LIBRARY NOTES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13886, 25 April 1907, Page 10

LIBRARY NOTES.

During tho post, week 25 volumes liavo ieen added to the Dunedin Athenasum library, among the nowsr-sions being two or thrco notable works. "EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY." A work of great interest to students of l)iolot*y is among the later additions to the library. It is entitled "Experimental Zoololy,'. the author being Thomas Hunt. Morgan, professor of tliat subject in the Columbia University. Tile work is 811 attempt to bring together the results ol the i study of experimental zonlogy during,rec-jut | yenni. The determination of the conditions wilder ..which changes in form in organisms occur furnishes the mnin theme r.of the treatise. The author, however, does not, include in his treatment of the subject experimental embryology find tluiexiieritncnl.il study of regeneration, both i f theso having recently been dea-lt with in br.ok form. I'mfeasor Morgan points nut, in his introductory chapter,. that while the experimental meihed in the study of zoology is nut new. tho ■ recognition of the fact that oulv by experimental methods could this branch (if. fiqicm.o bn placed on a footing with' the wiwicce. of chemistry and physim is a comparatively new conception. He alfo <>xpf.'sies Iho opinion that the "experimental method hn3 not been snliipicnllv reMunised by zoologists as I'm.-* most important tool of .research that scientists employ." The essence of the experiment!) method. lie .holds. "consists iu requiring that 1 every BUsraeslion (or hypotheses) he pit. to the test of experiment hp'ore il h Admitted to ?. jKiieniific status, this point of view the value of a hypothecs is to he judged, not by its plausibility, but by whether it meet's the le.=l or -fxpi rlnioiii. Tts use is therefore primarily for the investigator. Ned not for the layman; ye! as a matter of facttlio wildest speculations ave Rely to lie the ones that eitcite the most popular attention and applause." In 'this connection it is of interest to into that a prominent feature of Professor Morgan's hool; i.i that it, lends to sb'.i-v that n nuniW of that liave been held willi regard to tlie siihiecl* "f which i 1 traits ere open to suspicion, while sotne wil< probably have to lie modified or fdnildoiied. for instance the nitbor c.i.ys: "Tt i* a vita! question for Iho theory of evolution whether new form*, new species, CitfV Vo. hv tlir» wWtlon of flucfununrj wrintiotw a* llio Darwinian has rtiiniod for nomlv 50 years. J'.xpcrinient idone can decide whether tir< c'aim is iustified." Again: "The theory tJwt fieddes a»d Thomson eWxirated in l.heir book on 'The Evolution ot Hex" was hrfjelv based on evidence showing llnl the sex of the embryo was determined hv tlie amount of food supplied. ' tint all the earlier experiments in this diiection wc.ve open to grave suspicion, and the Mroncest evidence brought forward in favour of iheir theory is no longer valid. . . . Therefore unless Gcddes and Thomson jrj v< , th eir view either 1 a clearer itifovfrotation or bring it into accord with Iho best ascertained facts,' 1 do .not think it. can he looked upon as having in any degree given even a proximate solution of the problem of the determination of sex." In ocaling with the subject of that oxporhucnhl study of evolution, Professor Morgan points out, that the immediate followers of Darwin did not carry on experimental work much lieyoitf the statje. at' which the author of "Tlio Origin of Species" left it. "In the last decode, however, great activity has begun along experimental lines with mart promising results, and at tho raesent tinn- tho study ot evolution has passed into the exwrimonta! stage. . . . Tho insults that, De Vries has obtained with plants in his experimental garden have oponcd a new era in the,study of evolution, for he hits shown tliat the process may r,ot bo so slow thai it can only bo detected bv elaborate •mathematical calculations; and, what is more important, ho has shown that the process is going on at the present lime." Strange as" if. may seoui, tlio author of •"Experimental Zoology" indicates that.one branch of the study has an import-nt boorSng on tho questions of growth and tho •duration of life. "The growth of rm'mnls and plants," ho says, "offoN a wide Hold for experimental study. TJnncr certain conditions we see an animal eontiimictr to grow Jarper until a certain siz« is readied, wtioJi jrrov.'tb slowly censes. Although tho animal may live for manv years longer, it has tensed to grow. What makes it grow? '■Why docs it stop growing? Wo have hardly ibegitn experimental work along these lines, ■but .... there is a promising field

| for work' in this direction. After a time | old ace comes on, and the animal dies. Wo say it dies a natural deaili. and this wins 'inevitable, but only because we have found idoath lake place undor ordinary condition', k ' SupiKsc. however, we change the condi- & tiorus: might we not hope to prolong the » juration of life? Improbable as this may . W&-thcra.#.re. aliVjdy cxpe.tjiMfttgjjfftjti

that indicate tliat, however difficult, the problem may not he insoluble." Taking it altogether. Professor Morgan's work must lie regarded as ;in important contribution to biological science, and'its \alue is evea'ly enhanced bv the fact that. there is a bibliography of literature relating (o the subjects dealt with bv the author appended to each chapter of tlio book.

SCIENCE AND RELIGION. To those who hold tliat religion and science are not irreconcilable Sir Oliver Judge's latest work—"The Substancc of Faith Allied wjl.li Soionce" will he welcomed as an intere.-ting contribution to the lit eraturo Wring on ihc subject. Tho work, a copy of which has just been added to the Athcn.'eum Library, is in Iho ft/rm of a. catechism, and the author has " attempted the task of formulating the fundamentals, or sutatance, of yclHous faith ill terms of Divine immanence, in such a way as to assimilate sufficiently all the results of existing knowledge,'imd still to be in harmony with the teachimre of the poets and inspired writers of all ages." The catechism, which is intended for the u'c of parents and tcachcrs, contains in all only 20 concise, clauses, but these are interpolated with more lengthy passages indicating what teaching is necessary to make the catechism assimilable. (ionic idea of the scope of the work may lie gathered when it is stated that the following. among other subjects, are dealt with : —Tho ascent of man, the development of conscience, character, and' will, dutv and service, I lie nature of evil, the meaning of uin, etc., etc. In. regard to the firstmentioned .subject, the question ir, asked: "What are you?" and (lie reply is: "I am a l»ing alive and conscious upon this earth; a descendant of ancestors who rose by gradual processes frcm lower forms cf animal life, and with struggle and suffering became man." The improbability of | his reolv meeting with general acceptance is sufficiently obvioui, and a perusal of the_ whole work makes more evident the difficulty of the tnsk the author has undertaken. Of this difficulty Sir Oliver Lodge himself seems to have licou well aware, as he,clearly_ indicate* in his introductory' chapter that, it may l>e inincssihle to,obtain gneral acceptance for such a work as he has produced. However this mav ho, I lie lionk will no doubt be |>eruscd with interest, by a wide circle of readers, Those who deny or disbelieve the discoveries of scionec the author evidently t-hinks may bo disregarded. '■ They are," lie says. " sotting themselves athwart tlie stream and trying to stop its advance: they .only succeed in stopping their own."

OTHER ACCESSIONS TO THE LIBRARY.

The following is a list of the other accessions to tho library during the past, week; —

Science.—" The Nature and Origin of Life in the Liehf. of New Knowledge," by Felix Dantee. Biography.—^" The Last. Days of Mary

Stuart," by Samuel Cowan. History and Geography.—" Red Rubber: the Story of tlie Rubber Slave Trade in tho Congo," by Felix Le Dantcc; " Canada: its History. Productions, and Natural Resoureos." Fiction.—"Human Toll," bv Barbara Dnynton: "The King's Wife," by Helene Yalareseo: "The Mysiory oi the Shadow." by Fergus Hume: "Tho Obliging Iliisland," by Frank Barrett; "London Lovers," by Margt. UaillieSaundcrs; "Pnrduer of Blossom Range." bv Francis Charles: "The I'qiiii'loss Millionaire," by David Christie Murray; " A Strong Man's Yow," by Joseph Hockine: "Red Saunders' Pots and other Critois." by Henry i Wallaco Phillips; "Tales for the Honils," by various authors; "Twist fiword and filovo." by A. C. Gunter: "The World and Delia," by Curtis Yorke.