Januaey 14, 1898.] 



SCIENCE. 



69 



ture in general. Whether it will prove to be 

 full enough and sufficiently accurate to be 

 quite helpful we are not able to say, not having 

 ^s yet had the opportunity of giving it a pro- 

 longed trial in the laboratory, but a somewhat 

 careful examination of the pages pertaining to 

 a few of the familiar genera has impressed us 

 favorably. 



The chapter on phylogeny brings out the 

 author's views as to the nature of lichens, views 

 which, as stated above, are essentially those of 

 Reinke. He holds with the Schwendenerians 

 that the fungal symbionts of the Ascolichens 

 are derived from the Ascomycetes, and these 

 represent different groups of fungi, e. g., Pezi- 

 zacese, Patellariacese, Phacidiacea, Stictidacese, 

 Sphseriaceas. With Schwendener also, he refers 

 the ' gonidia ' to various algal types. By re- 

 turning to the second chapter we learn that the 

 relation between fungi and algse is considered 

 to be the highest form of mutualistic symbiosis, 

 which he terms individualism. This requires 

 "that one of the symbionts be absolutely de- 

 pendent upon the mutual relationship.'' In 

 lichens, our author says: "We find the nutri- 

 tive interdependence so marked that a new in- 

 dividual is formed, which in its morphology and 

 physiology is wholly different from any of the 

 symbionts." Again: "From the very nature 

 -of individualism it is evident that the resulting 

 structure is a morphological unit in the full 

 sense of the word — that is, a lichen is neither a 

 fungus nor an alga, but a new individual 

 which should be given a definite position in the 

 vegetable kingdom. It is an independent in- 

 dividual, because we find that on separating 

 the symbionts the individual is destroyed, as 

 has already been indicated." We have thus a 

 new kind of taxonomic unit, consisting of two 

 organisms— (a) that derived from fungal ances- 

 tors, and (6) that derived from algal ancestors. 

 This dual thing is the lichen. Hence, lichens, 

 being entirely unlike anything else under the 

 sun, are to be regarded as constituting a dis- 

 tinct class ! We have thus a nominal restoration 

 of the Class Lichenes, for which the lichenolo- 

 gists have been fighting for a quarter of a cen- 

 tury. But what a restoration! A lichen is no 

 longer a single organism, comparable to a 

 JFucus, a Polysiphonia or a Marchantia, but a 



compound of two organisms, and these admit- 

 ted to be of fungal and algal origin. When it 

 comes to this, the autonomists might as well 

 surrender and come at once into the Schwen- 

 denerian camp. 



It but remains for us to say that this book, 

 with all its shortcomings, will be useful, and 

 that the publishers have done well in their se- 

 lection of type and paper, and have further- 

 more given it a substantial binding. 



Charles E. Bessey. 



The Univkksity of Nebraska. 



Organic Chemistry for the Laboratory. By W, 

 A. NoYES, Ph.D. Easton, Pa., Chemical 

 Publishing Co. 1897. 12mo. Pp. xi + 257. 

 Price, $1.50. 



Two purposes have been kept in view by the 

 author in writing a new book on organic prep- 

 arations. "The first has been to furnish the 

 beginner with sufficiently full and accurate di- 

 rections, and clear, concise, theoretical explana- 

 tions of processes which have been found suc- 

 cessful in practical laboratory experience. The 

 second object has been to furnish the more 

 advanced student and practical worker with a 

 guide which will aid him in the selection of 

 processes which are likely to be successful for 

 the preparation of compounds which he may 

 desire to use. " The book is divided into eleven 

 chapters, in which is described the preparation 

 of the various classes of organic compounds, 

 namely: Acids; derivatives of acids; halogen 

 compounds; nitrocompounds; amines; hydrazo, 

 azo, and diazo compounds, etc. ; alcohols and 

 phenols; aldehydes, ketones and their deriva- 

 tives ; sulphonic acids and sulphine compounds; 

 hydrocarbons, and miscellaneous compounds. 

 At the beginning of each chapter is a discussion 

 of the chemical reactions involved in the differ- 

 ent methods of preparation. This is followed 

 by directions for the preparation of a com- 

 pound illustrating each method. For example, 

 in the first chapter twelve pages are given up 

 to a general discussion of acids and nineteen 

 preparations ai'e described. In all cases the 

 theoretical explanations and experimental de- 

 tails are clear and full. A particularly valu- 

 able chapter is devoted to the qualitative identi- 

 fication of organic compounds. The usual tests 



