68 
Notes on Recent Literature. 
Four Books on Heredity. 
Baiir, E. “ Einfiihrung in die experimentelle Vererbungslehre,” pp. iv + 
293, with 80 Text-figures and 9 coloured Plates. Berlin, Borntraeger, 1911, 
Paper, 8m, 50pf., Linen, 10 marks. 
Haecker, Valentin. “ Allgemeine Vererbungslehre,” pp. x + 392, with 
135 Text-figures and 4 coloured Plates. Braunschweig, F. Vieweg, 1911. 
Linen, 15 marks. 
Goldschmidt, R. “Einfiihrung in die Vererbungswissenschaft,” pp. ix 
+ 502, with 161 figures. Leipzig, W. Englemann, 1911. Linen, 12m. 50pf. 
Darbishire, A. D. “ Breeding and the Mendelian Discovery,” pp. xii + 
282, with illustrations in colour and black and white. London, Cassell, 1911. 
Linen, 7s. 6d. 
As the title indicates, and as those who know his work 
would expect, Baiir deals with the experimental side of the study 
of Heredity, and is content to indicate in a few pages the trend of 
the ideas which have been developed by cytologists in their 
endeavours to relate the phenomena of genetics to observations on 
the structure of the cell. It is scarcely necessary to say that Baiir 
covers the ground he has marked out in a thorough and compre¬ 
hensive manner; perhaps the chapters on Variegation and on 
Graft-hybrids, in the elucidation of which Baiir has himself played 
so large a part, may be singled out for special mention. For 
illustrating many of the phenomena which he describes, he relies 
largely on examples drawn from his own work on Antirrhinum , 
which are illustrated by several good coloured plates. Professor 
Baiir is to be very heartily congratulated on his delightfully clear 
and lucid exposition of his subject. The book is called an “ Intro¬ 
duction ” and amply fulfils all that is required of it under that 
head ; but it is more than that, and it will be welcomed by everyone 
who is interested in the study of Genetics, partly because it 
contains some new results not published elsewhere, but partly, 
and perhaps chiefly, because it has a certain charm of personality, 
which is best explained by the motto which Baiir has adopted 
from Sachs, “ Wer aber Vorlesungen halt, hat nicht nur das 
Recht, sondern auch die Pflicht, seine eigenste Auffassung des 
Gegenstandes in den Vordergrund zu stellen. ...” 
The standpoint of Haecker, a cytologist and zoologist, is 
reflected in the treatment of the various subjects included in his 
“Allgemeine Vererbungslehre.” Here cytological observations 
are dealt with fully, and, compared with Baiir’s work, the treatment 
of the experimental side is less detailed and is illustrated largely by 
reference to animals. The two books are, therefore, to some 
extent complementary to one another. Haecker adopts the 
historical method of dealing with his subject; this method has 
advantages, but it entails a certain interruption of sequence in 
passing from cytology to experimental work and back again, 
Whatever defect may result therefrom is, however, greatly 
minimised by the division of the book into Parts, corresponding 
with the principal divisions of the subject. 
Haecker’s book vies with Baiir’s in clearness and lucidity. The 
