248 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



only so much of the anatomy of the lower 

 animals as will serve to illustrate the varia- 

 tions which corresponding organs exhibit 

 in the inferior vertebrates. The first chap- 

 ter begins with a general survey of the 

 structure of the human body. This is 

 followed by a brief account of the clas- 

 sification of animals, in which the author, 

 adopting the more modern views, names 

 seven sub-kingdoms, illustrating each with 

 the figure of some typical form. The char- 

 acters, more or less common to all animals, 

 man included, are next pointed out, when 

 leave is taken of the invertebrates, and a 

 consideration of the principal subdivisions 

 of the group or sub-kingdom to which man 

 belongs closes the chapter. The six suc- 

 ceeding chapters, or lessons, taking up in 

 all 218 pages of the book, are upon the 

 skeleton, wherein the various systems of 

 bones are treated, each being described, 

 first, as it is developed in man, and then as 

 it appears in homologous parts of other 

 vertebrates. The reasons given by the au- 

 thor for allotting so much space to this 

 dry subject are: "1. The general resem- 

 blance borne by the skeleton to the exter- 

 nal form. 2. The close connection between 

 the arrangement of the skeleton and that 

 of the nervous system, muscles, and ves- 

 sels. 3. The relations borne by the skele- 

 ton of each animal to the actions it per- 

 forms, i. e., to the mode of life and habits 

 of the various animals. 4. The obvious 

 utility of the skeleton in classification and 

 the interpretation of affinity. 5. Parts of 

 the skeleton or casts of such are all we pos- 

 sess of a vast number of animals formerly 

 existing in the world, but now entirely ex- 

 tinct ; a good knowledge of the skeleton 

 must, therefore, be of great utility to those 

 interested in pateontology." Lesson eight, 

 occupying the next 64 pages, is on the 

 muscles, which are dealt with in the same 

 manner as the bones that is, they are first 

 described as they exist in man, the more 

 important deviations from this type in other 

 vertebrate animals being afterward pointed 

 out. The same method is pursued in the 

 four remaining lessons, which are on the 

 nervous, circulatory, alimentary, and excre- 

 tory systems, respectively. 



The book closes with a tabulated sum- 

 mary, first, of the characters which distin- 



guish man from the animals belonging to 

 the four lower classes of the vertebrate sub- 

 kingdom ; and, second, of the characters 

 which separate him from all other mam- 

 mals. The volume is clearly printed, has a 

 very full index, and, on the whole, seems 

 well suited to the use of teachers and oth- 

 ers who already know something of the 

 subject. But for beginners we doubt its 

 utility, as it is altogether too technical to 

 be attractive to them, and too closely writ- 

 ten to be readily grasped by minds unfa- 

 miliar with this class of subjects. 



Antiquities of the Southern Indians, 

 particularly of the georgia tribes. 

 By Charles C. Jones, Jr. New York : 

 D. Appleton & Co., 1873. 



This work is devoted to a consideration 

 of the monuments, relics, and ancient cus- 

 toms of the aboriginal population formerly 

 inhabiting that portion of the United States 

 which is now comprised within the limits 

 of Virginia, the Carolinas, Georgia, Florida, 

 Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Ten- 

 nessee. The antiquities of Georgia receive 

 special attention, for with them the author 

 is most familiar. But, as all the tribes oc- 

 cupying the territories indicated above had 

 almost identical customs and arts, what ap- 

 plies to one section will apply to all, as the 

 author well shows. We think, however, 

 that he ought to have made an exception 

 of the Natchez, who were sun-worshippers, 

 and, in virtue of that higher grade of fe- 

 tichistic religion, raised considerably above 

 the neighboring tribes. But the author has 

 no ambition to philosophize about the re- 

 ligious or cultural status of the extinct peo- 

 ples whose memorials he has exhumed. He 

 simply narrates what he has seen, citing 

 here and thei - e the notes of ancient and 

 modern travellers to show the purpose of an 

 artificial mound, 01' moat, or plateau, or the 

 meaning of an outlandish ceremony, etc. 



The first three or four chapters of the 

 work give an account of the habitat, the 

 physical characteristics, manners and cus- 

 toms, and arts of the Southern Indians, at 

 the period when first they came in contact 

 with men of European race, and particular 

 attention is bestowed upon their costume, 

 manufactures, ornaments, games, festivals, 

 marital relations, forms of government, re- 



