iz6 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



past. To take the present subject as 

 an illustration, from the division of 

 functions that has taken place in the 

 past we may infer a still further 

 specialization in the future. Higher 

 achievements in the several profes- 

 sions may be expected as a result of 

 this process, the men of different 

 professions will become more and 

 more necessary to one another, and 

 the solidarity of society will be in- 

 creased. 



The Professional Institutions will 

 form the last portion but one of the 

 only volume remaining uncompleted 

 in Mr. Spencers systematic series of 

 philosophical works. It therefore 

 makes probable the successful com- 

 pletion of the series, and, together 

 with the division on Industrial In- 

 stitutions which is to follow, will be 

 sure to throw much light upon the 

 puzzling industrial problems of the 

 day. A few days ago Mr. Spencer 

 completed three quarters of a cen- 

 tury of life and about half a century 

 of productive labor in the field of 

 thought. For twenty years past 

 there have been times when the close 

 of his labors seemed imminent, but, 

 mainly as a result of prudent care, 

 his physical strength has lasted till 

 this time, while the articles of which 

 we print the first this month ade- 

 quately demonstrate that his mental 

 grasp and acumen are in no wise 

 impaired. 



LITERARY NOTICES. 



The Great Ice Age and its Relation to 

 the Antiquity of Man. By James Gei- 

 kie. Third edition. Largely rewritten. 

 New York : D. Appleton & Co. Pp. 850. 

 With Maps and Illustrations. Price, 

 $7.50. 



Geikie's Great Ice Age, when it ap- 

 peared in 187*7, took a position at once as 

 one of the standard treatises in geological 

 science. It has held that place ever since, 

 although the department of geology with 

 which it is concerned has been more actively 



and scrutinizingly studied, perhaps, than any 

 other. With so much research as has been 

 bestowed upon glacial phenomena, much 

 knowledge has been accumulated that was 

 not within the author's reach eighteen years 

 ago, and some new views have prevailed ; yet 

 Prof. Geikie's arguments so ably set forth in 

 the first edition of his work have not lost 

 their force, and his main conclusions have 

 not been successfully assailed in their essen- 

 tials. A revision of the book had, however, 

 become necessary, in order that it might en- 

 joy the benefit of the acquired knowledge, 

 and that the new views might receive just 

 discussion and the old ones be re-examined 

 in the light of them. Yet in the immense 

 bulk of the literature that has accumulated, 

 and its scattered condition among many 

 nationalities and in multitudes of periodicals 

 and monographs, the author has not at- 

 tempted to discuss all the interesting ques- 

 tions mooted and canvassed in it, but, to keep 

 his sketch within reasonable limits, has been 

 compelled to follow more or less strictly the 

 lines laid down in the first edition, in which 

 his endeavor was represented to be to give 

 a systematic account of the Glacial period, 

 with special reference to its climatic condi- 

 tions. All the more important features of 

 the evidence, however, have been considered, 

 and few references are given to original 

 sources of information. The chapters deal- 

 ing with the phenomena of existing glacial 

 action in Alpine and arctic regions have 

 been touched up, and the glacial geology 

 of Scotland has been thoroughly revised. 

 Some rearrangements of other matter have 

 been made ; but nearly three fourths of the 

 volume have been entirely rewritten. The 

 glacial and interglacial deposits of the Euro- 

 pean continent are treated more fully than 

 was possible ten or fifteen years ago. The 

 purpose of the book being to sketch the 

 present position of glacial geology rather 

 than to write the history of its rise and prog- 

 ress, no great notice has been taken of the 

 opinions held by its pioneers. In dealing 

 with questions still under discussion the au- 

 thor has endeavored to avoid a controversial 

 tone, preferring as a rule to set forth the 

 evidence as clearly and impartially as he 

 could, and then to point out what seemed the 

 most reasonable interpretation. To avail 

 himself as fully as possible of the results of 



