136 JOURNAL OF SCIENCE. 
terests of the Colony at heart, wish to see these institutions ina 
more thriving state that I have written what I have. 
Regarding Dr. Hector’s having too much work put on his 
shoulders, my article particularly goes to prove that, but I 
am the first to admit that he is one of the most all-round 
men in the Colony ; and I also think that under any other the 
whole affair would have collapsed long ere this. It is just his 
ability to keep so many tangled threads in his hand, that has 
enabled scientific matters to progress as well as they have done. 
But as these departments under his care have increased, no in- 
crease has been made in the power of management, and though 
Dr. Hector may manage them well, it is not likely that anyone 
who succeeds him will. 
My democratic tendencies are not so strong that I admire 
the existing state of things in matters political, but I don’t think 
that there is any danger of the condition which Mr. Phillips dreads 
so much coming to pass in our scientific societies. The demo- 
cratic politician does not trouble himself with Science; he is 
generally satisfied to pose as a working man’s hero. But when 
I am called upon to subscribe money to any object, I decidedly 
desire to have a word in the management of that money, and the 
Act of the New Zealand Institute certainly specifies what is to 
be done with a portion of the funds of the affiliated societies, 
and with the papers read at their meetings, and therefore ought 
to give them a considerable voice in the management of these 
specified funds. 
My reason for writing on the New Zealand Institute was 
simply that I thought the time had come fora radical change in 
its constitution, and I expressed myself accordingly. The matter 
is now before the scientific public of the Colony, and I have no 
doubt that if others think as I do, the affiliated societies will 
take up the question and ventilate it further. If they do not, I 
shall be quite content to act as Mr. Phillips advises, and leave 
well alone.—G.M.T.] 
REVIEW 
———— ee 
Lhe Law of Heredity: a study of the cause of variation and the 
origin of living organisms.* By R. W. Brooks (Baltimore). 
Jaeger is quoted by Semper as saying that there has been 
enough Darwinist philisophising, and that it is now time to sub- 
ject the numerous hypotheses to the test of investigation. 
While this is undoubtedly true, some hypotheses are necessary ; 
and even incomplete and erroneous ones may be of great service 
by offering a series of definite problems for solution, instead of a 
chaos of facts. ‘“ An honest attempt to reason from the pheno- 
mena of nature can hardly fail to result in the discovery of some 
* Critique from Science, Vol, III., p. 388. 
