344 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XXIII. No. 583. 



matrix and a part passes into the peripheral 

 layer. If the sphere material is derived from 

 the nucleus as is the case in Gasteropods, 

 according to Conklin, then both the mesoplasm 

 and entjoplasm receive substances derived 

 from the nucleus at the preceding division. 

 Again, the clear protoplasm (ectoplasm, Con- 

 klin) escapes from the nucleus at the first 

 maturation division. 



The various substances arise epigenetically 

 even in the nucleus, but * all the evidence 

 favors the view that back of the organization 

 of the cytoplasm is the organization of the 

 chromosomes which is definite, determinate 

 and primary.' Thus from visible formative 

 substances we pass to invisible, hypothetical 

 substances and end not far removed from 

 Weismann in the organization of the chromo- 

 some. 



The term ' organization ' is much employed 

 of late, apparently as an explanation. But 

 organization alone is the dynamo without 

 electricity. The important question regard- 

 ing all hypothetical organization in biology is, 

 will it work? It would seem that at least 

 some suggestion as to how it may work should 

 be offered. How and why, for example, do 

 the formative substances form what they are 

 assumed to form? How and why does the 

 nucleus give rise to ectodermal substance at 

 one time and to mesodermal substance at 

 another? If we have truly abjured vitalism 

 organization must be reducible to terms of 

 physics and chemistry. Why should we not 

 make the attempt to reduce it instead of 

 clinging to the vague term. If it is not so 

 reducible then organization is a vitalistic con- 

 cept." To the writer it seems at least a ques- 

 tion whether a ' definite, determinate and pri- 

 mary ' organization of the chromosomes is 

 reducible to terms of physics and chemistry. 



Four types of germinal localization are dis- 

 tinguished by Conklin : the annelid-moUusk, 

 the ctenophore, the echinoderm and the as- 

 cidian. Among these there is no convergence 

 in passing from later to earlier stages. Pre- 

 cocious segregation is rejected as an explana- 

 tion of egg organization. This organization, 

 like adult structure, must in the final analysis 

 depend upon the chromosomes in the germ 



cells. The structure of later stages is the 

 result, not the cause of the structure of the 

 germ cell. Extensive modifications of adult 

 structure may therefore be brought about by 

 slight changes in germinal organization. 



In conclusion, one or two minor matters 

 should, perhaps, be mentioned. The author 

 uses the words ' ovocyte ' and ' ovogonic,' but 

 also the word ooplasm. The first two are ex- 

 amples of those mongrel words with which 

 biology has been frequently afflicted; the last 

 is a word of good parentage. 



Addition of the plate numbers to the refer- 

 ences to figures would certainly facilitate the 

 finding of particular figures. 



C. M. Child. 



Lehrbuch der Meteorologie. Von Dr. Julius 

 Hann. Second edition. 8vo. Leipzig, 

 1906. Pp. xi-f642. 



What Hann's ' Handbuch der Klimatologie,' 

 in its first and second editions, is to clima- 

 tology, the same author's ' Lehrbuch der Me- 

 teorologie,' in its first and second editions, is 

 to meteorology — a comprehensive, well-di- 

 gested, thoroughly authoritative text-book; 

 absolutely indispensable to every worker in 

 this science, and to every one else who seeks 

 information on any special point in meteor- 

 ology and who wishes to go to headquarters 

 for an answer to his question. The first edi- 

 tion of the ' Lehrbuch ' appeared in 1901 (see 

 review in Science, Vol. XIV., N. S., Decem- 

 ber 20, 1901, pp. 966-967), and although but 

 four years have elapsed since then, a second 

 edition is now before us, with all the latest 

 advances of the intervening period set fully 

 and clearly before the reader. What we said 

 in our notice of the first edition can be re- 

 peated, with added emphasis, of the second. 

 Everything is brought down to date. For ex- 

 ample, in the earlier edition it was stated that 

 the results of the international cloud year 

 were incomplete, but would probably give a 

 fairly conclusive answer to questions regard- 

 ing cloud heights and velocities. On p. 208 of 

 the new edition it is stated concerning these 

 results that they have given an answer to 

 almost all questions as to cloud heights and 

 velocities. This is typical of the treatment 



