NOTES AND LITERATURE 



Genetics in Relation to Agriculture. By E. B. Babcock and 

 R. E. Clausen. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1918. Pp. ix-xx 

 + 675, Fig. 239, PI. 4. 



Every geneticist who opens this volume in a spirit of hope 

 and expectation will close it with appreciation and satisfaction, 

 with a feeling that a tremendous task has been worthily accom- 

 plished. Unquestionably it will fill a real need as a text-book. 

 In addition it should be of great service to the general biologist 

 —using that term in its broadest sense— who wishes to have a 

 compendium of genetical facts for ready reference. 



The work is divided into three parts; it is really three vol- 

 umes in one. In the first part the fundamental principles of 

 genetics are outlined, in the second plant breeding is discussed, 

 in the third animal breeding is considered. 



There are thirty-nine chapters and an excellent glossary. The 

 bibliography of twenty-four pages is not complete and does not 

 purport to be complete. It is a list of the actual titles consulted 

 in the preparation of the manuscript, truly no light undertaking. 



The reputation of both authors as careful investigators is so 

 firmly established that one is not surprised to find the immense 

 volume of genetic literature of the past eighteeen years judi- 

 ciously weighed and sifted, but that they found the time during 

 the selection of material for so much constructive and illumi- 

 nating criticism is perhaps not to have been anticipated. More- 

 over, since an investigator is not necessarily a good text-book 

 writer, one suspects that the general excellence of the book from 

 the pedagogical standpoint is due largely to Dr. Babcock 's spe- 

 cial training and long experience as a teacher. 



After an introductory chapter on the methods and scope of 

 genetics, the authors have chosen to open the volume by treat- 

 ing variation. Several modifications of older classifications of 

 variation are given which may or may not prove useful. They 

 were probably included rather tentatively as introductory to 

 the main business of the chapter, the action of external stimuli 

 in modifying development and causing germinal variation. 

 Some of the illustrations here are not all that might be desired, 



