50 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



familiar with this remarkable book. As the author 

 endeavours to account for those evident extremes of 

 tropical and arctic conditions which the same areas 

 seem to have experienced in various of the geo- 

 logical periods, both from the laws of the diffusion 

 of heat by currents, and by the varying positions of 

 the earth and the sun, we have various chapters 

 devoted to a closely-reasoned out description of 

 them. Those on ocean currents in relation to the 

 distribution of heat over the globe, are masterly 

 expositions. After dwelling in detail upon all the 

 cosmical and solar and terrestrial conditions which 

 can possibly affect climates, there follow a series of 

 chapters in which evidence is produced of warm 

 inter-glacial periods in that to which geologists have 

 given the special name. All the causes which could 

 produce both extremes are described, as well as the 

 origin of the submergences and elevations which we 

 know then succeeded each other. The volume con- 

 cludes with two chapters on Glacier Motion. From 

 this brief outline of the contents, our readers will 

 perceive that Mr. CrolPs work is of a most ex- 

 haustive character. This and the work of Mr. 

 James Geikie, on the " Great Ice Age," will do more 

 to finally settle the cause of the Glacial Period than 

 anything which has before been written. Mr. Croll's 

 book is written in that terse and unadorned lan- 

 guage which convinces us a man is in earnest ; and 

 we expect it will long continue to be a work of 

 authoritative reference for the mass of questions 

 which it discusses. 



We confess that the " History of Creation," by 

 Prof. Hseckel (London : H. S. King & Co.), although 

 well translated, and edited by Prof. Ray Lankester, 

 has somewhat disappointed us. It is an important 

 book, and, to a great extent, one that will make its 

 mark. It will be largely read by all naturalists, but 

 few will concede the points so harshly and hastily 

 raised by the author. It is a history of creation 

 from an extremely evolutionistic point of view, and is 

 crowded with facts which, it seems to us, can only 

 be explained on that theory. The author is a re- 

 markable man, and anytning from his pen will have 

 great weight. But the philosophical discussion of 

 the weighty questions involved in the history of 

 creation is spoiled by an anti-theological bigotry, 

 which breaks forth here and there in a degree 

 which is contrary to every canon of good taste. If 

 the author choose to originate a creation without a 

 creator, we find no fault as a question of theory, 

 although we must confess that it seems very con- 

 tradictory for a man to use his own high intellect 

 in discovering natural laws, and then to turn round 

 and declare such laws could originate without 

 Intelligence ! If readers will compare the intem- 

 perate tone of Hseckel's work with the philosophical 

 reverence of Herbert Spencer's " First Principles," 

 they will see that the doctrine of evolution, instead 

 of_detracting from, a First Cause, clears it of its 



anthropomorphism, and elevates it into a higher 

 region. But if our readers can peruse Hseckel's 

 two volumes without sheering off into a dislike of 

 the author's narrowness, we can promise them a 

 really great treat, for they dwell on embryological 

 questions especially in a manner we have not yet 

 seen attempted. 



" Animal Parasites," by Professor Van Beneden 

 (London : H. S. King & Co.), is one of the most 

 readable volumes of the most valuable " Inter- 

 national Scientific Series." It deals with a group of 

 objects about which the student finds it difficult to 

 find a text-book ; and although "Van Beneden's 

 classification of parasites is more popular than 

 scientific, all readers will be intellectual gainers by 

 its perusal. It is one of the most charmingly 

 written scientific books we have read for some time, 

 and we heartily commend it. 



"Zoology for Students," by Dr. Carter Blake 

 (London : Daldy & Isbister), is, in many respects, a 

 long way behind the time. Although prefixed by a 

 thoughtful essay from the pen of Professor Owen 

 (which we fail to see has anything to do with Dr. 

 Carter Blake's "work), it does not by any means 

 come up to the standard now required in an 

 advanced zoological examination. We cannot under- 

 stand a naturalist writing a featf-book in which the 

 sub-kingdom Radiata is still maintained, as in this 

 book it is. Moreover, Dr. Blake makes the Radiata 

 include Polyzoa, as well as Anthozoa and Echino- 

 dermata ! 



Mr. 3. E. Harting's "Rambles in Search of 

 Shells" (London: Van Voorst) is an attractively 

 written book, illustrated by excellent coloured and 

 most faithful likenesses of our land and fresh -water 

 shells. The young student could not begin with a 

 better book. Even more elaborately got up is the 

 volume entitled " Our Summer Migrants" (London : 

 Bickers & Son), by the same author. Any one who 

 has read Mr. Harting's ornithological works is 

 aware how earnest and enthusiastic he is in the 

 study of our native birds. This volume is superior 

 to the best he has yet written, both in descriptive 

 style and in matter of fact, for it deals with the 

 most charming of our feathered tribes— the summer 

 migrants. Further, the chapter devoted to each 

 bird is headed with one of Thomas Bewick's cuts ; 

 and as the paper and type are both excellent, the 

 binding elegant, and the pages gilt, our readers may 

 imagine that this book is one to thoroughly enjoy. 



Messrs. Lockwood & Co. have issued a new 

 edition of that most valuable storehouse of con- 

 chological and geological information to students, 

 Woodward's " Manual of the Mollusca," with an 

 illustrated appendix by Professor Ralph Tate. We 

 are glad of this, for the last edition did not do the 

 original author justice, and no man is better able 

 both to edit this work and to bring the subject- 

 matter up to the most recent discoveries than Mr. 



