2 I 8 
Notice of Book . 
experiments on the vexed question of the ascent of water in the wood. 
He became absorbed in the problem, and in order to obtain a firm 
basis for the investigation, found it necessary to undertake a minute 
anatomical examination of the conducting tissues. This part of the 
enquiry occupied fully two years (a short enough time considering the 
magnitude of the results attained), and involved the consideration of 
purely morphological questions. Subsequently, in the light of these 
anatomical data, the physiological experiments were taken up again, 
and led to conclusions of the greatest importance. 
The author has made a point of strictly severing the morphological 
from the physiological side of his problem. He points out that the 
morphology of the tissues, like that of external organs, must be 
entirely uninfluenced by considerations of function. The task of 
morphology is to trace the derivation of one form from another, to 
refer different forms to a common origin. This is essentially a 
question of phylogeny; it can only be dealt with by means of the 
comparative method, and by the study of individual development. 
To these the reviewer would be disposed to add the direct evidence 
of palaeontology, which on the anatomical side is by no means un- 
important. 
The one object then of morphological anatomy is to establish the 
homologies of the tissues. There is also a physiological anatomy 
which has the equally important task of classifying the tissues by their 
functions. It is necessary to keep the two objects distinct, and to 
realise that a physiological classification has nothing to do with 
morphology. 
Prof. Strasburgers clear exposition of the twofold purpose of 
anatomy is likely to be very serviceable. The mere description of 
internal structure, is in itself just as barren as that of external form, 
and anatomy in this narrow sense, has no claim to the rank of a 
science, as Nageli long ago pointed out. The value of anatomy 
depends on the facts that it is at once an integral part of morphology, 
and the necessary basis of physiology. 
The book contains about 1000 pages, which are almost equally 
divided between the anatomical and physiological portions. The first 
part begins with an extremely full investigation of the structure of the 
vegetative organs in Coniferae. It is only possible to enumerate a few 
of the most striking results here, though the completeness of the 
description is perhaps its greatest merit. 
