666 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXV. No. 643 



units, as ids, hiophors, micellce, and the like, 

 are arraigned as not in accordance with the 

 tendency of modem physical chemistry, which 

 physiology has found so illuminating in its 

 application to the organic processes. Many of 

 the modem ideas of chromosome significance 

 are included in this criticism, which is cer- 

 tainly one that deserves careful consideration. 

 On the other hand such vitalistic doctrines as 

 that of Drieseh's entelechy are set forth as 

 equally out of the line of progress. Dr. Jen- 

 sen is a man of broad reading, of judicial 

 mind, and one that has long been known as an 

 investigator in general physiology. To the 

 reviewer his views seem unusually just and 

 well balanced, so that the paper is one to be 

 highly recommended. 



In the latter parts of the work Jensen de- 

 velops a general theory of development, based 

 largely on various manifestations of the selec- 

 tion principle, working on the materials of- 

 fered by the physico-chemical universe. In 

 such matters tastes will of course differ; to 

 the reviewer it appears that this, like the 

 critical part of the work, is judicious and 

 valuable. 



The present paper is preliminary to an ex- 

 tensive work dealing with general physiology. 

 If the whole is maintained at the high level 

 shown in the preliminary part, its appearance 

 may be looked for with great interest. 



H. S. Jennings 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 

 THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 



At the meeting of the National Academy 

 of Sciences beginning on April 16, the fol- 

 lowing papers were presented: 



W. T. SwiNGiiE and Lyman J. Beiggs (intro- 

 duced by C. Hart Merriam) : ' Utilization of 

 Ultra-violet Eays in Microscopy,' and demonstra- 

 tion of the apparatus employed (with lantern 

 illustrations ) . 



ICael F. Kf.t.t.erman (introduced by Theo. 

 Gill) : 'On the Purification of the Isthmian Po- 

 table Water Supply' (with lantern illustrations). 



J. W. GiDLEY (introduced by 0. D. Walcott) : 

 'A New Horned Rodent from the Miocene of Kan- 

 sas' ( with lantern illustrations ) . 



F. H. Knowlton (introduced by Arnold 

 Hague) : 'The Laramie Problem.' 



David White (introduced by W. H. Dall) : 

 ' Permo-Carboniferous Climatic Changes in South 

 America.' 



F. W. True (introduced by W. H. Dall) : 'On 

 the Occurrence of European Genera of Fossil Ceta- 

 eea in America.' (By title.) 



J. M. Ceafts : ' A New and More Accurate 

 Form of Normal Barometer.' 



J. M. Ceafts : 'The Catalysis of Sulphonie 

 Acids in Concentrated Solutions.' 



F. H. BiGELOW (introduced by Cleveland Abbe) : 

 ' A Solution of the Vortices in the Atmospheres 

 of the Earth and the Sun' (with lantern illustra- 

 tions) . 



L. A. Bauer (introduced by S. Newcomb) : 

 ' Results thus far obtained by the Oceanic Mag- 

 netic Survey of the Carnegie Institution of Wash- 

 ington, and their Bearing' (with lantern illustra- 

 tions) . 



Richaed B. Mooee (introduced by Arnold 

 Hague) : 'The Relation of Radium to Hot Spring 

 and Gteyser Action' (with lantern illustrations). 



Henry P. Osborn : ' Exploration in the Upper 

 Eocene of the Fayoum Desert' (with lantern il- 

 lustrations ) . (By title. ) 



Lewis Boss : ' Remarks on the Solar Motion ' 

 (with lantern illustrations). 



Horace L. Wells: 'Biographical Memoir of 

 Samuel L. Penfield.' (By title.) 



A. L. Day (introduced by Geo. F. Becker) ; 

 ' Some New Measurements with the Gas Ther- 

 mometer.' 



Simon Newcomb : ' On the Optical Principles 

 involved in the Interpretation of the Canals of 

 Mars.' 



Simon Newcomb: 'Methods of Detecting Cor- 

 relations between the Variations of Fluctuating 

 Quantities, with an Application to the Question 

 of the Variability of the Sun's Radiation.' 



W. W. Campbell: 'The D. D. Mills Expedition 

 to the Southern Hemisphere' (with lantern illus- 

 trations) . 



C. D. Perrine (introduced by W. W. Camp- 

 bell) : 'Results of the Intramercurial Planet 

 Search.' 



Alexander Agassiz ' The Eggs of Flying 

 Fishes.' (By title.) 



Alexander Agassiz : ' The Elevated Reefs of 

 the Windward Islands.' (By title.) 



E. W. Hilgabd: 'Biographical Memoir of 

 Joseph Le Conte.' (By title.) 



Bailey Willis (introduced by Arnold Hague) : 

 ' Continental Structure of Asia.' 



WiET Tassin (introduced by W. H. Dall) ; 



