October 7, 1904.] 



SCIENCE. 



465 



compound (idiosphorhaltiges Eiweiss). The 

 vegetable proteids have not yet received the 

 attention which, in the reviewer's opinion, 

 they deserve. The crystallized vegetable 

 proteids are dismissed with a few words (p. 

 149) and without any adequate references to 

 the methods of obtaining them, although their 

 preparation has already assumed commercial 

 proportions; the crystallization of egg- and 

 serum-albumin, on the other hand, is care- 

 fully considered. It must be said to the credit 

 of Professor Cohnheim that he has, in contrast 

 to most continental writers, shown apprecia- 

 tion of the important work by American in- 

 vestigators in the domain of the vegetable 

 proteids in the present edition. 



The greatly enlarged chapter (II.) on cleav- 

 age products, beginning with a brief historical 

 review, is excellent in every respect and ought 

 to be warmly welcomed for its exhaustive 

 reference list. The compounds obtained by 

 the action of acids or digestive enzymes are 

 very properly discussed in a separate group 

 as fundamental (primare Spaltungsprodukte) ; 

 and the quantitative r^ations are compiled so 

 far as known. The existence of diamino- 

 acetic acid (Drechsel) is now rendered doubt- 

 ful (p. 33). In principle the distinction be- 

 tween anti- and hemi-proteid derivatives is 

 still maintained. The chapter on albumoses 

 and peptones has been adapted to the modified 

 system of analysis and nomenclature intro- 

 duced by the Hofmeister school, the so-called 

 peptids and plasteins also being added. A 

 brief resume of the behavior of proteids 

 towards the aniline dyes (p. 114) will interest 

 histologists. 



The special part of the book, dealing with 

 the individual proteids, is more encyclopaedic 

 in character and the innovations are naturally 

 less conspicuous. One receives everywhere an 

 impression of first-hand acquaintance with the 

 literature and must admire the industry and 

 good judgment of the author. Finally, even 

 the most casual examination of this work of 

 three hundred pages can not fail to impress 

 the reader with the growing importance and 

 interest which the study of the proteids is at- 

 taining in biology. Lafayette B. Mendel. 

 Sheffield Scientific School, 

 Yale University. 



HCIENTIFIG JODHNALS AND ARTICLES. 



The Atnerican Journal of Science for Oc- 

 tober contains the following articles: 



' New Devonian Formation in Colorado ' : W. 

 Cross. 



' Upper Devonian Fish Remains from Colorado ' : 

 C. li. Eastman. 



' Fossil Turtles belonging to the Marsh Collec- 

 tion in Yale University Museum ' : 0. P. Hay. 



' Air Radiation ' : C. C. Hutchins and J. C. 

 Pearson. 



' Uintaerinus and Hemiaster in the Vancouver 

 Cretaceous ' : J. F. Whiteaves. 



' Separation of the most Volatile Gases from 

 the Air without Liquefaction ' : J. Dewae. 



' Absorption and Thermal Evolution of Gases 

 occluded in Charcoal at Low Temperatures ' : J. 

 Dewae. 



' Studies in the Cyperacese ' : T. Holm. 



The Popular Science Monthly for Septem- 

 ber contains articles on ' The Development of 

 the Theory of Electrolytic Dissociation,' by 

 Svante Arrhenius ; the ' Conservation of Hu- 

 man Energy, Preservation of Beauty,' by J. 

 Madison Taylor ; ' Art in Industry,' by Frank 

 T. Carlton ; ' Some Plants which Entrap In- 

 sects,' by Forrest Shreve. This last is very 

 fully illustrated, and calls attention to some of 

 the insects that are adapted for life on or 

 about some insectivorous plants. ' Hebrew, 

 Magyar and Levantine Immigration ' is dis- 

 cussed by Allan McLaughlin in an article 

 which is not very encouraging for the United 

 States, in general, and decidedly discouraging 

 to dwellers in New York. Richard L. Sandwick 

 makes a plea for ' More Men (as teachers) in 

 Public Schools,' Charles R. Eastman presents 

 ' A Second Century Criticism of Virgil's 

 Etna ' and Robert MacDougall considers ' The 

 Evolution of the Human Hand.' The con- 

 cluding article, by Simon ISTewcomb, tells of 

 the International Congress of Arts and Sci- 

 ence at St. Louis. 



DISCUSSION AND CORRESPONDENCE. 



A RECENT PALEONTOLOGICAL INDUCTION. 



The concept of arboreal ' horses ' already 

 thrice discussed in the current volume of 

 Science, or even concepts of fabled Pegasi, 

 are, from a philosophical standpoint, rational 

 and legitimate products of human conscious- 



