150 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



think the author should have been more intimately 

 acquainted with geology ; and then he would have 

 been preserved from several scientific heresies, such 

 as those contained in the last chapter, as to the 

 original non-liquidity of the earth, denudation, and 

 particularly as to volcanic action, about which the 

 little that is said is mostly wrong. 



Here is a singular book — " A Critical Examina- 

 tion of some of the principal Arguments for and 

 against Darwinism," by James Maclaren, M.A. 

 (London: Edward Bumpus). The author is a 

 barrister, and avows himself a non-scientiQc man 

 (a needless avowal), who endeavours to "state a 

 case." We must say that he has done so with 

 more than usual legal cleverness, and this rather 

 large book would, indeed, have been a valuable 

 contribution to the literature of Darwinism, if 

 the author had only understood his subject ! "We 

 will give an example of the manner in which the 

 important question of evolution is here discussed. 

 " Mr. Herbert Spencer says that organic matter 

 is built up of molecules so extremely mobile that 

 the slightest variation in their surrounding condi- 

 tions destroys their equilibrium and causes them to 

 assume altered structures; and he refers to the effects 

 of heat and light, and more especially of chemical 

 affinity as shown in the process of animal nutrition 

 and fermentation." Then follows a quotation from 

 Herbert Spencer, in which that author shows how 

 nitrogenous compounds are extremely unstable 

 (dynamite, for instance), and explode on the 

 slightest incentive, and that it is in those parts 

 of the bodies of animals which are nitrogenous that 

 all the active functions are carried on, whilst the 

 fatty parts are inert. Mr. Maclaren then pronounces 

 on these well-known facts as follows :— "The varia- 

 tions which Mr. Darwin has taught us to look for 

 in organisms are apparently very different from 

 explosions (!), or from anything like sudden move- 

 ments, which .would seem to be the natural mode 

 of action of these nitrogenous compounds." After 

 this general style of review, we hardly need say 

 that Mr. Maclaren sums up against Darwinism ! 



The welcome volumes of the "International 

 Series" still continue to be issued. Among the 

 most recent is that " On Eermentation," by P. 

 Schiitzenberger (London : H. S. King& Co.). This 

 is unquestionably one of the ablest of the series. 

 It is an admirable digest of all that is at present 

 known on the subject. In addition to the re- 

 searches of Liebig, and the German school of 

 chemists, it gives a full account of the discoveries 

 of Pasteur. Altogether, we regard it as one of 

 the most comprehensive works of its kind in our 



language. " The Eive Senses of Man," by Julius 



Bernstein (London : H. S. King & Co.), is the last 

 issued, and fully sustains the general character of 

 the " Library." The student will find here all the 

 newest and most important facts and deductions, 



with reference to the organs of the " five senses." 

 The illustrations are numerous and good, and the 

 literary style of treatment in both the above 

 volumes of an excellent kind. 



"Sketches of British Insect " by the Rev. W. 

 Houghton (London : Groombridge & Sons), is a 

 capitally-written and attractively got-up book, 

 by a well-known writer. The coloured illustrations 

 are much better executed than usual, and as the 

 style is very cheerful and extremely interesting, this 

 little volume would form a charming gift-book, for 

 the young especially. Equally well got-up is " The 

 Dwellers in our Gardens," by Sara Wood (London : 

 Groombridge & Sons). The title will give a good 

 idea of the subject-matter, which we are glad to 

 say is both accurate and well written. The wood- 

 cuts and coloured illustrations give to the pages a 

 very attractive appearance. 



"Myths and Songs from the South Pacific," by 

 the Rev. W. "W. Gill, B. A. (London: H. S. King 

 & Co.), is not occupied with a subject we usually 

 discuss in these columns. But it is not without 

 its scientific value, for the author, as a missionary, 

 has diligently collected the myths, songs, and 

 traditions of the various Polynesian tribes among 

 whom he has lived, and which will soon be for- 

 gotten. Many of these are strangely suggestive, 

 on account of their similarity to myths and tradi- 

 tions of the old world. This work is really valu- 

 able to the philologist and ethnologist, and the 

 praise which the author has universally received for 

 its production is well and truly deserved. 



The "Eood Chart," by R. Locke Johnson (Lon- 

 don : Hardwicke & Bogue), is a most valuable and 

 compendious production, which ought to be con- 

 spicuously placed in every public institution. It 

 gives the names, classification, composition, ali- 

 mentary value, rates of digestibility, adulterations, 

 tests, &c, of all the alimentary substances in 

 general use, as well as the composition and analysis 

 of all animal and vegetable substances used as food. 

 The "list of adulterations " in the food and condi- 

 ments we eat is a compliment to our powers of 

 digestion, and the hardihood with which we can 

 stand wholesale and determinate poisoning. The 

 chart is folded, so as to be placed on the shelves of 

 the library as a book. 



THE MICROSCOPE AND MICROSCOPIC 

 WORK. 



No. VII.— Br E. Kitton. 



NOTHING, perhaps, brings more to mind the 

 old saying, that "familiarity breeds contempt," 

 than the perusal of the writings of the early micro- 

 scopic observers. Objects which the modern 

 "Microscopist" thinks scarcely worth a passing 

 glance, were viewed with rapturous delight by 

 Leeuwenhoek, Baker, and others. The microscope 



