35§ SOME NEW BOOKS [November 



with the existing Scandinavian animal, is regarded as practically identical with 

 the barren-ground reindeer of Arctic America, while the other is considered 

 inseparable from the woodland reindeer of North America, The former of 

 these, it is said, is found only in the extreme west of Europe, while the latter 

 occurs in Central and Eastern Europe and Asia. And on this evidence it is 

 argued that the barren-ground reindeer entered Europe by a land connection 

 vid Greenland and Iceland ; while the woodland form made its way via Bering 

 Strait. 



At the conclusion of a very long argument he notices (p. 157) that a recent 

 writer has denied the identity of the Scandinavian and the barren-ground 

 reindeer, and then he proceeds to remark that "the whole subject is by no 

 means as well known as could be wished, and a very careful comparative study 

 of recent and fossil remains of the reindeer from various parts of the Old and 

 New World, is much needed to put our views on a firmer basis." 



This paragraph, coming after the conclusions definitely drawn as to the 

 Greenland and Bering Sea routes, is equivalent to saying that so long as Dr. 

 ScharfFs views of the relations of the Old and New World reindeer are followed, 

 everything is settled, but if anyone else ventures to take a different view, then 

 the whole matter requires investigation (with the object, we presume, of 

 re-establishing the Scharffian interpretation). 



As a matter of fact, the Scandinavian reindeer, as all American naturalists 

 are agreed, is a perfectly distinct animal from the barren-ground form ; the 

 only difference of opinion being as to whether they should be regarded as 

 species or races. If Dr. Scharff is right in considering that there were two 

 types of reindeer in Europe, their distribution may be perfectly well explained 

 by assuming that the western or Scandinavian form wandered from Scandi- 

 navia by a land connection between that country and Scotland, and so on to 

 Ireland, at a time when England was detached from Scotland and joined to the 

 Continent. On the other hand, the second form might have spread over the 

 whole of central and eastern Europe, and thus through Asia to America. There 

 are no grounds, however, for deciding whether the Old or the New World is the 

 original home of reindeer. 



The author further assumes that the Irish stoat accompanied the so-called 

 barren-ground reindeer into Europe by the Greenland route ; while the English 

 stoat arrived from Asia. The former can, however, scarcely be regarded as any- 

 thing more than a race of the common stoat which has been isolated for a longer 

 period than has its English representative. Consequently, although, as in- 

 dicated by the plant evidence, there may have been means of communication at 

 an earlier date, we fail to see any evidence for a land connection between North 

 America and Europe by way of Greenland at the time when reindeer flourished 

 in our own country, — that is to say, during, or just previous to the human 

 period. Without any intention of rudeness, we may indeed suggest that writers 

 should use common sense in matters of this sort ; for the conclusions referred 

 to are, in our opinion, sadly wanting in that very useful commodity. 



Many other cases might be criticised, but the above is sufficient to show 

 that all the author's conclusions are not to be taken as gospel. 



In reading the book we have been much irritated by the author's fondness 

 for repetition. For instance, Dr. Bonney is quoted no less than three times in 

 support of the view that the boulder-clay may be a marine deposit ; on pages 

 83 and 229 the very same passage is quoted at length twice over, while on page 

 180 it is paraphrased. As another example, we are thrice told (pp. 79, 185, 

 239) that Arctic and Alpine plants have to be protected in winter on the low- 

 lands of Britain and the Continent. Moreover, in several places, there is, in our 

 judgment, a want of clearness of expression in more than one passage. And 

 there are not wanting instances of carelessness, as for instance, barbarus in lieu 

 of barbatus on page 46. Then, again, we have always been under the impression 

 that the genus Agama is the type of a family, and that it has no claim to 



