August 11, 1911] 



SCIENCE 



185 



as regards volume, is by no means clear. 

 Furthermore, it stands on a different plane 

 from the supracellular units recognized by the 

 author, in that these may be seen to form 

 ontogenetically from a cell, but no one has 

 yet observed the ovum developing by the 

 division of chromidia. Indeed, one of the 

 most obvious criticisms of Bernard's book is 

 that it shows throughout a remarkable disre- 

 gard of the facts of ontogenesis and histogen- 

 esis, so much so that it sometimes describes 

 processes as its author supposed them to oc- 

 cur according to his theory, rather than as 

 they actually occur. Further the same disre- 

 gard has led the author to phylogenetic con- 

 clusions which, if they are to be regarded as 

 essential conclusions from the theory under 

 exposition, can only serve to render the 

 reader skeptical as to its sanity. For in- 

 stance, one is surprised to find that the 

 Alcyonaria form a phylum altogether distinct 

 from the other Anthozoa and related to the 

 platyhelminths, that ctenophores are medusas 

 with the margins of the bell fused together, 

 that Sagitta represents most accurately the 

 primitive annelid and that the leeches may 

 be regarded as representing the invertebrate 

 types from which the vertebrate phylum has 

 arisen ! 



Much more suggestive than the first is 

 the second main thesis of the work, namely, 

 that there has been a rhythm in evolution, 

 each heightening of which corresponded with 

 the appearance of one of the recognized grades 

 of personality, that is to say, with the estab- 

 lishment of colony-formation of a higher 

 grade. The differentiation and adaption pos- 

 sible for a cell-person is limited, but with the 

 establishment of cell-colonies the potentiali- 

 ties become greatly increased. The author's 

 treatment of this part of his subject is how- 

 ever again marred by a tendency to trans- 

 cendentalism. Throughout all his grades of 

 personality he finds continuity of structure 

 combined with colony formation, and this 

 theory demands continuity also in the colon- 

 ies formed by his highest grade of persons, 

 mankind. It is the linin-filaments that serve 

 for the continuity; they are conducting paths 



for stimuli. But after all it is the stimulus 

 that is the important item and not the mater- 

 ial basis of transmission, and in human 

 colonies we find transmission of stimuli with- 

 out material continuity (telepathy), so that 

 they too fall into line with the theoretical de- 

 mands. This is much like eliminating the 

 Cheshire cat and leaving only the grin, and 

 why ant-colonies by the same process of rea- 

 soning should not be placed with man in the 

 highest grade of persons, it is difficult to 

 understand. 



The book is interesting as a study in specu- 

 lation, but it is doubtful if the speculations 

 will find acceptance at the hands of biologists. 

 J. P. McM. 



The Silva of California. By Willis Linn 

 Jepson. Memoirs of the University of 

 California, Vol. U. Berkeley, 1910. 

 This magnificent folio volume does credit 

 to the author and to the university which is- 

 sues such a sumptuous account of the trees 

 of California. It comprises 283 pages of text 

 with 11 figures, 85 full page plates, 3 folded 

 maps, subject and geographic indexes. 



After a short preface, the author considers 

 the geographic distribution of California 

 trees, dividing the state into a number of 

 provinces enumerated below. The Sacra- 

 mento and the San Joaquin valleys form one 

 province, which are essentially treeless, ex- 

 cept for five stands or groves of the valley 

 oak, or the interior live oak, while the banks 

 of streams are lined with willows and cotton 

 woods. The south coast ranges with an aver- 

 age height of 2,000-5,000 feet, are forested 

 near the ocean with redwood, Douglas fir, tan 

 oak, madrona and inland with other species, 

 such as live and blue oaks, while Monterey 

 pine and cypress are confined to an isolated 

 arboreal island, constituting the Monterey 

 peninsula. The north coast ranges are con- 

 sidered as to their climatic and floristic as- 

 pects with the redwood most prominent and 

 the Douglas fir, tan oak, lowland fir, coast 

 hemlock, Sitka spruce of secondary impor- 

 tance. The forest flora of the Sierra Nevada 

 Mountains is enumerated, as well as that of 



