6io 
Analyses of Books. 
[October, 
species in the lower classes of organisms form an almost unex- 
plored field in Biology.” The following refledlion is sugges- 
tive : — “ An imperfedt adjustment between qualities good and 
indispensable in themselves may be the source of all the mischief 
commonly attributed to propensities radically evil.” In this 
brief essay there is more of original, valuable thought than we 
often meet with in bulky volumes, and we earnestly commend 
it to the study of all biologists. 
The preliminary report on specimens dredged up from the 
Gulf of Manaar, by H. J. Carter, F.R.S., points to important 
results in the future, both biological and geological. The author 
thinks that this little inlet contains an epitome of nearly all the 
marine organisms existing in the Indian Ocean. He thinks that 
as yet we have hardly entered upon the dawn of all the sponge 
life that exists on the surface of the globe. 
The last memoir in the volume, and with one exception incom- 
parably the most valuable, is by Rev. W. H. Dallinger, F.R.S., 
and is entitled “ Life-Histories and their Lessons : A Defence 
of the Uniformity and Stability of Vital Processes as Controlled 
by the Laws of Evolution.” In it he discusses and controverts 
the hypothesis of heterogenesis, which he shows to be by no 
means essential to the dodtrine of Evolution. 
Mr. C. D. Jones, C.E., of San Paolo, Brazil, communicates 
additional interesting matter on Lepidoptera of that region. 
The examination of this volume has confirmed us in a notion 
which we have long entertained, that our “ Literary and Philo- 
sophical Societies ” ought to be submitted to a process of disso- 
ciation. Each of their elements would be better in a “ free ” 
state. 
Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South 
Wales, 1880. Vol.XIV. Edited by A. Liversidge, Professor 
of Chemistry and Mineralogy in the University of Sydney. 
Sydney : Richards. London : Triibner and Co. 
We cannot profess to be wholly satisfied either with the present 
volume or with the condition of the Royal Society of New South 
Wales. We learn with regret that the Biological Section, along 
with several others, has not met during the year 1880. Among 
the papers read before the Society, Biology is merely represented 
y a “ Catalogue of Plants Collected in North Western Australia.” 
This circumstance is the more mortifying when we refledt how 
very much remains to be done in the zoology of Australia itself, 
and of the islands situate to the north east. 
Nevertheless, there is much matter in this volume which must 
claim the careful attention of men of science. 
