rg1t] CURRENT LITERATURE 393 
treated in a paper on fertilization and hybridization read in Haarlem, Holland, 
by the same author in 1903. This essay is also modified from the original, 
being somewhat extended and brought more nearly down to date. It occupies 
the last 40 pages of the book, and presents a simple and interesting statement 
of the relation between modern cytological and genetic investigations as bear- 
ing upon the problem of unit characters. 
Even in the brief time since this paper was revised for incorporation into 
this book, some of its subject matter has been given interpretations which 
render it unavailable for the particular application made, so that in at least 
one point it would need to be fundamentally rewritten. I refer particularly 
to the fact that the behavior of Cytisus Adami is taken as one of the clearest 
and simplest examples for demonstrating the existence of unit characters. 
Owing to the work of WINKLER and Bauvr,? we now have a conception of this 
and other so-called graft hybrids which rules them out as examples of segre- 
gating unit characters. 
espite the fact that the book is neither strictly modern nor perfectly 
historical, it will be read with much profit by those interested in the subject 
of ieecdity and evolution, and all such will appreciate the work of GAGER in 
making this classic piece of speculation available to English readers.—GEro. 
SHULL 
A plant physiology 
ch treatise on plant physiology written by LECLERC DU SABLONS has many 
features of interest. One is impressed by the definite, concrete treatment of 
the subject. When a topic is considered, a great worker in that line is selected 
and his methods and results clearly stated. This leaves the student with a 
clear idea of the results, and how they were obtained. This method certainly 
has advantages over the usually concise but rather abstract statements for 
beginning students, and it might be desirable to have such a treatise in Eng- 
lish. However, a statement of this kind must necessarily have its arene 
ings, and they are unnecessarily increased in this work. It must omit m 
contributions, and this is shown in the present work by the preponderance 
of attention given to French investigators. French students using 
would probably conclude that France has been leading in plant eile 
and that SaBion is by no means the least of the producers. 
The book can in no sense be considered critical. This objection the author 
answers by saying that he intentionally avoids unsettled questions gs devotes 
the space to the well established phases of the subject. One is forced to 
believe that he could have given a more modern statement cert running 
* For an excellent review of the recent work on graft hybrids ‘ian chimeras, see 
pea Gazette for February 1911 
3Sapton, Lecterc pu, Shee du physiologie végétale et agricole. vi-+-6ro. 
Paris: J. = Jalan et Fils. 
