366  Notes , Communications  a?ul  Reviews. 
The  Physiology  of  Reproduction.1 — In  this  work  the  author, 
Dr.  F.  H.  A.  Marshall,  has  gathered  together  and  set  out  the 
results,  not  only  of  his  own  research,  which  is  of  world-wide 
renown,  but  also  of  that  of  practically  every  other  authority 
who  has  investigated  the  subtle  processes  by  which,  in  the 
animal  kingdom,  matter  is  endowed  with  that  mysterious  some- 
thing we  know  as  life.  Dr.  Marshall,  in  the  beginning  of  his 
book,  tells  of  all  that  is  known  about  the  physiological  action 
which  takes  place  in  the  reproduction  of  the  protozoa — those 
single-celled  creatures  more  like  animated  specks  of  jelly  than 
what  the  ordinary  man  would  call  an  animal. 
The  author  then  carries  his  readers  on  through  the  mysteries 
of  conception,  foetal  development,  and  birth  in  the  various 
species  of  the  higher  animals,  and  finally  treats  of  the  various 
reasons  why  the  more  commercially  valuable  creatures  and  man 
himself  may  fail  to  procreate.  In  the  treatment  of  this 
stupendous  subject,  the  writer  not  only  displays  a very  com- 
plete and  highly  specialised  knowledge,  but  further  gives 
evidence  of  that  genuine  scientific  state  of  mind  which 
enables  one  to  tell  the  whole  truth  without  leaving  the  slightest 
impression  that  ignorance  of  this  often  veiled  subject  is  in 
any  way  preferable  to  the  fullest  and  most  exact  knowledge. 
Unfortunately  the  nature  of  the  work  entails  an  abundance  of 
detail  which  must,  we  fear,  detract  somewhat  from  its  popularity 
among  a large  class  of  farmers. 
A close  study,  however,  of  the  book — it  would  be  a great 
injustice  to  Dr.  Marshall  to  pretend  that  his  work  demands 
anything  less — shows  that  some  of  the  matter  is  of  vast 
importance  to  the  cattle  breeder.  Fortunately  for  some  years 
this  author,  who,  by  the  way,  has  contributed  to  this  Journal, 
has  devoted  much  time  to  the  investigation  of  certain  of  the 
problems  that  arise  in  farm  practice  and  we  take  this  opportunity 
to  express  an  earnest  hope  that  he  may  be  induced,  now  that  he 
has  this  larger  work  oft’  his  hands,  to  write  a handbook  on  the 
subject  specially  for  the  use  of  the  agriculturist.  Such  a work 
would  undoubtedly  be  valuable  to  the  agricultural  student, 
who,  as  we  hope,  is  the  future  farmer,  as  well  as  to  any  intelli- 
gent breeder  who  may  wish  to  understand  what  obstacles  have 
to  be  overcome  by  nature  in  the  reproduction  of  animals 
rendered  somewhat  abnormal  by  domesticity. 
The  Norfolk  Experimental  Farm. — Nineteen  hundred  and 
eleven  being  a Norfolk  year  with  the  Society , it  is  requisite  in 
' The  Physiology  of  Reproduction , by  F.  H.  A.  Marshall,  M.A.,  D.Sc.,  Uni- 
versity Lecturer  in  Agricultural  Physiology,  Cambridge,  with  a Preface  by 
Professor  E.  A.  Schafer,  Sc.D.,  F.R.S.,  and  Contributions  by  W.  Cramer,  D.Sc., 
and  J.  Lochhead,  M.D.,  with  154  illustrations.  London,  New  York,  Bombay, 
and  Calcutta  : Longmans,  Green  and  Co.  706  pp.  Price  21/-  net. 
