302 



SCIENCE- G OSSIR 



the terminology and classification of the superb 

 creatures described therein. It can be obtained 

 from the London house of the publishers. 



List of BritisTi Diptera. Second Edition. By 

 G. H. Veerall, F.E.S. 47 pp., 8 J in. x 6| in. 

 (Cambridge University Press. 1901.) 



Since the first edition was published in 1888 

 about 300 species have been added to the British 

 fauna, and no fewer than 500 names have been 

 altered in some way or other. It becomes there- 

 fore imperative that students of British diptera 

 should obtain this, the standard list. It shows 

 how much has yet to be done in that Order of 

 insects, this fact being emphasised by the author's 

 statement that a supplement will shortly have to 

 be issued for the new unrecorded species. This 

 state of thmgs will doubtless soon change when 

 further volumes of Mr. Verrall's standard work on 

 the British two-winged flies are issued. 



Birds and 3fcm. By W. H. Hudson, F.Z.S. 

 iv + 317 pp., SJin. x 5J in. (London, New York, 

 and Bombay: Longmans. 1901.) Gs. net. 



Mr. Hudson, whose former books have been noticed 

 from time to time in these pages, is a well-known 

 writer on birds and bird-life. His style is always 

 entertaining. This work is written in the same 

 chatty manner as some of his others. It may be 

 classed among those on country lore rather than 

 dealing with science. 



Text-book of Mementary Botany. By Charlotte 

 L. Laurie, xii-i-142 pp., 7jin.'x4| in., with 150 

 illustrations by W. L. Bots-Smith. (London : 

 AUman & Son, Limited. 1902.) 



Miss Laurie and Miss Boys-Smith have between 

 them produced a really useful text-book of botany. 

 Each has done her work well. It is divided into 

 three parts, the first referring to structure and 

 growth, the second to classification, distribution, 

 and habitat, and the third to phy.siology. The 

 examples are taken from common plants of easy 

 access. We can recommend this little work to 

 any of our readers who desire a better understand- 

 ing of botany. 



Begeneration. By Thomas Hunt Morgan, 

 Ph.D. xii + 316 pp., 9 in. x GJ in., wuth 66 illus- 

 trations. (Xew York and London : Macmillans. 

 1901.) 12s. 6d. net. 



Numbers of people know that if a worm be cut 

 into two pieces the absent part is " regenerated," 

 otherwise renewed, in more or less similar appear- 

 ance to the absent part, thus making two worms. 

 This curious feature in the economy of Nature 

 forms the subject of the very interesting book 

 before us. It discusses a number of cases of re- 

 generation in various species of animals and plants, 

 showing to what a wide extent this extraordinary 

 faculty extends. It is not confined to the lower 

 forms of life, but is found among man}^ that are 

 highly organised. The term is used as the title of 

 Dr. Morgan's work in its wide.st sense ; not only 

 including the replacement of a lost part, but also 

 the development of the new whole organism which 

 may arise from a small joortion of an adult, an 

 embryo, or even an egg. The different forms of 

 renewal are explained, and the whole book teems 

 with suggestions for study and thought. Chapter 

 xiii. is a valuable treatise upon the theories of 

 regeneration, and will be found one of the most 

 exhaustive we have yet met with in our ex- 

 perience. The author has done his work well, 

 and we recommend his book. 



Fvn-ls of the Air and Beasts of the Field, 2 vols., 

 xxiii + 641 pp., 8 in. x 5^ in., with 22 jolates and 

 numerous other illustrations. (Boston, U.S.A., and 

 London: Ginn & Co., 1901.) 7s. 6d. each volume. 



These two handsome and beautifully produced 

 volumes form a pair, or may be purchased separ- 

 ately. The contents consist of a series of bird 

 and animal stories relating to America. They are 

 prettily told, with a brightness that our cousins 

 over there would call " sweet." These volumes are 

 among the most charming gift-books we have seen 

 for many a long day. 



Mosquito Brigades and How to Organise litem' 

 By EONALD Ross, r.R.C.S., D.P.H.. F.E.S. vii 

 -r 100 pp. 8|in. x5Jin. (London: George Philip 

 & Son. 1902.) 3s. net. 



To be able to obtain a popularly written book on 

 the question of mosquitos and their association 

 with malaria, by so gTeat an authority as Major 

 Ronald Ross is a source of congratulation. By 

 looking over the divisions of the work we can 

 gather a good idea of its intentions. The}' are 

 entitled " Things to be Learnt," " Things to be 

 Done," etc. It is a concise and practical review of 

 the whole subject, by its greatest authority, with 

 valuable suggestions as to how to organise " Gnat 

 Gangs " which will fight the enemj-, that has only 

 to be seen to be feared. It all seems siimple 

 enough, and when one comes to think of the 

 immense amount of worry and actual danger of 

 death, human beings sufiler from the little j)ests 

 mankind at large should welcome this book. 



Lamarck. By Alpheus S. Packard, M.D , 

 LL.D. xiii -i- 451 jsp., 8^ in. x 5J in., with j)ortrait 

 and 11 other illustrations. (New York, London, 

 and Bombay : Longmans. 1901.) 9s. net. 



Professor Packard has hitherto been widely 

 known for his works upon entomology. The book 

 before us is a deviation from his usual writings, 

 though one that might have been expected from a 

 worker who has had to make research into the study 

 of evolution. The full title given by the author is, 

 " Lamarck, the Founder of Evolution. His Life and 

 Work." His apology for writing these pages is 

 explained in his preface, being the habilitation of 

 the Lamarckian theory of organic evolution as the 

 rival of Darwinism. First unfolded in 1800, and 

 finally expounded in 1809, Lamarck's theory dropped 

 into abeyance for half a century, and then for well- 

 nigh another half-century was obscured by Charles 

 Darwin's lucid and simple theory. Dr. Packard 

 has treated his labours as for the love of them, the 

 result being an admirable book born of his enthr;- 

 siasm. It is nicely ' illustrated with portraits of 

 the author's hero and his associations, forming 

 altogether an acquisition to any scientific library. 



Insect Life. By J.-H. Fabre, D.Sc. xii + 316 pp., 

 7^ in. X 5 in., with 16 jalates. (London and New 

 York : Macmillan & Co., 1901.) 6s. 



Anyone who knows the science literature of 

 France is familiar with Fabre's " Souvenirs 

 Entomologiques." Though popular and brilliantly 

 written, it has a merit, often so apparently absent 

 in some other writers, the value of accuracy. One 

 of the most painstaking of living naturalists, 

 independent in thought, self-reliant, and no copier 

 of the work of others, what wonder Doctcur 

 J.-H. Fabre has forced his way to a front position, 

 and commands attention. The title-page of the 

 volume before us is interesting and worthy of being 

 given in full. It runs : " Insect Life, Souvenirs 



