332 



SCIENCK 



[N. S. Vol. IX. No. 218. 



made on the pupil's own body. It is interesting 

 to see how much pure physiology, as distinct 

 from anatomy, can be learned in this way, 

 without the aid of complex apparatus, dis- 

 section or vivisection. Vivisection is neither 

 employed nor referred to in any way in the 

 book, and dissection only as it pertains to 

 bones, muscles, the heart and the kidney. 

 Anatomy is treated not as a finality, but as a 

 basis for the study of function. The directions 

 for the study of bacteria are excellent, and the 

 practical applications of bacteriology include, 

 among other things, the canning of fruits, the 

 use of the tooth-brush, the cleaning of the 

 streets, and the cleansing of wounds. 



In the opinion of the reviewer physiology is 

 usually taught in high-school courses too much 

 as a human, and too little as a broadly bio- 

 logical, science. Hence some regret is un- 

 avoidable that in the present book more atten- 

 tion is not given to the comparative aspect. 

 Notwithstanding this lack, the book is thorough, 

 is calculated to arouse the interest and even 

 the enthusiasm of the pupil, and is to be 

 heartily recommended for use in schools. 



Frederic S. Lee. 



Columbia University. 



books received. 

 A Text-book of General Physics. Charles S. Has- 

 tings and Frederick E. Beach. Boston, Ginn 

 & Co. 1899. Pp. viii + 768. $2.95. 



The Development of English Thought. Simon N. Pat- 

 ton. New York and London, The Maomillan 

 Company. 1899. Pp. xxvii + 415. 



The Shifting and Incidence of Taxation. Edwin R. A. 

 Seligman. New York and London, The Mac- 

 millan Company. 1899. Pp. xii + 337. $3.00. 



The Cambridge Natural History. Volume IX., Birds. 

 A. H. Evans. London and New York, The Mao- 

 millan Company. 1899. Pp. xvi + 635. $3.50. 



The Elements of Physical Chemistry. J. Livingston 



E. Morgan. New York, John Wiley & Sons ; 



London, Chapman & Hall, Ltd. 1899. Pp. xiii 

 -1-299. 



Examination of Water. WILLIAM P. MASON. New 

 York, John Wiley & Sons ; London, Chapman & 

 Hall. 1899. Pp. 135. 



De la methode dans la psychologic des sentiments. F. 

 Eauh. Paris, Alcan. 1899. Pp. 305. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES. 

 THE BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OP WASHINGTON. 



The loth anniversary meeting was held Jan- 

 uary 17th, under the auspices of the Washing- 

 ton Academy of Sciences, in the hall of the 

 Columbian University, the occasion being the 

 address of the retiring President, Dr. L. O. 

 Howard, entitled ' Are Insects as a Class In- 

 jurious or Beneficial in their Relations with 

 INIan?' The paper was published in full in 

 Science for February 17th. 



The 301st regular meeting was held January 

 28th and was devoted to a consideration of the 

 'Great Dismal Swamp.' Dr. David White 

 traced the geologic histoiy of the swamp and 

 surrounding regions, showing how successive 

 periods of elevation and depression had resulted 

 in the formation of a considerable area so 

 slightly elevated above sea-level that the 

 natural drainage is insufficient to remove the 

 rainfall. It was stated that the present period 

 is considered to be one of subsidence, and it was 

 noted by later speakers that Lake Drummond 

 is evidently increasing in size. 



Mr. F. D. Gardner described the soils from a 

 practical standpoint, with special regard to the 

 agricultural possibilities of the land extensively 

 reclaimed by drainage. Large deposits of peat 

 exist, which it has not been found possible to 

 utilize on a commercial scale. The water of 

 the streams and drainage ditches is very 

 strongly impregnated with the soluble prod- 

 ucts of the enormous quantities of decompos- 

 ing vegetable matter, and, like the soil, has a 

 distinctly acid reaction. This acidity of the 

 soil may be so excessive as to interfere with its 

 fertility, although inexhaustible quantities of 

 plant foods are present. 



Mr. Thomas H. Kearney exhibited a large 

 series of photographs illustrating the charac- 

 teristics of the flora of the swamp. The vari- 

 ous plant-associations were enumerated and de- 

 scribed at length, and their relative importance 

 in the formation of humus was noted. Refer- 

 ence was also made to the possible effects of the 

 acidity and generally low temperature of the 

 water as agents likely to retard growth and to 

 require adaptations against excessive transpira- 

 tion. The woody type of vegetation predomi- 

 nates, there being very few herbaceous species 



