442 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XII. No. 299. 



All who attended the Congress felt more 

 than repaid for the journey to Paris and 

 deeply indebted to the genial President, 

 Professor Albert Gaudry, to the indefati- 

 gable and much beloved Secretary, Profes- 

 sor Charles Barrois, and to his associates, 

 Messrs. Thevenin, Von Arthaber and Zim- 

 mermann. 



SCIENTIFIC BOOKS. 

 Introduction to Zoology. By Chaeles Bene- 

 dict Davenport and Geetetjdb Ceotty 

 Davbnpoet. New York, The Macmillan 

 Co. 1900. Pp. xii + 412 ; 311 illustrations. 

 Price, $1.10. 



The purpose of this new text-book, as indi- 

 cated by its secondary title, is that of ' a guide 

 to the study of animals for the use of secondary 

 schools.' Unlike most of its predecessors 

 among zoological books for secondary schools 

 its title is not misleading, for the book is sent 

 forth not as an ' elementary zoology ' but as an 

 introduction to the study of animals. It does 

 not pretend to be a treatise on ' zoology ' from 

 the varied aspects of comparative anatomy, 

 embryology, and physiology, but rather it 

 attempts a presentation of facts which may 

 well pave the way for advanced study of the 

 special sub-sciences of zoology. But in addi- 

 tion to writing an introduction for students who 

 may go deeper into zoological studies, the au- 

 thors have recognized the important fact that 

 'the vast majority of secondary students, are 

 not to be zoologists, but rather men of affairs.' 

 Although this view has been gaining recogni- 

 tion in recent years, this is the first text-book 

 which seems to have been planned with consid- 

 eration for the needs of the ' vast majority ' 

 who are limited to a short elementary course 

 in zoology. 



Contrasted with the elementary books on zo- 

 ology which have appeared during the last de- 

 cade, the plan of this book is decidedly new ; 

 for it places no emphasis upon comparative anat- 

 omy, which has strongly characterized recent 

 zoological teaching in most secondary schools. 

 There is no description of internal structure 

 of animals, and consequently no discussion of 

 fundamental physiological processes. The book 



deals with common animals, and their habits, 

 homes, their life histories, and their systematic, 

 economical and ecological relations. In short, 

 the book is a modern Natural History full of 

 the spirit and the charm which characterized 

 the old-time books on that subject. 



As a text-book the ' Introduction to Zoology ' 

 is intended to accompany the well-known out- 

 line of laboratory study in zoology which Pro- 

 fessor Davenport prepared several years ago, 

 and which was published as an ' Outline of Re- 

 quirements in Zoology,' Lawrence Scientific 

 School, Harvard University. A revised reprint 

 of this outline forms an appendix to the book. 

 The order of treatment in the text follows that 

 of the outline for laboratory work, beginning 

 with insects and following with other arthro- 

 pods, worms, mollusks, echinoderms, coelenter- 

 ates, protozoa, and the vertebrates. 



Considerable attention is given to classifica- 

 tion. Twenty chapters have appendices with 

 keys for identification of common families and 

 orders. Both common and scientific names of 

 animals are freely used in the text, and foot- 

 notes give the meaning and derivation of the 

 technical names. 



The book is liberally illustrated both by fig- 

 ures from well-known works and by numerous 

 new photographs of the natural objects. With 

 regard to the photographs it must be regretted 

 that many are imperfect and do not well illus- 

 trate. One feels convinced that good outline 

 drawings would in many cases have been more 

 insti active, particularly in the case of small 

 animals like insects. However, many of the 

 photographs are excellent and add a charm to 

 the book. 



On the whole the book is written in an enter- 

 taining style, and can scarcely fail to arouse 

 interest concerning our common animals. The 

 authors have well presented the natural history 

 aspect of zoology. Teachers who read the book 

 will probably agree that for liberal secondary 

 education no other phase of zoology would be 

 more important, but many readers will doubt 

 the wisdom of omitting from secondary edu- 

 cation all reference to the essential facts con- 

 cerning the internal structure and the funda- 

 mental physiological processes of animals. 



The book will surely find a place in secondary 



