778- 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXVII. No. 698 



of " psychologies." Equally must it be pointed 

 out that the forest does not appear very plainly 

 or very attractively among the trees. There 

 is a little too much detail, a little too little 

 contouring of the larger topography. The 

 map is serviceable, but not illuminating. On 

 the third count the v^riter must frankly ex- 

 press his doubts. The genus student is a 

 difficult guest and his reactions uncertain. 

 Doubtless he likes not that which is good for 

 him, and partakes in large quantities of what 

 is pernicious. Yet, after all, he has a rather 

 versatile appetite which responds to judicious 

 encouragement. Plainly, the diet must be 

 made attractive. Professor Judd's book is not 

 emphatically unattractive from the student's 

 point of view; yet in this respect, it does not 

 compare in success of achievement with sev- 

 eral of its rivals for collegiate favor — notably 

 ■with Professor Angell's text. 



Writing texts is like much else, a matter of 

 temperament. The good text-writer is largely 

 bom and not made — at least not by the pub- 

 lisher's solicitation. Nor have the best teach- 

 ers always proved themselves the best writers 

 of texts. The conditions are not unlike those 

 attaching to the construction of ocean steam- 

 ships, requiring one model for speed and 

 another for cargo. Each result is a compro- 

 mise; though some are plainly freighters; and 

 others lightly burdened greyhounds. Solidity 

 of content and attractiveness of exposition are 

 ■not incompatible; but when they are found in 

 •marked degree, the possessor thereof should 

 feel within him the call to write a text. In 

 the meantime we shall be content with what 

 there is, and welcome Professor Judd's vol- 

 umes ttf a place among their fellows. 



Joseph Jastrow 



SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS AND ARTICLES 

 The American Naturalist for February has 

 an article on " The Law of Geminate 

 Species," by David Starr Jordan, geminate 

 species, being two closely related species, 

 found on opposite sides of some natural 

 barrier. Henri Hus discusses " Fasciations 

 of Known Causation," noting that these 

 abnormalities may be transmitted by seeds or 

 cuttings. Charles A. White treats of " The 



Aggregate Origination of Parasitic Plants " 

 and Charles Deperet of " The Evolution of 

 the Tertiary Mammals and the Importance of 

 their Migrations," considering the changes in 

 the fauna of certain European beds as brought 

 about by local evolution and by immigra- 

 tions from North America and other regions. 

 G. H. Parker considers " Zoological Progress " 

 or the increase in our knowledge of the 

 animal kingdom. Under " Notes and Litera- 

 ture " variation in Amhlystoma iigrinum finds 

 itself under Invertebrate Morphology. 



Bird-Lore for March-April has articles on 

 " The Home Life of the American Egret," by 

 Frank M. Chapman ; " The Background of 

 Ornithology," by Spencer Trotter ; " The Nest 

 in the Gutter," by Gilbert H. Trafton, and 

 the third paper on " The Migration of Fly- 

 catchers," by W. W. Cooke. Under "The 

 Common Names of North American Birds " 

 Edward H. Perkins proposes changes in some 

 inapplicable names. The Audubon leaflet ia 

 by Mabel Osgood Wright and is devoted to 

 the song sparrow. A new bird reservation in 

 Florida, knov^n as the Mosquito Inlet Reser- 

 vation, is announced. 



The Zoological Society Bulletin for April 

 is an " Aquarium Number " and deals with 

 all manner of aquatic animals. There are 

 articles on " The Natural Foods of Fresh- 

 water Fishes," " Porpoises, Long-lived Fishes " 

 — some of which have lived in the Aquarium 

 for fourteen years — " The Sturgeons, Elec- 

 trical Fishes and Luminous Fishes." " The 

 Largest Marine Animals " gives much in- 

 formation on the size and weight of many 

 species and " A Large Lobster " records a 

 specimen twenty-three and three quarter 

 inches from tail to rostrum and weighing 

 thirty-four pounds. It is announced that an 

 effort will be made to capture some porpoises 

 by means of a heavy seine and bring them 

 alive to the aquarium. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 



THE BOSTON SOCIETY OF MEDICAL SCIENCES 



COMPARATIVE ANATOMY AT THE HARVARD 



MEDICAL SCHOOL 



A SPECUL meeting of the Boston Society of 

 Medical Sciences, devoted entirely to the cur- 



I 



