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REVIEWS AND BOOK NOTICES. 



Part VIII. of Cassell's Nature Book includes articles on ' Waves and 

 their work,' by F. M. Duncan; ' The Plane tree,' by H. Irving ; ' The 

 Hedgehog,' by Douglas English ; ' Common British Fungi,' by M. U. 

 Clarke ; and ' Life History of a Mountain,' by J. Lomas. Each article is 

 profusely illustrated by charming photographs. 



By the Roman Wall, by Maria A. Hoyer. London: David Nutt, 

 1 59 pp., 2/6 net. 



The authoress, together with a friend (a lady friend ! ), spent her holiday 

 along the Roman Wall, and, with the aid of Bruce's book, 'and an imaginative 

 mind, carefully examined what exists to-day, and formed an idea of how 

 things used to be. Her impressions are placed on record in this book. 

 To those interested in by-gone times, the volume will prove of interest. 

 The authoress soars above the earth at times, but is reminded of mundane 

 things when called to meals, etc. On one occasion ' the sun, hidden behind 

 a mass of cloud, shaped like the outspread wings of some enormous bird, 

 poured down rays of silvery light and misty softness over the western 

 hills, and the wind blew hard as if it designed to sweep us bodily away. 

 All this the Roman soldiers saw as they kept watch and ward on their wall.' 

 The authoress seems to have been very careful in her descriptions, and her 

 volume will be handy to those who cannot readily get access to Bruce's 

 book. She is evidently an enthusiastic student, a careful reader of Tenny- 

 son, and likes a good cup of tea ! 



Heredity, by J. A. Thomson. London: J.Murray, 1908. 605 pp., 

 9/- net. 



In this handsome volume Prof. Thomson gives a review of the various 

 doctrines of heredity. Though essentially a scientific treatise, and one 

 thoroughly up-to-date as regards the present theories of heredity, the vol- 

 ume is written in a fascinating style, which can be read and understood 

 by the veriest layman. The work is divided into fourteen chapters, 

 viz., Heredity and Inheritance, defined and illustrated ; The Physical 

 Basis of Inheritance ; Heredity and Variation ; Common modes of 

 Inheritance ; Reversion and Allied Phenomena ; Telegory and other 

 Disputed Questions ; The Transmission of Acquired Characters : Heredity 

 and Disease ; Statistical Study of Inheritance ; Experimental Study of 

 Inheritance ; History of Theories of Heredity and Inheritance ; Heredity 

 and Development ; Heredity and Sex ; and Social Aspects of Biological 

 Results. These headings will give a good idea of the comprehensiveness 

 of Prof. Thomson's work. The various chapters are well illustrated by 

 figures in the text, and by plates ; the coloured illustrations being all that 

 can be desired. It must be said that Prof. Thomson deals fairly and justly 

 with the various theories he discusses, though he admittedly adheres to 

 what is called Weismannism — he is of the opinion that no instance is known 

 of the transmission of acquired characters. Great attention is paid 

 throughout the volume to the three conclusions which have been arrived 

 at by microscopic study of germ cells, by the application of statistical 

 methods, and by experiment. A very important and valuable part of the 

 book is the bibliography, which is arranged {a) in alphabetical order accord- 

 ing to the authors' names, and [b] a subject index, in which the various 

 papers and monographs under definite heads (abnormalities acquired 

 characters, ancestral heredity, law of, etc.), are given. To the student, 

 these are most useful. An idea of the thoroughness of the bibliography 

 may be gathered from the fact that it occupies fifty-seven closely-printed 

 pages. There is also a good index. ' Heredity ' forms one of Mr. Murray's 

 Progressive Science Series. We should like to sincerely congratulate both 

 author and publisher on this work. It will do much to clear away many of 

 the misunderstandings on this important subject. The publishers enable 

 us to give our readers some sample illustrations (plate xliii). 



1908 October i. 



