1096 Reeent Literature. 
RECENT LITERATURE. 
Davis’s TEXT-BOOK or Biotocy.’—Of this book of 462 pages 
a little more than one-third is devoted to plants, and hence prop- 
erly to be noticed by the present reviewer. Unlike many works 
on biology, this is in fact two independent books printed and bound 
together. Each part has its separate bibliography and index-glos- 
sary, and there are no references from the one part to the other. 
One is puzzled, indeed, to see any good reason for calling the book 
one on biology: it is rather a botanical and a zoological book bound 
together. 
art I. takes up in succession Saccharomyces, Bacteria, Mucor 
- and Penicillium as representing the fungi; Protococcus, Spirogyra, 
Fucus, Chara and Nitella, representing the Alge; Funaria and 
Polytrichum for the Mosses; Pteris and Nephrodium (Aspidium) 
for the Ferns; Pinus for Gymnosperms, and a “typical Flowering 
plant” for the Angiosperms. Following these are short chapters 
on Comparative Vegetable Morphology and Physiology, and the 
Classification of Plants. — 
The book is not a laboratory manual at all, but rather a text-book to 
be read or studied. The author himself, in his preface, after refer- 
ring to the several excellent works on practical biology which have 
appeared within the last few years, and the want of a comprehen- 
sive work on theoretical biology, says that “the object of the pres- 
ent text-book is, therefore, to supply such a systematic and simple 
exposition of the subject within small compass as, it is hoped, will 
be found helpful, both to those who are studying alone and to those 
who have the advantage of guidance in their work.” Theoretical 
biology is, then, the scope of the work, and in this it stands in sharp 
ab with Huxley and Martin’s well-known laboratory hand- 
The treatment of Saccharomyces—the Yeast Plant—may 
trate the style of the book. First the Morphology 1s concise 
discussed, giving the reader a good idea of the shape, size an 
structure of the plant, the latter including the cell-wall, protoplasm 
and vacuoles, with a doubtful reference to a nucleus. Secon » 
the Physiology is taken up, and here nutrition is discussed in su 
A Text-book of Biology: comprising Vegetable and Animal Mo 
phology and Physiology. Designed more up 
ments of the intermediate science and prelim 
tions of the London University. By J. R. Ainsworth Day 
Trinity College, Cambridge; Lecturer on Biology in the “Gl 
College of Wales, Abe stwyth. With numerous illustrations, 
sary and Examination Questions.” Philadelphia: P. Blak 
& Co., 1012 Walnut street. 1888. [All rights reserved. 
