futures and the effect of such specula- 
tions on the consuming farmer and the public 
are discussed. 
Finally, Mr. Rutter examines the prospects of 
the future, and considers to what extent the ex- 
port is likely to be maintained at its present mag- 
nitude. To do this it is necessary to consider how 
far the conditions of farming in America are 
changing, to what degree the soil is becoming 
exhausted and what new land is available, also 
what increase is probable in the consumption in 
America. Upon these questions to a large extent 
depends the future profitableness of British farm- 
ing ; the rise of prices that has been slowly gather- 
ing headway during the last dozen years repre- 
sents to some extent the depreciation of gold, but 
also the manner in which the consuming popula- 
tion has been increasing faster than the wheat 
areas available. Englishmen are perhaps not 
much in the habit of paying attention to these 
general surveys, and certainly Mr. Rutter’s dis- 
