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1909] CURRENT LITERATURE 309 
_ the Origin of species, no one seems more appropriate and satisfactory than the 
volume issued by the Cambridge Philosophical Society and the Syndics of the 
University Press.s It consists of twenty-eight essays written by those who are 
most competent to present the various appropriate topics. The result is to 
illustrate the far-reaching influence of Darwrn’s work and also the present atti- 
tude of investigators toward Darwinism. Some of the essayists have restricted 
themselves to DARWIN’s own work; while others have outlined the progress of 
more recent research, which has been the direct outcome of his work. Two 
photographs of DARWIN are reproduced, one made in 1854, and the other in 1880; 
while a reproduced etching gives a most interesting view of the study at Down. 
To review such a collection of essays briefly is impossible, but the subjects and 
the authors will indicate the general contents to those interested in evolutionary 
octrine. Ten of the twenty-eight essays are of interest to botanists. 
The series most appropriately begins with an introductory letter by Sir JoserH 
D. Hooker, for forty years the intimate friend and correspondent of Darwin. 
The ten essays of botanical interest are as follows: ‘‘Darwin’s predecessors,” 
by J. Artur THomson (15 pp.); ‘The selection theory,” by Aucust WEIs- 
MANN (48 pp.); ‘‘Variation,” by Huco pE Vries (19 pp-); “Heredity and varia- 
tion in modern lights,” by W. BATESON (17 pp.); “The minute structure of cells 
in relation to heredity,” by EDUARD STRASBURGER (Io pp.); “The palaeonto- 
logical record. II. Plants,’ by D. H. Scorr (23 pp-); “The influence of environ- 
ment on the forms of plants,’ by GEORG KLEBS (24 PP); “Geographical dis- 
tribution of plants,” by W. T. THISELTON-DYER (21 pp.); “‘Darwin’s work on the 
movement of plants,” by Francis DARWIN (16 pp.); “The biology of flowers,” 
by K. Gorse (23 pp.) : 
All of these essays address themselves primarily to the intelligent public 
rather than to investigators, and therefore they are in a sense popular statemen 
and not contributions to knowledge. In spite of this, they are very interestin 
to investigators, for personal and recent points of view are in evidence throughout, 
and the whole group of related topics is brought together in clear and compact 
& 
form.—J. M 
MINOR NOTICES 
Recent publications from the National Herbarium.—A. S. HitcHcock (Contr. 
U. S. Nat. Herb. 12:183-258. 1909) has issued a “Catalogue of the grasses of 
Cuba.” The work is based primarily on material in the herbarium of the Experi- 
ment Station at Santiago de las Vegas, Cuba. Sixty-six genera are recorded and 
to these are referred 225 species of which ro are indicated as new; one new genus 
(Reimarochloa) is proposed. More than one-half (36) of the genera here listed 
ee Tepresented by single species. The author gives carefully prepared keys 
leading to the genus and species and also cites numerous exsiccatae, thus greatly 
s Darwin and modern science. Essays edited by A. C. SEWARD. 8vo. pp. xvii+ 
59°. Cambridge: The University Press. 1909. $5.00. er 
