RECORD: Anon. 1881. [Review of Movement in plants]. Hardwicke's Science-gossip, vol. 17: 62.
REVISION HISTORY: Transcribed by Christine Chua and edited by John van Wyhe. 7.2021. RN1
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[page] 62
A GOSSIP ABOUT NEW BOOKS.
"A NEW book by Darwin" is sure to cause a little stir in the scientific world. The Power of Movement of Plants, by Charles Darwin, LL.D., assisted by Francis Darwin (London: John
Murray), is another of those contributions of experimental scientific research which would have made the name of the author famous, apart from the brilliant theory with which it is popularly connected. The chief movement to which Dr. Darwin more particularly calls attention is that of "circumnutation," in which he shows bow highly sensitive to external influences is the growing tip of the roots of plants.
The physiologist in general, and the botanist in particular, will study this book with the impression that it is one of the most extraordinary, from the nature of the facts set forth, and the manner in which they are formulated, which has yet appeared from the pen of the author. Dr. Darwin concludes as follows:
"It is hardly an exaggeration to say that the tip of the radicle thus endowed, and having the power of directing the movements of the adjoining parts, acts like the brain of one of the lower animals."
Citation: John van Wyhe, ed. 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online. (http://darwin-online.org.uk/)
File last updated 14 December, 2022