SCIENCE 



A WEEKLY JOURNAL DEVOTED TO THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE, PUBLISHING THE 



OFFICIAL NOTICES AND PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION 



FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. 



Editoeial Committee : S. Newcomb, Mathematics ; E. S. Woodwaed, Meohanios ; E. C. Pickering, 

 Astronomy ; T. C. MendjsnhaIiL, Physios ; E. H. Thukston, Engineering ; Iea Ebmsen, Chemistry ; 

 Chables D. Walcott, Geology ; W. M. Davis, Physiography ; Hbney F. Osboen, Paleon- 

 tology ; W. K. Beooks, C. Haet Meeeiam, Zoology ; S. H. Scuddee, Entomology ; C. E. 

 BKsaEY, N. L. Beitton, Botany ; C. S. Minot, Embryology, Histology ; H. P. 

 Bowditch, Physiology ; William H. Welch, Pathology ; 

 J. McKben Cattbll, Psychology. 



Friday, Maech 20, 1903. 



CONTENTS: 



Some Recent Ideas on the Evolution of 

 Plants : Propessoe L. H. Bailey 441 



The Society for Plant Morphology and 

 Physiology: Professor W. F. Ganong.... 454 



Scientific Books: — 



GaTjroioski' s Morphogenetische Studien: T. H. 



M. Melt's Biological Laioratory Methods: 



Professor F. E. Llotd. Oeuvres Complete 



de J. C. Galissard de Marignac : Pro- 



, FESSOK Theodore William Richards 466 



Societies and Academies: — 



American Matliematical Society: Professor 

 F. N. Cole. Tlie Society for Experimental 

 Biology and Medicine: Dr. William J. 

 GriES. Jfeto York Academy of Sciences, 

 Section of Anthropology and Psychology: 

 Professor James E. Lough 468 



Discussion and Correspondence: — 



Thermodynamics of Heat-engines: Pro- 

 fessor Sidney A. Peeve. The Judith 

 River Beds: J. B. Hatcher 470 



Botanical Notes: — 



Vegetable Galls; Popularizing the Study of 

 Fungi; Marine Laboratory Botany for 

 1903: Professor Charles E. Bessey. . . . 472 



Ithaca, N. Y., Water-supplies: Professor R. 

 H. Thurston 474 



Presentation of a Bust to Professor Cham- 

 herlin 475 



The Smithsonian Institution 476 



Scientific Notes and Vi-ms 477 



University and Educational News 480 



MSS. intended for publication and books, etc., Intended 

 for review should be sent to the responsible editor, Pro- 

 fessor J. McKeen Cattell, Garrison-on-Hudson, N. Y. 



SOME RECENT IDEAS ON THE EVOLUTION 

 OF PLANTS.* 



There is endless dissimilarity in nature. 

 No two plants and no two animals are ex- 

 actly alike. There are more plants and 

 animals than can find a place in which to 

 live and thrive. There results a struggle 

 for existence. Those animals or plants 

 which, by virtue of their individual difEer- 

 enees or peculiarities, are best fitted to the 

 conditions in which they are placed, sur- 

 vive in this struggle for existence. They 

 are 'selected' to live. Those that survive 

 propagate their peculiarities. By virtue 

 of continued variation, and of continual 

 selection along a certain line, the peculiari- 

 ties may become augmented; finally the 

 gulf of separation from the parental stem 

 becomes great and what we call a new 

 species has originated. 



This, in epitome, is the philosophy of 

 Darwin in respect to evolution of organic 

 forms. It contains the well-known postu- 

 late of natural selection, the principle that 

 we know as Darwinism. This principle 

 has had more adherents than any other 

 hypothesis of the process of evolution. All 

 recent hypotheses in some way relate to it. 

 A number of them modify it, and some cut 

 across it. The most pronounced counter- 



* Address before the Society for Plant Mor- 

 phology and Physiology, Washington, December 

 29, 1902. 



