810 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXXrV. No. 884 



Graebner has made of these principles in his 

 chosen field of Melanesia in its relations to the 

 whole rest of the world. 



My own opinions in regard to the value of 

 a single evolutionary series, the importance 

 of very old cultural elements that survive in 

 many parts of the world, and the occurrence of 

 transmission over enormous areas coincide to 

 a great extent with those of Mr. Graehner. 

 I also hold the opinion that the discovery of a 

 really new idea is much more difficult than is 

 generally admitted, and therefore a manifold 

 spontaneous origin quite unlikely. Neverthe- 

 less, I can not acknowledge that he has given 

 us any safe criterion that would enable us to 

 tell that in any given case transmission can 

 be definitely proved against independent or- 

 igin, and I am just as skeptical as before read- 

 ing his book in regard to the advisability of 

 accepting Ratzel's " Ferninterpretation." I 

 rather repeat once more the warning that I 

 have given again and again for twenty years: 

 to be rather overcautious in admitting trans- 

 mission as the cause of analogies in cases of 

 the sporadic occurrence of similar phenomena, 

 than to operate with the concept of lost links 

 of a chain of cultural intercourse. 



That through the exaggerated application of 

 a single principle, when several must be ad- 

 mitted as acting, new viewpoints may be dis- 

 covered — that much I willingly admit, and I 

 enjoy to follow the daring generalizations to 

 which Mr. Graehner is led. I may, however, 

 be pardoned if I can not accept this as the 

 method of ethnology. I see safe progress 

 essentially in the patient unravelling of the 

 mental processes that may be observed among 

 primitive and civilized peoples, and that ex- 

 press the actual conditions under which cul- 

 tural forms develop. When we begin to know 

 these, we shall also be able to proceed gradu- 

 ally to the more difficult problems of the cul- 

 tural relations between isolated areas that ex- 

 hibit peculiar similarities. 



Franz Boas 



mexico, d. f. 



Phytogeographic Survey of North America. 

 By John W. Harshberger. Being Vol. 



XIII. of Engler and Drude's " Die Vege- 

 tation der Erde." Leipzig, Wilhelm Engel- 

 mann. 8vo. Pp. 790, with 1 map, 18 plates 

 and 32 text figures. 1911. 52 M. 

 The series of monographs issued by Pro- 

 fessors Engler and Drude under the title of 

 " Die Vegetation der Erde " reaches the 

 thirteenth number in the stately volume be- 

 fore us. Among preceding volumes are 

 Eadde's " Pflanzenverbreitung in der Kau- 

 kasuslander," Drude's " Hereynische Floren- 

 bezirk," Diels's " Pflanzenwelt von West- 

 Australien," Engler's " Pflanzenwelt Afrikas," 

 etc., all of which have been received with 

 favor by botanists the world over and this 

 prejudices us in favor of this one from the 

 hand of Professor Harshberger. 



Unlike the preceding this volume is given 

 in English, which indeed was quite proper in 

 view of its American authorship, and the 

 additional fact that it will be much more 

 available to ordinary students and readers. 

 And it may be said here that I know of no 

 book on scientific botany which is more likely 

 to be read by non-botanical readers than this 

 one. As one reads it he is constantly im- 

 pressed with the importance to a great num- 

 ber of men of just such knowledge as is 

 brought out here. One wishes it were pos- 

 sible to give as clear pictures to the intelli- 

 gent layman as are here given to the syste- 

 matic botanist. 



The plan of the work may be stated as fol- 

 lows: 



After an English explanatory preface by 

 the author, and a short German summary by 

 Dr. Drude, the book is divided into four great 

 parts, the first of which (92 pp.) is historical 

 and bibliographical. This is followed by Part 

 Second (of 77 pp.) which is devoted to geo- 

 graphic, climatic and statistical considera- 

 tions. Part Third takes up (in 175 pp.) the 

 geological evolution of the North American 

 continent and its flora, while Part Four (of 

 358 pp.), which is the body of the book, takes 

 up the phytogeographic regions, formations 

 and associations. The whole is followed by 

 a voluminous Index of Plants (of 85 pp.) 

 which includes helpful synonyms. 



