i8 95 . SOME NEW BOOKS. 133 



interested in Ichthyology to peruse this latest contribution to our 

 knowledge of the Permian fauna. A. S. W. 



In the Eastern Seas. 



Australasia. Vol. ii., Malaysia and the Pacific Archipelagoes. Stanford's 

 Compendium of Geography and Travel (new issue). Edited and greatly 

 extended from Dr. A. R. Wallace's "Australasia" by F. H. H. Guillemard, 

 M.A., M.D. Cantab. 8vo. Pp. xvi., 574, with maps and illustrations. London: 

 Stanford, 1893. Price 15s. 



In Natural Science for December, 1893, we h a d an opportunity of 

 calling attention to volume i. of the present work, a volume by 

 Dr. A. R. Wallace, dealing with Australia, New Zealand, and 

 Tasmania. We have now the second volume dealing with the 

 numerous islands of the Eastern Indian and Pacific Oceans contained 

 between the 100 E. and 100 W. longitudes of Greenwich, and between 

 the 30 N. and 30 S. latitudes. 



The enormous area and the number and variety of lands, peoples, 

 and natural history products therein described, make this volume 

 of equal if not of greater interest than the former, despite the 

 fact that volume i. dealt with lands now mainly peopled by our own 

 kith and kin. 



Dr. Guillemard has given us a book of singular value, a book not 

 merely useful for reference, but full of the most varied information 

 and live and general interest, one which can be read and re-read with 

 pleasure and profit. 



In a general introduction a sketch is given of the definition and 

 nomenclature of Malaysia, Melanesia, Polynesia, and Micronesia, the 

 extent and distribution of lands and islands, geographical and 

 physical features, ocean depths (and these reach 19,866 feet near the 

 Phcenix Islands, and 17,389 feet near Tonga), the races of mankind 

 (of an interest scarcely surpassed in any other quarter of the globe), 

 the zoology and botany, geological relations, and past history. 



Passing to the special subject, Dr. Guillemard treats first of the 

 Malay Archipelago, a geographical term which includes the Philip- 

 pines, Java, Sumatra, Borneo, Celebes, the Moluccas, and the Sunda 

 Islands. Of these, Java, Sumatra, Borneo, and the Celebes have 

 each a separate chapter, while the numerous islands making up the 

 other two groups are treated in the remaining two chapters. 

 Melanesia includes New Guinea, the Fiji Islands, the Solomon 

 Islands, and the groups of Santa Cruz, New Hebrides, New 

 Caledonia, and the Loyalty Islands. Polynesia includes Tonga, 

 Samoa, Union Group, Ellice, Hervey, Society, Austral, Marquesas, 

 Phcenix, Manahiki, America, Sandwich, Gambier, and Easter 

 Islands ; while Micronesia includes the Gilbert, Marshall, Caroline, 

 Pelew, and Ladrone Groups. 



Returning to Malaysia, we find the greater part of the land area 

 belongs to Holland, the Spaniard rules exclusively in the Philippines, 

 an English rajah rules over a portion of Northern Borneo, a small 

 portion of Timor is the sole remaining fragment of the former exten- 

 sive dominion of Portugal, and some few islands are still ruled 

 independently by native sultans. 



Malaysia is the seat of one of the most extensive and continuous 

 volcanic belts in the world, and this subject receives adequate treat- 

 ment by Dr. Guillemard considering the space at his disposal. He 

 has also inserted a map showing the distribution of the active and 

 extinct volcanoes, and this is interesting as showing the almost entire 

 absence of volcanoes in the Borneo and Celebes area, one doubtful 



