156 The American Naturalist. [February, 
latitude, first noticed by the late Prof. Baird to hold of closely allied . 
species or of individuals of the same species from different latitudes is 
not mentioned by the author. The principle of acceleration and retar- 
dation, first strongly put forward as early as 1869 by Prof. Cope is also 
not mentioned, though partly involved in Weismann’s quoied state- 
ment of the laws governing the ontogenetic appearance of characters 
given on p. 141. . | 
This failure to render credit where a citation by title would have 
answered the purpose, is all the more evident by reason of the way 
in which American naturalists generally have been ignored, as is 
shown by the details given above, but to which much might be added. 
The introductory chapters are very suggestive, however, and bring in 
certain physical evidence in a new way. Especially suggestive is the 
theory of after-effects here foreshadowed, and which is especially well 
supported by facts cited from Detmer in Chapter IV. The fallacious 
arguments of the ultra-selectionists in regard to the origin of blind 
cave forms, are ingeniously answered in Chapter XII. The results of 
Stahl and Frank in changing the structure of plants by charging their 
environmental relations are epitomized, as well as Born’s and Yung’s 
experiments in determining the sex and growth of tadpoles by means 
-of the food are briefly detailed and used as evidence. No reference 18 
made to the experiments of Mrs. Treat or of Mr. Gentry in this con- 
nection. 
To sum up the book is well worth careful perusal, and is to be com- 
mended to students of the present activity amongst naturalists 1 
regard to the problems of heredity. Dr. Orr's book, on the whole, pre- 
sents the Lamarckian side of the argument with unusual fairness 3 
completeness. The book would be greatly improved by the addition 
of a full index which it is to be hoped may be supplied in a future edi- 
tion. This book is also an indication of the tendencies of the ses 
namely, of an effort to trace all phenomena including those of life te 
their physical sources. That such end will someday be achieved there 
can scarcely be any doubt, since experimental endeavor is noW busy 
with the work of imitating the phenomena of life by artificial and 
experimental means, such for example, as the production of artifici 
amcebee.—R, 
The Wilder Quarter-Century Book.’—This volume is 3 k 
rs dedicated 
5The Wilder Quarter-Century Book. A Collection of Original Pape ell 
n Corn 
to Prof. Burt G. Wilder at the close of his twenty-fifth year of service i 
University (1868-1893). By some of his former students, Ithaca, N. Y, 1806 
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