BOOK KEVIEWS. 



309 



Potato Cookery: 300 Ways of Preparing and Cooking Potatos."" 

 By Alfred Suzanne and C. Herman Senn. 8vo., 124 pp. (The Food 

 and Cookery Publishing Agency, Westminster, S.W., 1907.) Is. 6d. 



This is a book which ought to have a place in every kitchen. 



So little thought is usually given to the cooking of potatos in 

 England that boiled, baked, and fried are almost the only ways we 

 can get them served in the home. Too often they are quite un- 

 eatable, being either sodden or undercooked, even where an experienced 

 cook is kept. 



The 300 recipes the book contains speak for themselves. There 

 is an interesting preface by Mr. J. C, Buckm aster, which tells of the 

 history and origin of the potato, its chemical composition and food 

 value, with descriptions of its cultivation and the diseases, &c., it is 

 heir to. , 



" Outlines of Evolutionary Biology." By A, Bendy, D.Sc, F.B.S. 

 8yo., 454 pp. (Constable, London, 1912.) 12s. 6d. net. 



This work is mainly composed of descriptions o'f animal life, the 

 types being chosen in an ascending series from the amoeba to mam- 

 malia; but it is much more, in that the author deals with a vast 

 number of questions touching evolution. Thus he begins with the 

 " nature of life " and quotes Spencer's words, it is " the continuous 

 adjustment of internal relations to external conditions." But this is 

 only what is observable; the question remains, What causes the 

 adjustment or adaptations, as they are now called? The author defines 

 Life as the " sum total of all the activities which it exhibits." Still 

 the question remains, Why have all its activities a purpose — e.g. such 

 purposes maintaining existence and propagation? Again, he says 

 Life is a manifestation of energy." We should prefer to say " Life 

 reveals itself by manifestations of energy," but it differs from inorganic 

 energies, by its abundant purpose under changes of structure. Life is, 

 in fact, a director of energies, which in themselves are not living, but 

 act under direction upon inert matter; and so builds up purposeful 

 structures. 



' The various descriptions of typical animals are excellent, and the 

 illustrations admirable; but the author is not quite equal in his 

 reference to plants. He follows, e.g., too closely Darwin's earlier 

 views of the importance of crossing flowers. No botanist now accepts 

 the position of self-fertilization being harmful. Indeed, if production 

 of seed be the most important " end " of plant-life, self -fertilizing 

 species are by far the most prolific, and are also perfectly healthy. 



The author quite accepts the heredity of acquired characters. It 

 would, indeed, be quite impossible to account for heredity of new 

 variations without it. 



He seems to accept De Vries' idea that mutations appear after long 

 intervals ; but he pertinently adds they will not account for marvellous 

 adaptations in plants especially in the floral structures. He does not. 



