1870.] Notices of Scientific Works. 85 



sepals into petals, or of complete suppression of the calyx or corolla, 

 but of the far rarer production of ovules within the anthers, in the 

 case of a Cucurbita, and of pollen within the ovules in the instance 

 of a passion-flower. Scarcely less curious is the formation of a 

 flower-bud within the pod in, the charlock, and of a miniature siliqua 

 in the place of a seed in the wall-flower. Of greater practical im- 

 portance than these strange abortions, are the minor irregularities 

 in the less vital organs, constituting the possible origin of new races 

 that have obtained predominance in the "struggle for existence." 

 To the physiologist who devotes himself to the investigation of the 

 causes which lead to the production of abnormal forms, and of their 

 connection with the origin of species, Dr. Masters's volume will be 

 an invaluable repertory of facts. We cannot too highly commend 

 the care with which the innumerable instances that must have 

 come before him have been sifted, and those selected which are 

 undoubtedly authentic, and which may be considered as typical; 

 or the labour which has been bestowed on the bibliography of the 

 subject, consisting mainly of separate articles and descriptions in 

 the various English and foreign botanical magazines, collated under 

 the different heads into which the book is divided. The volume is 

 illustrated with upwards of 200 capital drawings by E. M. Williams ; 

 many of the best of which have already appeared in the pages 

 of the 'Gardener's Chronicle' and other publications. We are 

 glad to hear that a translation of the work into French is already 

 arranged. 



Cyclopedic Science Simplified. By J. H. Pepper. London: 

 F. Warne and Co., 1869. 



Professor Pepper has not only distinguished himself by the emi- 

 nently practical way in which he has converted the Polytechnic 

 Institution from a losing to a paying speculation, by discovering 

 the proper combination of electricity, conjuring, dissolving views, 

 chemistry, ghosts, and comic songs — a sort of scientific Punch, in 

 fact — which draws the largest audiences ; but he has brought the 

 same talents to bear upon literature, and has given to the world, at 

 intervals, three books — ' The Play Book of Science,' ' The Play 

 Book of Metals,' and the one now under our notice. Looking at 

 these books from a highly scientific stand-point, we have no doubt 

 much fault might be found with each of them ; but from the point 

 of view of that large section of the public whom Professor Pepper 

 addresses, it would be difficult to say how they could be greatly 

 improved. The present book embraces Light, Heat, Electricity, 

 Magnetism, Pneumatics, Acoustics, and Chemistry. In each of 

 these subjects, a large amount of information, generally of the 



