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NEW BOOKS. Mil result of weighing the muscles of the two halves of the body, and the general conclusion is supported by the reports of tailors, glovers, etc. In the second part the author discusses the asymmetry of the nervouK system. He experimented first on the relative strength of the two hands. The dynanometer being unsatisfactory, inasmuch as it measures, not only force, but also skill, he eliminated the latter factor by using as his test a form of work to which both hands were equally unaccustomed. The subject was blindfolded, a weight was attached by a metal thread to the corresponding finger of each hand, and the weights were then lifted simultaneously three times in rapid succession. In the case of right-handed subjects, the right weight was kept constant, and the left varied, until subjective equality was attained ; conversely with left- handed subjects. From these experiments M. Biervliet concludes that the ratio between the strength of the two hands is constant, at any rate among adult men, being as 10 : 9 in favour of one hand or the other. Further, a series of experiments on auditory and visual acuity, and on the tactile sensibility of the hands, led to the remarkable result that in these respects also the superiority of one side over the other may be expressed by this same ratio (cf. the later work of Toulouse and Vaschide upon the relative olfactory acuteness of the two nostrils Rev. Philos., 1900). The third part of this essay is concerned with asymmetries of function, more especially with the tendency of men and animals in motion to deviate from the straight line ; and, finally, M. Biervliet dis- cusses the origin of asymmetry. He does not profess to offer any satis- factory explanation. The theory which lays stress only upon exercise and acquired habit he, of course, rejects, nor does he regard dextrality or sinistrality as hereditary, except, perhaps, owing to ' a mechanical influ- ence,' viz., uterine conditions affecting the foetus. (In that case, they would be inherited from the mother only, a point which might surely be settled by collection of statistics.) The remaining essays in this volume are of minor importance. They deal|,with (1) Optical Illusions, (2) Illusions of Weight, and (3) Circulation and Cerebration. T. LOVEDAY. Bibliotheque du congres international de philosophic. IV. Histoire de philosophic. This volume, which contains papers of varying interest and importance on the history of philosophy, is appropriately opened by a few words from M. Boutroux on the object and method of the study. As was to be expected, he contrasts the sound method of interpreting each philosopher from himself with that of the marche-a-reculons or Krebs- gang, which interprets all earlier systems in the light of the most recent, and has, therefore, the inconvenience of requiring a fresh application by each generation. Most of the papers are historical in the true sense, and some of them are real contributions to our know- ledge. It is, of course, impossible to discuss them separately in a brief notice. Some of them would require a very full discussion indeed. This, however, is of little consequence ; for practically everything of value in the volume either has appeared, or is to appear, in another form, and will receive full consideration in that way. Here it is only desirable to note certain striking features of the collection as a whole, which may be significant of the general tendency of these studies. In the first place, it is noteworthy that the papers on ancient philosophy are decidedly superior in originality and value to those on modern. In