Booh Notices. 311 



To choose rightly was no easy task, and a few names have been 

 •omitted that might well have been added to the illustrious list. 



Throughout, the author has treated his subject with that conspicuous 

 impartiality which has characterized all his writing on Evolution, and 

 has attempted to correct many prevalent misconceptions. 



Dr. Osborn seems to think that the idea of evolution has not only 

 run through the ages, but that the idea of each age has some genetic 

 connection with that which preceded and succeeded it. While this 

 may be in a measure true, and in certain instances undoubtedly is, yet 

 we doubt if it be so to the extent the author of this work seems to 

 believe. There are many passages, however, in which a view somewhat 

 at variance with this is set forth ; but he speaks of a "chain," and of 

 such ideas constituting a chain. That certain ideas of evolution did 

 constitute a short chain there seems no doubt ; but what influence, we 

 would like to ask, had Greek notions of evolution on Darwin ? It is 

 well known that Darwin never did drink deep of Greek literature. 

 We should say that the evolution idea was a purely independent and 

 spontaneous growth in Darwin's own mind, and to connect his ideas 

 in a relation of effect and cause with those of the Greeks or any others 

 except in the most indirect way, seems to us an error. 



It is undoubtedly most interesting to follow the varying phases and 

 fortunes of the evolution idea, but to attempt to bind these ideas 

 together into a chain and say that each link is genetically related to 

 the other is more than is warrantable. But, as before noted, there are 

 passages which would seem to indicate that this is not Dr. Osborn's 

 intention, but we think that this might have been more clearly stated, 

 as certainly the general impression left by the book is as we have 

 indicated. 



The work is scholarly, yet readable, and is rendered attractive by 

 the manner in which the printer and publishers have done their work. 

 It deserves and will not fail to be widely known. 



Wesley Mills. 



Amphioxus and the Ancestry of the Vertebrates. — By 

 Arthur Willey, B.Sc. 



This volume makes one of a beautiful and valuable series of works 

 known as the Columbia University Biological Series, and is an 

 indication of the activity, tendencies and scope of the new biology. 

 Amphioxus, on account of its peculiar position in the animal scale has 

 long been of extraordinary interest. 



The author's work is divided into five main parts as follows : 

 I. Anatomy of Amphioxus, which is preceded by an introduction 

 from the pen of Professor Osborn. 



II. Anatomy of Amphioxus (continued). 



III. Development of Amphioxus, which is further sub-divided into 



