918 ELEMENTARY TEXT-BOOK OF BOTANY, ETC. 
All this, $ obvious, completely — previous ideas 
fact, says our a these were all wrong (p. 147). But saipaning 
all his facts to be just as he writes, and all he s changes he describes 
to have followed on irritation or non-irritation of flowers by insects, 
how much nearer are we at the end of it all to an understanding of 
the “making of flowers’? What is such an argument as his but 
one illustration more of the ancient fallacy, post hoc, ergo propter 
? The presence of external circumstances induces a plant to 
modify itself so as better face them, to furnish itself with new 
fur coats for man? There is indeed, in the present case, the 
additional inconvenience of supposing the new apparatus to have 
pee sometimes produced by a negation,—the neglect or es em of 
sects,—which is like ‘ohiminine stone implements to have been 
ba by the absence of metals. 
out oat more strongly than the fatality of ae to solve the . 
problem of a plant’s biological history, till we. i first solved that of 
and all in all,” 
we be able to understand also not only “ what God and 
man is,’”’ but how the flower itself came to be what it is. at is 
the force of the terms employed ? What is ‘irritation’? How 
o we know that insects “irritate” flowers? What is meant by 
the plant “responding” to such irritation? Whence does it get 
the “automatic” power of so responding? Above all, how does it 
come to — a variety of responsive powers to be used according 
to v varying circumstances? The force, whatever it be, which we 
in xtern 
circumstances: these cannot make it, but only call it into play. 
To say otherwise would be like saying that Stephenson devised the 
locomotive, not by his native wit, but because he had to ma for 
his bread. Joun G 
Elementary Teat-book of Botany, od the use of Schools. By Eprrn 
Arrken. Lon Longm: 
. don: , Green & Co. 1891. 8vo, 
pp. 248, 131 cuts. 
reg ~ A concise Manual for Students of Medicine and Science. 
inbur. 
y Avex. Jounstone. ay gh: Pentland. 1891. 8vo, 
pp- xiv. 260, 164 cuts. 
Elementary Botany. By pit W. Otiver. Glasgow: Blackie & 
Son. 1891. 8vo, pp. 208, 150 cuts. 
Ir is matter for regret in some respects that botanists have 
eeently given up the practice of writing elemen ntary class-books 
their subject. While — better could be desired than 
Lessons in entary Bota tany, there is an acknow- 
of other book - mg it in certain departments 
of ihe subject. There is now- a-days so much more teaching of 
Botany in than was iemisety:| the case, and this teaching, 
