114 Scientific Intelligence. 



The illustrations, which are of so much importance in a work 

 of this kind, are of great merit. Many of them are new, and 

 most of the others have been redrawn from original sources. The 

 stereograms and drawings of models are especially helpful. An 

 excellent feature in this connection is the selection of illustrations 

 from species not usually dissected in laboratory courses. The 

 student is thus relieved of any temptation to copy the figure 

 instead of making his drawing from his own dissection. 



For the investigator the book contains an extensive bibli- 

 ography, and for the student a list of definitions of systematic 

 names. w. r. c. 



2. An Introduction to the Study of the Protozoa, with special 

 reference to the parasitic forms ; by E. A. Minchin. Pp. xi, 517, 

 with 194 illustrations. New York (Longmans, Green and Co.); 

 London (Edward Arnold), 1912. — The author, one of the foremost 

 authorities on protozoology, here presents a general summary of 

 the present state of our knowledge of the unicellular animals. 

 The comparatively recent discovery that the Protozoa are the 

 cause of so many of the most fatal diseases of man and animals 

 makes a knowledge of this group of greater importance to the 

 human welfare than that of almost any other group of animals. 



The introductory chapters contain an excellent account of the 

 characters and modes of life of different families. The succeed- 

 ing chapters describe the details of the organization of the body 

 of the protozoa in general. Then follows a discussion of the 

 reproductive processes, syngamy and sex, polymorphism and life 

 cycles, and general physiology. The last half of the book con- 

 tains a systematic account of the various classes, including the 

 structure, habits, and life cycles of a large number of typical 

 species. As the parasitic forms have been most fully studied 

 they are described in greatest detail, with emphasis on their 

 remarkably complicated modes of reproduction, and their means 

 of distribution to the host in which they cause disease, A classi- 

 fied bibliography of over 900 titles concludes the work. 



The subject is presented in such a manner as to be easily under- 

 stood by the general reader who has some knowledge of biology, 

 and the book should prove of particular value to the medical man 

 in showing him the nature of the organisms which he endeavors 

 to subdue in the treatment of the diseases which they cause. The 

 professional biologist and zoologist will also find here a vast 

 amount of information hitherto obtainable only by reference to 

 numerous technical reports. w. r. c. 



3. Compound Ascidians of the Coasts of New England and 

 Neighboring British Provinces ; by Willard G. Van Name. 

 Proc. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., vol. xxxiv, pp. 339-424, with 6 

 plates. 



Simple Ascidians of the Coasts of New England and Neigh- 

 boring British Provinces ; by Willard G. Van Name. Proc. 

 Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., ibid., pp, 439-619, with 31 plates. — These 

 two monographs contain an account of all the Ascidians known 



