'52 



NATURE 



[April 8, 1909 



be attributed to mere chance. Any reader, whether 

 scientific or otherwise, who will study the book in this 

 spirit, will, unless he has already specialised in 

 anatomy, derive great benefit from the information 

 which he will acquire on this particular branch of 

 science. 



A TREATISE ON THE PROTOZOA. 

 A Treatise on Zoology. Edited by Sir E. Ray Lan- 

 kester, K.C.B., F.R.S. Part i.. Introduction and 

 Protozoa. First fascicle. Pp. xxii + 296. (London : 

 A. and C. Black, 1909.) Price 155. net. 



THE publication of the present volume completes 

 the account of the Protozoa, the other sections 

 of which were dealt with in the second fascicle, which 

 appeared in 1903. An introductory chapter from the 

 pen of the editor is followed by a series of separate 

 treatises by various authors. To Prof. Hickson has 

 fallen the task of dealing with a number of organisms, 

 grouped into the class Proteomyxa, many of which 

 have been seen only once and have been so imperfectly 

 investigated that practically nothing is known of their 

 .nuclear condition. The author has given a systematic 

 account of the organisms, which he has arranged into 

 'five groups. The structure and life-history of a few 

 -of the better-known forms, such as Plasmodiophora 

 •irassicae (the cause of " finger and toes " in turnips), 

 ■are briefly considered. 



The section on Heliozoa has been written conjointly 

 "by the late Prof. Weldon and Prof. Hickson. A clear 

 account is given of the structure, fission, and nuclear 

 • changes seen in these Protozoa, particular attention 

 being devoted to the observations of Schaudinn and 

 R. Hertwig on the nuclear phenomena presented by 

 Actinosphaerium and Acanthocystis. The reproductive 

 'processes of the former organism are carefully con- 

 sidered in view of the statement that self-fertilisation 

 •appears to be of normal occurrence, but the facts are 

 capable of other interpretation, as is clearly shown in 

 ■the discussion of the published observations. Mr. 

 'J. J. Lister has given an admirable account of the 

 TSIycetozoa, organisms which usually receive scant 

 attention in courses of zoology, but which are here 

 fcrought before the notice of teachers and students in 

 a manner which compels attention to the interesting 

 phenomena they present. 



The Lobosa are described by Prof. Hickson in an 

 article which might well have been of greater length 

 in order to permit the more detailed treatment of 

 the life-histories of some of the organisms considered. 

 The author has changed the spelling of the now well- 

 known name Entamoeba to Endamoeba, but there is 

 surely no warrant for such an alteration, which is 

 to be greatly deprecated. 



Dr. Gamble's clear and comprehensive account of 

 the Radiolaria is deserving of high praise, especially 

 for the prominence given to the biology and physiology 

 of these organisms. Thalassicolla is chosen as a type 

 for description, following which the chief modifications 

 in structure of the Radiolaria are considered, rtn 

 account is given of the recent observations on somatic 

 variation and on somatic and gametic dimorphism, 

 while flotation, the central capsule, nuclear and repro- 

 NO. 2058, VOL. 80] 



ductive phenomena, the skeleton and its biological 

 significance, subjects in regard to which the Radiolaria 

 present special features of interest, are well treated. 

 The author fully discusses the relation of the yellow 

 cells to the organisms. He points out that, though 

 nitrogenous excreta are formed in abundance, there is 

 no accumulation in most Radiolaria of excretory sub- 

 stances, the absence of which, it is suggested, is due 

 to the action of the yellow cells, which, attracted In 

 their host chemotactically, derive their nitrogen from 

 the urea and uric acid which they find therein. 

 Support is afforded to this view by the fact that masses 

 of granules — the phasodellae — which are regarded as 

 excretory by Borgert, do occur in quantity in the one 

 division of the Radiolaria (the Phseodaria) in which 

 yellow cells are constantly absent. The yellow cells of 

 Spumellaria and Nassellaria are bounded by a cell wall 

 and leave their host on the death of the latter, bul 

 those of Acantharia have lost the power of inde- 

 pendent existence ; they have become assimilating 

 granules and are transmitted from parent to offspring. 

 Dr. Willey and Prof. Hickson have given a useful 

 account of the Mastigophora. A little more extended 

 reference to the characters and life-history (so far as 

 it is known) of flagellates, such as Lamblia and 

 Trichomonas, which are found in man and other 

 animals, would have been helpful to many readers. 

 Trichomonas intestinalis is mentioned as occurring in 

 the intestine of mice ; its occurrence in man is not 

 referred to. The authors reject the genus Cerco- 

 monas ; they should have at least indicated to which 

 genus the well-known species associated with man 

 should be referred. In the description of Euglena we 

 miss reference to Wager's observations on the nature 

 of the base of the flagellum. 



Dr. Woodcock's section on the Hasmoflagellata, 

 which is a critical summary of the extensive literature 

 of this subject, will be of great service to students of 

 zoology and of medicine. The author strongly upholds 

 the status of the kinetonucleus as a true nucleus homo- 

 logous with the trophonucleus, the two being 

 specialised for different functions; the kinetonucleus 

 is not merely an extra-nuclear centrosome as held by 

 Moore and Breinl. The section on the life-history of 

 trypanosomes presents a clear discussion of this 

 difficult subject. The author announces (in a footnote, 

 p. 239) that during the investigation of the haematozoa 

 of the chaffinch he obtained unmistakable evidence 

 that the trypanosome and halteridium of the chaffinch 

 are ontogenetically connected, thus supporting the 

 observations of Schaudinn on the corresponding 

 organisms in the little owl. Dr. Woodcock gives a 

 brief account of the " Leishman-Dbnovan-Wright " 

 bodies, which he regards as intimately related to 

 Piroplasma on account of their nuclear dimorphism 

 and mode of fission. Attention is directed in this con- 

 nection to the recent accumulation of evidence in 

 favour of the flagellate affinities of Piroplasma. The 

 autlior's di.scussion of the nature of spirochsetes is too 

 brief to give him the opportunity of dealing in an 

 adequate manner with this vexed question, but he is 

 evidently of the opinion that they are not Protozoa. 

 The article concludes with a useful list of the known 

 natural hosts of trypanosomes and allied forms. 



