HAllDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



243 



need not announce that the Rev. Charles Kingsley 

 occupies the first place. But we do not thinlc that 

 lie has written a book which will be received with 

 more pleasure than that now before us. Its geology 

 deals with the commonest objects — the soil of 

 the field; the pebbles in the street; the stones 

 in the wall ; the coal in the fire ; the lime in 

 the mortar; and the slates on the roof; so 

 that, in this manner, all the geological for- 

 mations in the neighbourhood of Chester are 

 popularly and exhaustively treated. So far, these 

 chapters have made their appearance before in one 

 of the leading magazines. But what has never yet 

 been before the public, and which, in our eyes, is 

 the best part of the book— is the long and elaborate 

 preface of fifty-six pages. There are portions of 

 this we should like to have read by every person 

 in the United Kingdom. Its style is thoroughly 

 " Kingsleyan," and its reverent earnestness will be 

 sufficient to convince every one of the grand dis- 

 plays of the Divine character which are hidden 

 from those who do not study " the word of God as 

 revealed in facts," as Bacon expressed it. There is 

 a manly and healthy tone about IMr. Kingsley's 

 views of the relations of science and religion that 

 cannot but wean prejudice from its conceited 

 narrowness. Space forbids us to do more than 

 simply recommend our readers to procure this 

 book, and to conclude with the following quotation 

 from it : — " I grudge that epithet of secular to any 

 matter whatsoever. But I do more ; I deny it to 

 anything which God has made, even to the tiniest 

 of insects, the most insignificant atom of dust. 

 To those who believe in God, and try to see all 

 things in God, the most minute natural phenomenon 

 cannot be secular. It must be divine ; I say, de- 

 liberately, divine ; and I can use no less lofty word. 

 The grain of dust is a thought of God's ; God's 

 power made it; God's wisdom gave it whatsoever 

 properties or qualities it possesses. God's provi- 

 dence has put it in the place where it is now, and 

 has ordered that it should be in that place at that 

 moment, by a train of causes and effects which 

 reaches back to the very creation of the universe. 

 If it go up to the physical heaven, 'and float (as it 

 actually often does) far above the clouds, in those 

 higher strata of the atmosphere which the aeronaut 

 has never visited, whither the Alpine snow-peaks 

 do not rise, even there it will be obeying physical 

 laws, which we term hastily laws of nature, but 

 which are really the laws of God ; and if it go down 

 to the physical abyss — if it be buried fathoms, miles 

 below the surface, and become an atom of some 

 rock still in the process of consolidation— has it 

 escaped from God, even in the bowels of the earth ? 

 Is it not there still obeying physical laws of pres- 

 sure, heat, crystallization, and so forth, which are 

 laws of God — the will and mind of God concerning 

 particles of matter ? " 



Professor Nicholson's " Introduction to the 

 Study of Biology" is a book very much needed by 

 the student, who is apt to get bewildered by the 

 jargon of the schools, and to lose the facts of science 

 in the high-sounding terms which are selected to 

 express their generalizations. It is well done, and 

 contains evidences of sincere and earnest work. In 

 the parallel study of recent and extinct animals, 

 this " Introduction" will be of great value. Every- 

 thing that by any possibility is included in biology 

 is discussed. The wonder is how Professor Nichol- 

 son manages to turn out so many books, and to 

 turn them all out so well ! This little work, how- 

 ever, will bear favourable comparison with any of 

 his previous ones, not only in its careful finish, but 

 in the clear and original manner with which biolo- 

 gical theories and hypotheses are laid before the 

 reader. 



M. Figuier's " Vegetable World" is pretty much 

 of the character of the other "worlds" which that 

 ingenious creator has evolved. If we were asked 

 to select the best of his books, however, we should 

 undoubtedly pick out that before us. Its wealth of 

 illustration, and the high finish of the woodcuts, 

 would alone recommend it. But there can be no 

 doubt as to the attractive style in which M. Figuier 

 writes, whatever may be said about the accuracy of 

 his science. There is a sad want of scientific order 

 in his arrangement of the subject-matter, and, bee- 

 like, we find him off one scientific sweet on to 

 another, as vagary leads him. The present edition 

 is " new and revised," and is much better as regards 

 its scientific arrangement than the preceding. It 

 includes the Organography of Plants, their classifi- 

 cation, systematic arrangement, and geographical 

 distribution. In the last chapter there is much that 

 is crude and incoherent, besides the fault of its 

 ignoring the most recent discoveries and generaliza- 

 tions on this important question. 



The season is now gone ior the practical nse of 

 the last book on our list, although it may be found 

 useful for winter study. Modesty, however, forbids 

 us doing other than quoting from its preface :— 

 "An attempt has been made to introduce the 

 subject-matter in as methodical and scientific a 

 manner as possible, so that each chapter might be 

 a sketch of the natural history, classification, and 

 affinities of the animals described. In this manner 

 the young beginner will be brought into direct ac- 

 quaintance with the first principles of zoology. 

 When possible, the embryological relations of the 

 various forms, and the geological antiquity of the 

 genus or family to which they belong, have been 

 introduced. Thus it will be seen that, apart from 

 the interest attached to the study and observation 

 of the habits and economy of our commonest sea- 

 side objects, there are also connected with them 

 some of the profoundest speculations of modern 



philosophy." 



M 2 



