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THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



notes a striking and unexpected similarity 

 between the insect fauna of Colorado and 

 the Ural and Altai Mountains. He believes 

 that a careful examination of the existing 

 insects of the Western country will throw 

 light on the extinct forms which abound in 

 the Tertiary of that region. From an eco- 

 nomic point of view, he is of the opinion 

 that a systematic account of the insect 

 family which embraces the measuring- 

 worms so many of which are injurious to 

 vegetation cannot but be useful to agri- 

 culturists. 



Moral Maxims for Schools and Families. 

 By 0. C. Baldwin. Third edition. Pp. 

 16. Price 10 cents. Petersburg, Va. : 

 Darcy, Paul & Co. 



This little pamphlet raises no questions 

 of ethics, but, assuming the fundamental 

 canons of morality and rules of conduct, it 

 aims to drive them home into the minds of 

 the young by brevity and sharpness of 

 statement, so as to make the most indelible 

 impression. It is interspersed with inter- 

 esting illustrations of the sayings and do- 

 ings of great men, which serve to give in- 

 terest to the work. The idea is a good one, 

 and well carried out within its compass ; it 

 is used in the public free schools of Vir- 

 ginia, and is a candidate for adoption in 

 primary schools everywhere. 



The Symbolical Language of Ancient 

 Art and Mythology. By R. P. Knight. 

 Pp. 267. New York: J. \V. Bouton. 

 Price, $3. 



The so-called " pagan " religions of an- 

 tiquity the religions of Greece and Home, 

 of Babylonia and Assyria so far as we 

 get a knowledge of them from a superficial 

 reading of ancient authors, appear to rest 

 on a basis of childish imaginations, for 

 their dogmatic side, while on their moral 

 (or rather immoral) side they seem to have 

 their roots in unbridled lust and debauch- 

 ery. This view of pagan religions is still 

 held by the vulgar, and not very long ago 

 was current even among the learned. The 

 author of the present work rendered valu- 

 able service to the philosophy of religion 

 when, amid much obloquy, he devoted him- 

 self to a patient and dispassionate study 

 of this subject, and showed that, like all 

 other religions, those of antiquity were in 



their origin the expression of man's highest 

 aspirations. Among the topics learnedly 

 discussed by the author are the mysteries 

 and orgies, phallic worship, the sacred em- 

 blems of the various gods, etc. The pres- 

 ent edition of Knight's work is edited by 

 Dr. Alexander Wilder, who adds an intro- 

 duction, some notes, and a complete index. 

 Further, the notes, which in the original 

 edition are mostly in foreign languages, are 

 here translated into English. 



An Analysis of Religious Belief. By 

 Viscount Ambekly. From the late 

 London edition. Complete. Pp. 726. 

 New York : D. M. Bennett. Price, 3. 



The chief interest of this formidable 

 volume lies in the fact that it is the produc- 

 tion of a young English nobleman, who, 

 notwithstanding the powerful influences 

 brought to bear upon him to maintain his 

 reputable position, chose to be free in the 

 matter of thought, and had the courage to 

 express and the determination to publish his 

 opinions, regardless of their unpopularity. 

 The volume indicates extensive and sys- 

 tematic reading, rather than much depth or 

 originality of thought, and to persons who 

 have a taste for skeptical literature it will 

 have the freshness of an elaborate restate- 

 ment of objections to religious dogma. 

 Lord Amberly believes in the universality 

 of the religious sentiment, as a part of the 

 mental constitution of human nature as a 

 natural and not a supernatural thing but 

 he discredits its intellectual accompani- 

 ments as embodied in the doctrines and 

 creeds of all religions. He professes to 

 take the scientific standpoint, and to write 

 in the scientific spirit, but we question if 

 his book would take any rank as a scien- 

 tific or authoritative contribution to the sub- 

 ject. Its scheme was too large, the man 

 was too young, and had done no prelimina- 

 ry work in any of the special departments 

 of science, to give him the power and ma- 

 turity necessary to deal with so important 

 a theme at the present time. Vv'ithout com- 

 paring his work with that of Mr. Buckle, 

 his position as regards science is not unlike 

 that of the author of the " History of Civil- 

 ization in England," who knew a great deal 

 about scientific literature, and was much in- 

 fluenced_ by its method, but was not strong 

 and thorough and well grounded in the 



