416 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



but also the bibliography of the art. Some 

 doubt may be justly felt in regard to the 

 dates assigned to the use of iron and glass ; 

 a preliminary acquaintance of a thousand 

 years would, however, suffice for the germi- 

 nation of the photographic idea. The recol- 

 lections and sketches are sprightly, and in- 

 clude many suggestions for artists and 

 amateurs. 



The Philosophy of Fiction in Literature. 



By Daniel Greenleaf Thompson. New 



York and London : Longmans, Green & 



Co. Pp. 22L Price, $1.50. 



This essay begins with a survey of the 

 office of fiction in literature, estimates its 

 value in the bearings of scientific teaching, 

 morals, and aesthetics, analyzes the qualities 

 of a novel, seeks for its various sources of 

 interest, discusses its relations to art, mor- 

 als, and science, and closes with observa- 

 tions on the construction and the criticism 

 of a work of fiction. The first quality, un- 

 derlying all the others, and most essential, 

 of a work of fiction is, that it be of sufficient 

 interest to cause one to read it through. 

 Many and very different qualities may be 

 combined with this interest. Hence we have 

 discussions of the manner and extent to 

 which science, morals, and aesthetics may 

 enter into its scope, and the rival qualities 

 that give the most pronounced distinctions 

 of schools, of realism and idealism. Under 

 the last category we have the important 

 principle that a fiction is a work of art, and 

 must respect the canons of art ; it must ap- 

 peal to the aesthetic sense, never losing sight 

 of that primal condition of artistic work, the 

 elimination of the disagreeable. This and 

 other precepts teach that, in the matter of 

 "naturalism," now so much talked about, 

 "the 'experimental' method is a means, not 

 an end. We must not make the mistake of 

 supposing that the study of Nature consists 

 only in an enumeration of Nature's phenom- 

 ena. Nor can we impose upon the world by 

 giving it our sketches and studies as the finale 

 of art. The use of ' observation and experi- 

 ment ' is to enable us the better to employ 

 our faculties. . . . ' Naturalism ' never must 

 be allowed to limit our creative activity, but 

 only minister unto it, chastening it to enable 

 us to give substance rather than shadow. 

 It must not chain genius down. It must not 

 restrict its selection of subjects, nor must it 



absolutely control its treatment of them. It 

 may lay the foundation, furnish the brick 

 and stone and mortar, but not the architect- 

 ure of the building." The author agrees 

 with M. David Sauvageot, that the important 

 service has been performed by realism of 

 inaugurating a reaction against the arbitrary 

 conventions of degenerate classic and of ro- 

 mantic art ; and that it has prepared the 

 way for a new and dominating idealism. The 

 conclusion is forced that, while realism could 

 not dispense with creativeness, it is, if rightly 

 understood, of great value in making strong, 

 clear, and life-like the products of creation. 

 Other objects of interest and causes of in- 

 terest considered as giving popularity and 

 success to the story that brings them before 

 the mind are the exhibition of power; the 

 exhibition of love, which "plays so promi- 

 nent a part in life, has so dominant an in- 

 fluence on conduct, that its absence as a mo- 

 tive is at once felt by the reader, and the plot 

 from which it is omitted seems very artifi- 

 cial " ; the exhibition of social life ; and 

 the comic or ludicrous element. Important 

 points to be considered by a story-writer 

 are, that he should understand exactly what 

 he is about when he forms the plan of bis 

 tale, and should appreciate how far he is 

 appealing to each of the three great inter 

 ests in a work of fiction, and how far he 

 may disregard one for the sake of the other. 



Animal Life and Intelligence. By C. Lloyd 

 Morgan. Boston : Ginn & Co. Pp. 512. 

 Price, $4. 



The primary aim of the author of this 

 book has been the consideration of animal 

 intelligence from the scientific and philo- 

 sophical point of view. He has endeavored 

 to contribute from the results of several 

 years' study and thought to our deeper 

 knowledge of those mental processes which 

 we may fairly infer from the activities of 

 dumb animals. But so inextricably entwined 

 does the subject of intelligence seem to be 

 with the subject of life, the subject of or- 

 ganic evolution with the subject of mental 

 evolution, and so closely questions of natu- 

 ral selection to be interwoven with questions 

 of habit and instinct, that he has devoted 

 the first part of the volume to a considera- 

 tion of organic evolution. From this con- 

 sideration the conclusion is reached that the 



