294 Scientific Tntelligence. 



meetings of the Linnean Society of Loiulon, on January 20 and 

 February 3, of the present year, Were devoted to the discussion 

 of this to))ic. Dr. Gaskell first presented liis much criticized 

 theory maintaining an origin from an arthropod ancestor. In 

 reply Prof. MacBride stated his objections to Gaskell's theory 

 and supported the well-l<no\vn hypothesis of the Halanoglossus- 

 Amphioxus route of development. Tiie furtlier discussion 

 consisted largely of objections to tiie one theory or the other, 

 but in the main Gaskell's hypothesis was held to be founded 

 rather on superficial resemblances than on ancestral relationships. 

 Although the problem was as far from solution at the end of 

 the two meetings as at the beginning, the published discussion 

 affords the best criticism of the theories involved that has yet 

 appeared, the subject having been briefly reviewed from the 

 standpoint of the anatomist, physiologist, embryologist, paleon- 

 tologist, and botanist. w. e. c. 



9. The Vegetable Proteins ; by Thomas B. Osborne. Pp. 

 xxiii, 125. New York and London, 1909 (Longmans, Green 

 & Co.). — In this little volume, which forms one of a series of 

 monographs on biochemistry, edited by R. H. Aders Plimmer 

 and F. G. Hopkins, the author confines himself to a discussion 

 of the general and physical properties of the vegetable proteins. 

 All students of chemistry will welcome this opportunity of 

 securing from the pen of a recognized authority a simple and 

 readable presentation of what has thus far been learned of one of 

 the most difficult branches of the subject. w. e. c. 



10. The Science and Philosophy of the Organism (Gifford 

 Lectures) ; by Hans Deiesch. Volume II. Pp. xvi, 381. 

 London, 1908 (Adam and Charles Black). — In the first volume 

 of this important work on philosophical biology the chief results 

 of analytical biology were discussed in their bearing on morpho- 

 genesis, adaptation, inheritance, systematics, and history. This 

 discussion is concluded in the first 124 pages of the present 

 volume, in which the nature of organic movements is considered. 

 The second section of the work, entitled " The Philosophy of the 

 Organism," discusses the philosophy of nature in general, the 

 characteristics of entelechy, entelechy and univocal detei'mination, 

 entelechy and causality, entelechy and substance, the direct proof 

 of the autonomy of life based upon introspective analysis of 

 complete givenness, individuality, the problem of universal 

 teleology, and metaphysical conclusions. w. r. c. 



III. Miscellaneous Scientific Intelligence. 



1. British Association, for the Advancement of Science. — The 

 annual meeting of the British Association was held at Sheffield 

 during the first week of September; some 1400 members were in 

 attendance. The inaugural address, delivered by the President, 

 Prof. T. G. Bonney, was devoted to an interesting discussion of 

 " Some aspects of the glacial history of Western Europe." The 



