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THE AMERICAN NATURALIST [Voi>. XLl 



tance of quantitative methods is just as great. While de Vries was 

 making the now celebrated experiments upon which his theory is 

 based Pearson and his associates were developing the methods of 

 quantitative investigation in variation and heredity. It will be unfor- 

 tunate indeed if present day workers neglect this new and power- 

 ful instrument of research. But with a proper combination of ex- 

 perimental and biometric methods it should be possible to gain a 

 very precise knowledge of the processes involved in species formation. 



J. A. Harris. 



A Monument to Theodor Schwann. — Theodor Schwann was born 

 at Neuss on the Rhine, December 7, 1810. On the centennial of 

 that date it is proposed to unveil a monument to his memory in his 

 native town. A considerable sum is already in hand and a committee 

 representing all countries has issued an apjx-al for subscriptions for 

 the memorial. As is well known, he with Schlcidcn, placed the cell- 

 theory on a substantial basis sixty-five years ago; wliile his later work 

 was almost equally valuable though not so startling in character. He 

 became an authority on fermentation, decomposition, digestion and 

 spontaneous generation, and, not least, was the discoverer of pepsin. 

 A monument to his associate has been erected in Jena \vhi](> his master 

 Johannus Miiller has a bronze memorial in his native town, Coblcnz. 

 Contributions may be sent direct to the 'Stiuhix he Sparka»c, .\cu>-; 

 am Rhein, Germany' marked 'Schwanndenknial ' or prol)al)ly to the 

 American members of the Committee, Prof. C. S. Alinot of Boston 

 and Prof. R. Ramsay Wright of Toronto. 



Fitch's Basis of Mind and Morals.* — This book is a brief exposi- 

 tion of the principles of evolution as stated by Darwin and S])iMicer, 

 together with a discussion of the evolution of mind ami of the nat- 

 ural code of ethics. The point of view of the book is ]»1h iionienal- 

 istic; the style is simple, clear and direct. For those who have 

 thought seriously about the problems of evolution the work has little 

 value; for those who wish to be stimulated to such thought it may 

 prove profitable. 



The atithor contends that there siiould be a natural co.le of ethics. 



that it should be the rciilt of niaii"> knowlcluc of natural causes and 



> Fitch, M. H. The Physical Jiasis of Mintl and Morals. Chicago, Charles 

 H. Kerr and Company. 1906. 266 pp. 



