326 Scientific Intelligence. 
novel in some particulars, although not now calling for remark. 
The work closes with a consideration of the paleontological and 
geographical relations of plants. Thus it will be seen that the 
treatise is a general work of wide range. It is characterized 
jects wry eeperi OY as the works are themselves cited by 
him ust be said that these cases of omission are com- 
petals fei and do not seriously i cat ame the value of the excel; 
lent treatise. 
The encyclopedic handbook now in course of poblicaten uni 
the editorship of Professor Schenk, promises to be a valuable 
collection of morphologicai, histological and ohvaisloptont ae 
graphs, Of course, in a work pr epared by many hands, the repe- 
titions are numerous and there is much waste of energy. On the 
other mand, we are given several views of the same subject and 
this may lead t —— conception of matters in doubt. The 
most Avante papers thus far at hand are the following: 
C 
the poe ns of Plants ‘ea Goebel. There does not appear to be 
any “editing ” in the true sense of the word, if indeed be gee 
thing were possible with so diverse contributions. baer ccu- 
4,. Tendency in Variation. —In the review in this oa 
of Darwin’s Origin of S ecies, which appeared very shortly 
after the. publication of that “epoch-making” work, the writer 
intimated that there was reason to believe ‘that variation has 
been led along certain beneficial ear like a stream ‘alon 
799 Mr. 1 
ubte 
a was 80, siikonet he has convinced a t of his followers, 
who, as -often -happens, were more & teolls belingael than their 
master. A d many years have passed ; and now, wherever 
a 80 
we turn from the speculators to the investigators who have ede - 
working upon the problem of descent with variation, we me 
with this idea of definite tendency. The suggestion, and the 
need of it, are well brought out by that veteran investl ator 
of the Foraminifera, Dr. Carpenter, in his recent paper im the 
