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SCIENCE AND SCIENTISTS. 59
Science and Scientists; some papers on Natiiral History. By tbe Rev.
John Gerard, S.J. 8vo, pp. vii. 130. Catholic Truth Society,
21, Westmiuster Bridge Eoad, Loudon. Is.
The papers forming this charming little volume are written by
an enthusiastic lover of natural history studies, who, not satisfied
with taking on trust the statements of book-writers, has gone into
the fields, lanes, and woods, and patiently sought from Nature
herself the information he desired. The evidence thus obtained,
he very ably shows, is against rather tlian in favour of the theories of
extreme evolutionists. The papers are pleasantly written, and give
evidence not only of abundant knowledge of scientific literature,
but also of close and attentive study of natural objects.
In the first paper, " Grant Allen's Botanical Fables," the
various works of that versatile writer, such as ' The Evolutionist at
Large,' 'Vignettes from Nature,' 'Flowers and their Pedigrees,'
and ' Nature Studies,' are very ably criticized, and their weak points
exposed in a pleasant and interesting manner. The second paper,
" Who Painted the Flowers?," is devoted partly to a discussion of
Mr. Grant Allen's ' Colours of Flowers,' but more especially to a
criticism of Sir John Lubbock's interesting book, ' British Wild
Flowers in their relation to Insects.' Sir John states that to bees "we
owe the beauty of our gardens, the sweetness of our fields. To them
flowers are indebted for their scent and colour ; nay, for their very
existence, in its present form." This extreme statement Mr. Gerard
ably combats, bringing from Nature a number of examples which
disprove it. Whilst acknowledging that plants are benefited by the
visits of insects, he denies that they are the sole cause of the beauty
and perfume of our wayside weeds.
In concluding this thoughtful essay, he says :— " Briefly to
recapitulate. It is maintained on the one hand that all the beauty
of flowers can be explained on Darwinian principles, as being of
advantage to them in the struggle for existence by attracting the
visits of honey-seeking insects, which assist the process of fertilization.
It appears on the other hand, however, that there are many
difiiculties in the way of such a theory to be found by ordinary
observation in the fields around us. The problem of beauty of
form remains untouched by such an explanation. There are conspicuous
and highly-coloured flowers which contain no honey, and
others which produce no seed ;
whilst some of the least noticeable
of blossoms arc richest in honey, and the greatest favourites of
bees. Some of the most successful tribes of plants do without
insect-agency, and prosper better than those which employ it most,
and some which largely employ it, never being fertilized, obtain no
benefit in return. Plants of the same genus may difl'cr absolutely
in their attitude as to insects, and yet their development be so Httle
affected that they bear their affinity to one another stamped upon
every feature, and no diversity of insect- workers can alter any one
minutest character in individuals of one species. In view of all
this, is it scientific to flatter ourselves that we have probed tlio
whole mystery to the bottom, and to lay down that to insects alone