242 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



a clear knowledge of the doctrine and bearing 

 of natural selection. This is unfortunate to the 

 Darwinians, for we feel certain that if Mr. Butler 

 had been a convert, he would have been a most 

 valuable one. Again, in his " History of the Doctrine 

 of Evolution," his lack of special knowledge is very 

 manifest, when compared with the article on the same 

 subject in the new edition of the " Encyclopaedia 

 Britannica." 



Mr. Butler's genius prompts him to adopt an evo- 

 lutional philosophy of his own. This is significant, 

 for "Evolutions" have become rather plentiful of 

 late, and have been evolved by men of such extremely 

 opposite modes of thought as Professor Mivart and 

 Mr. Samuel Butler. But the fact shows that an 

 evolutional hypothesis of some kind is felt to be 

 necessary in both formulating and explaining the 

 material phenomena of the universe. Notwith- 

 standing these remarks, Mr. Butler's "Evolution, 

 Old and New," is a charming book, very thoughtful, 

 wonderfully clever, candid, even to a boldness we 

 have hardly yet learned to recognise as we always 

 ought to recognise the simple telling of what a man 

 firmly believes to be the truth ; and the fact that men 

 like Wallace and others have thought fit to earnestly 

 enter the lists with Mr. Butler, in defence of their 

 own theories against his attacks, is one of the best 

 proofs we could adduce of the fertile cleverness of the 

 volume. 



"Natural History Rambles Underground," by 

 J.E. Taylor; " Mountain and Moor," by J. E. Taylor ; 

 " The Seaside," by Professor Martin Duncan, F.R.S. ; 

 "The Woodlands," by Dr. M. C. Cooke; "Lane 

 and Field," by the Rev. J. G. Wood, F.L.S., and 

 "Lakes and Rivers," by C. G. Napier, F.G.S. 

 These six volumes have recently been published by the 

 Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, and are 

 intended to serve as cheap and popular handbooks to 

 the fauna and flora of the British Islands. Dr. Cooke's 

 book is, as might be expected, most clearly and 

 attractively written ; Professor Duncan gives a good 

 deal of new information respecting marine animals, 

 and discourses agreeably also on maritime plants and 

 seaside geography ; the Rev. J. G. Wood is a natural 

 history companion who needs no introduction, and 

 his little book is therefore in no need of recommenda- 

 tion. Altogether, we think the Christian Knowledge 

 Society have acted wisely in thus endeavouring to 

 keep pace with the times. It is not long since geology 

 was deemed too dangerous a subject for the Society to 

 take up, but we are glad it is now seen that the 

 Christian faith need stand in no petty or jealous fear 

 of the advancement of true science. 



"Organic Chemistry, Practical and Theoretical," 

 by Hugh Clements (London : Blackie & Son), is 

 intended as a handbook for colleges and schools, 

 medical and civil service examinations, and especially 

 for the honours students at the classes of the Science 

 and Art Department, South Kensington. But if the 



" honours students " were to repeat in their papers 

 some of the blunders and statements to be found in 

 this little volume, we feel positively certain they 

 would never "pass." "A Treatise in Popular 

 Language on the Solar Illumination of the Solar 

 System, or the Law and Theory of the Inverse Squares ; 

 being an analysis of the two received laws relating to 

 the Diminution of Light by Distance, wherein it is 

 shown that, according to undisputed facts of Nature 

 and of Science, the Solar Illumination is equal through- 

 out the whole system, and the Law of the Inverse 

 Squares Physically Impossible," by Collyns Simon, 

 Hon. LL.D. Edin. (London: Williams & Norgate), 

 is a book we do not understand. 



The "Outlines of Field Geology," by Archibald 

 Geikie, LL.D. ; F.R.S., &c. (London : Macmillan 

 & Co.), is a small — too small— volume, ably and clearly 

 written, and which cannot fail to take its place as 

 one of the best introductions to the study of geology. 

 It is gratifying to find that such distinguished 

 men of science as Professor Geikie do not think it 

 derogatory to their position to write elementary 

 manuals. The "Flowers of the Sky," by Richard 

 A. Proctor (London : Strahan & Co.), is another 

 clever and well written book by this indefatigable 

 author and lecturer ; and it puts the general reader 

 pleasantly in possession of the newest and grandest 

 views relating to astronomical science. "Electrical 

 Lighting, and its Practical Applications," by J. M. 

 Shoolbred, B.A., &c. (London : D. Bogue), gives a 

 well written and illustrated account of all that is 

 known concerning electrical lighting, with the results 

 of recent examples. The "Annual Record of Science 

 and Industry, for 1878," is an American work, ably 

 edited by Spencer F. Baird, and published in London 

 by Triibner & Co. The recording of the most important 

 discoveries in the different branches of science has 

 been entrusted to distinguished specialists, so that the 

 results are valuable from their trustworthiness. 



THE GEOLOGY OF THE LINCOLNSHIRE 

 MARSHLAND. 



By A. J. Jukes-Brown, B.A., F.G.S., Sec. 



\C0m11mnicated by permission of the Director-General of 

 H.M. Geological Survey.] 



MOST people are sufficiently acquainted with 

 the physical geography of Lincolnshire to 

 be aware that the eastern border of the country is 

 formed by a narrow strip of low-lying land known as 

 the Marshes, or the Marshland. Stretching south- 

 wards from the mouth of the Humber, between the 

 sea-margin and the eastern slope of the Wolds, it 

 extends as far as Gibraltar Point and Wainfleet, 

 where it opens upon the broader level of the great 

 Fenland. 



The greater part of this district is below the level 

 of the spring tides, and would be constantly under 



