EDITOR'S TABLE. 



845 



the investigations into the earth's ex- 

 tinct life, and pointed out that the high 

 ground of evolution has been gained, 

 and that it is no longer an open ques- 

 tion, but must be accepted for the guid- 

 ance of future research; while all the 

 tendencies of thought converge toward 

 the conclusion which the future will 

 realize, that inorganic and organic na- 

 ture will yet become one. Dr. Ull- 

 man, also assuming the truth of evolu- 

 tion, enriches our biological literature 

 with an elaborate essay on that remark- 

 able substance, only made known in 

 quite recent times, which turns out to 

 be the common medium and substratum 

 of all vital manifestations the liquid 

 protoplasm. Professor Mivart and Dr. 

 Pye-Smith, in their inaugural addresses 

 as Vice-Presidents, still further devote 

 themselves to biology and natural his- 

 tory, while Powell and Tylor open the 

 extensive subject of anthropology. Bi- 

 ological studies, of course, issue in the 

 science of man, involving a broad series 

 of questions, organic, psychological, de- 

 velopmental, racial, and social, and these 

 questions now occupy the central arena 

 of interest and debate. Anthropology 

 has long been a prominent subject in 

 the British Association, although for 

 many years it had to battle for formal 

 recognition and the important position 

 that is now accorded to it. It has now 

 come forward in the American Associa- 

 tion, and the status conceded to it is 

 sufficiently shown by the fact that the 

 President-elect, who will preside at the 

 Boston meeting next year. Mr. Lewis 

 H. Morgan, is the first special repre- 

 sentative of anthropology who has at- 

 tained this honor. 



These circumstances illustrate the 

 powerful drift of contemporary science 

 in the direction of those higher human 

 questions which have claims upon in- 

 telligent people of all classes. So long 

 as science was supposed to busy itself 

 solely with distant, curious, and use- 

 less things, it was very naturally an ob- 

 ject of thoughtless derision to minds 



occupied with pressing interests and 

 claiming to be " practical." But these 

 superficial sarcasms have lost their point 

 in these latter days, when science is 

 everywhere giving law to the practical, 

 and is now addressing itself systemati- 

 cally to the most directly important of 

 all subjects the laws of life, and the 

 nature of man and his institutions. This 

 is the field that now most needs cultiva- 

 tion, and the Associations which are 

 devoted to improvement and diffusion 

 of accurate and trustworthy knowledge 

 upon these subjects are entitled to the 

 liberal patronage of the public. 



LITERARY NOTICES. 



A Sketch of Dickinson College, Pennsyl- 

 vania : Including the List of Trustees 

 and Faculty from the Foundation, and 

 a more Particular Account of the Scien- 

 tific Department. By Charles F. Himes, 

 Ph. D., Professor of Natural Science. 

 Illustrated by Engravings and by Pho- 

 tographs executed in the Laboratory. 

 Harrisburg: Lane S. Hart. Pp. 155. 

 Price, $2. 



This neat little history of Dickinson Col- 

 lege, with its portraits of the founder and of 

 its leading presidents, its admirable photo- 

 graphs of the college buildings, and its illus- 

 trations of historic relics in its laboratory, 

 will be much prized by all who are interest- 

 ed in the institution, and is by no means 

 without instructiveness to general readers 

 who care about the progress of education. 

 Dickinson College, located at Carlisle, Penn- 

 sylvania, in the beautiful Cumberland Val- 

 ley, was founded in 1783, and named after 

 John Dickinson, Governor of the State, who 

 was active in its establishment, and made 

 liberal donations to it. Dr. Benjamin Rush 

 was also deeply interested in the institution 

 from the beginning, and labored zealous- 

 ly for twenty-five years in various ways to 

 promote its success. The college has had 

 a successful career and a creditable history, 

 and includes among its alumni a President 

 of the United States, a Chief Justice, with 

 many judges, senators, Cabinet officers, Con- 

 gressmen, and professional men of high 

 rank. Among the distinguished men who 



