Febkuaey 25, 1898.] 



SCIENCE. 



26T 



and a fourth, with inferior ovaries and 

 gamopetalous corolla, as Samhucus, Vibur- 

 num, Houstonia, Galium, Campanula, Ver- 

 nonia, Aster, Helianthus, etc. 



In the foregoing work the pupil should 

 get some idea of the structure of the whole 

 plant. He should learn enough technical 

 descriptive terms so that he can give intel- 

 ligent descriptions of each plant. At every 

 stage of the work the pupil should be re- 

 quired to make careful drawings in his 

 note-book, accompanied by concise descrip- 

 tions of essential characters." 



Suggestions as to the proper selection of 

 books for a small botanical library and 

 the collection of a reference herbarium are 

 given. Field work and the systematic de- 

 termination of plants are encouraged, this 

 work being regarded as a desirable part of 

 the pupil's training, although it must not be 

 permitted to occupy so large a portion of 

 his time as was formerly the general custom. 



It may interest botanists in colleges as 

 well as in high schools to know that before 

 these directions were issued a considerable 

 number of the Nebraska high schools were 

 already giving essentially the work outlined 

 above, and there are many indications that 

 encourage us to hope that it will not be 

 long before this will be true of all. 



Charles E. Bessey. 



EXTMA-OBOANIC EVOLUTION. 

 In explaining the method of evolution 

 Darwin and Wallace have laid great stress 

 upon the struggle between organisms, Eoux 

 upon the struggle between the parts of the 

 organism, and Weismann upon the all- 

 sufiiciency of natural seleciion. Darwin 

 emphasizes organic selection, Roux intra- 

 organic selection, and Weismann germinal 

 selection. All progress is thus apparently 

 organic. Heredity, at least with Weis- 

 mann, is the continuity of the germ plasm, 

 and progress is due to the survival and 



accumulation of advantageous congenital 

 variations ivithin the organism. 



I wish to speak of what I may call extra- 

 organic evolution. Progress has marched 

 with colossal strides during the last fifty 

 and even twenty years. Nevertheless, we 

 see no corresponding advances made or- 

 ganically which may be deemed adequate 

 to such progress. As far as our congenital 

 or blastogenio qualities are concerned, we 

 are probably little if any better than our 

 forefathers of fifty or a thousand years ago. 

 The progress actually made is out of all 

 proportion to the advances made in our or- 

 ganisms. 



Our sense and motor organs are essen- 

 tially instruments and tools. So also, for 

 that matter, is the brain. They are sifters, 

 sentinels, receivers, transmitters, etc., all 

 pressed into the service of the organism or 

 some of its parts. The eye is manifestly an 

 optical instrument, though a poor one, when 

 compared with that additional eye or sense 

 organ, the microscope or telescope. It is a 

 well-known fact that it suffers from every 

 defect that can be found in an optical 

 instrument. It was useful in its time, and 

 is so, I presume, to-day. Civilization, how- 

 ever, has taken its gigantic strides guided 

 by extra-organic eyes. 



Most, if not all the three hundred or more 

 mechanical movements known to mechanics 

 to-day are found exemplified in the human 

 body. From an evolutionary standpoint it 

 is still more important to note that all the 

 machinery in the world, all the bars, levers, 

 joints, pulleys, pumps, girders, wheels, 

 axles, ball-and-socket movements, etc., etc., 

 are but variations, extensions, adaptations 

 of the accumulated advantageous variations 

 and adaptations of the human organism. 



Thus our sense organs are indefinitely 

 multiplied and extended by such extca- 

 organic sense organs as the microscope, 

 telescope, resonator, telephone, telegraph, 

 thermometer, etc. Our motor organs are 



