274 



NATURE 



[May 6, iqcg 



long- been known to present a peculiar and highly- 

 organised structure. Pecten is perhaps the most 

 highly coloured of all molluscous animals. The 

 strength and activity of the movements by which it 

 evades its chief enemy, the starfish, form a remark- 

 able contrast to the lethargy of most bivalves. It is 

 therefore with particular pleasure that we welcome a 

 monograph on the large British species, Pecten 

 maximiis. 



To the considerable body of existing facts on this 

 animal which have been drawn upon by the author, 

 he has added confirmatory and in some cases new 

 evidence from his own dissections and observations. 

 The result is an admirable piece of work, which will 

 be of great assistance to all who wish to gain 

 acquaintance with this especially interesting and 

 accessible type of shellfish. 



The structure of Pecten is so largely modified in 

 association with its active life that Mr. Dakin has 

 been well advised in giving an introductory sketch 

 of its habits and of their change during life. When 

 the free-swimming larva first settles down, the only 

 mode of progression is that of crawling by means of 

 the mobile foot. A little later, the " byssus " spins 

 its threads and forms an anchorage by the help of 

 the foot. In some species this mode of attachment 

 is permanent, but in most it is rarely employed when 

 adult life is reached. By that time, or even before, 

 the mantle, and shell secreted by it, have assumed 

 the peculiar form that enables both forward and 

 backward leaping movements to be executed. 



Among the specially ' good features of this work 

 may be rhentioned the biochemistry of the digestive 

 gland and the account of the eye structure. Mr. 

 Dakin has the advantage of knowing the structure of 

 other lamellibranchs, and his book gains much from 

 the comparative method. He has studied Pecten at 

 different places, and knows the variation which it 

 exhibits. As a result we have a most careful, work- 

 manlike, and fully illustrated account. The author 

 and publisher are to be congratulated on the appear- 

 ance of this valuable addition to biological literature. 

 The only disappointing section is that on development, 

 our knowledge of which is very deficient. We hope 

 the author will be able to add tO it in a subsequent 

 paper. 



A STUDY OF THE AUSTRIAN SEA-BOARD. - 

 The Shores of the Adriatic. The Austrian Side. By 



F. Hamilton Jackson. Pp. xv + 420; with numerous 



woodcuts, photographs, plans, and maps. (London : 



John Murray, 1908.), Price 21s. net. 

 'X'HOSE, who have had the pleasure of reading 

 J- Mr. Jackson's previous volume on the Italian 

 Adriatic towns will be very pleased to find that the 

 author Ijas extended his researches to the " other 

 shore, you know, upon the other side." The tour 

 outlined in this volume conimences at Aquileia, some- 

 what west of Trieste, and extends down to the Bocche 

 di Cattaro, thus covering Istria and Dalmatia, Geo- 

 graphically speaking, the two shores of the Adriatic 

 differ widely, the Italian side being an almost' unbroken 

 flat coast-line, while here a nearly continuous chain of 

 NO. 2062, VOL. 80] 



islands extends from Pola down to Ragusa, and a 

 number of arms of the sea furnish excellent harbours 

 well shut in by mountains. The vegetation of the dis- ■ 

 trict is described as distinctly Mediterranean, while 

 the only fault of the climate appears to be the 

 prevalence of a cold north wind. 



The people of these districts are of a very different 

 race from the Italians over the water, and a fair 

 account is given of their history, customs, proverbs, 

 and superstitions. At the present time the Croat 

 majority is abolishing the use of Italian in schools, 

 and the author advises those who wish to acquire a 

 knowledge of Dalmatia without learning Croat to do 

 so before Italian is forgotten. In this attempt to per- 

 petuate multiplicitv of languages, the Dalmatians are 

 very like the British, and we noticed another re- 

 semblance of a small kind in one or two of their 

 superstitions. 



The descriptions lead us to believe that the interest 

 of the tour is not so exclusively confined to rummaging 

 over old churches, as on the Italian side, but that the 

 architectural features, as well as the relics in the 

 treasuries of the churches, are none the less worthv 

 of attention, and a study of the reciprocal influences of 

 the two shores, and of the extent to which the archi- 

 tectural similarity is due to Eastern influence, forms a 

 suitable' concluding chapter. 



The fact that the author met no English on his' 

 second tour would have been considered remarkable 

 thirty years ago, when middle-class English formed the 

 main bulk of European travellers. At the present 

 time the absence of English visitors is equally notice- 

 able, even in many of the best-known tourist and 

 health resorts. It is now no longer necessary to go 

 to Dalmatia to get away from one's compatriots; on 

 the other hand, there is perhaps less inducement for 

 those who travel to keep to the beaten tracks, and 

 they may evidently have a very enjoyable tour in these 

 Adriatic provinces. 



The illustrations are partly from photographs, but 

 mainly from line drawings, which well show up the> 

 beautiful carving and ornamentation in the churches. 

 A number of plans are also given, and if the author 

 had not obtained a special permit from the Austrian 

 Government his artistic and photographic studies 

 would probably have got him into great trouble. We 

 commented on the absence of a map in the Italian 

 volume. Here there is a map, and it is most useful. 



OUR BOOK SHELF. 

 Les Plani'tes et Iciir Origine. By Ch. Andr^. Pp. 



285, (Paris : Gauthier-Villars, 1909.) Price 8 francs. 

 Like Gaul, M. Andre's book is divided into three 

 parts. The first part is devoted to planets, the 

 second to satellites, and the third to the formation 

 of the planetary system 



The book is well written and well illustrated. It 

 deals very thoroughly with an important branch of 

 astronomy. It will serve the purpose both of a 

 popular treatise and of a book of reference. 



The comparison of orbital motion with theory 

 seems to have been beyond the plan of the author. 

 In other respects it is hardly possible to notice the 

 omission of any jnatter relevant to the title of the 

 book. 



