706 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



or of masses of meteoric vapor produced by 

 beat. The heat is brought about by the 

 condensation of meteor-swarms due to grav- 

 ity, the vapor being finally condensed into a 

 solid globe. That the existing distinction be- 

 tween stars, comets, and nebulae rests on no 

 physical basis ; that stars, the temperatures 

 of which are increasing, do not resemble the 

 sun, but consist chiefly of discrete meteoric 

 particles, just as comets do on Schiaparelli's 

 hypothesis ; and that the spectra of all cos- 

 mical bodies depend upon either the heat of 

 the meteorites produced by collisions, and the 

 average space between the meteorites in the 

 swarm, or, in the case of swarms wholly 

 volatilized, upon the loss by radiation since 

 complete vaporization. 



The Tshi-speaking Peoples of the Gold 

 Coast ok West Africa. Pp. 343. The 

 Ewe-speaking Peoples of the Slave 

 Coast of West Africa. Pp. 331. By 

 A. B. Ellis. London : Chapman & 

 Hall. 



The purpose of the author in these 

 books, which constitute part of a series, is 

 to show by examples taken from the negro 

 peoples the subjects of them, how the evo- 

 lution of religion may proceed. Four peo- 

 ples have been had in view : the Tshi-speak- 

 ing peoples of the Gold Coast ; the Ga- 

 speaking peoples of the Gold Coast ; the 

 Ewe- speaking peoples of the Slave Coast ; 

 and the Yoruba-speaking peoples of the 

 Slave Coast. Their languages all belong to 

 one family, indicating, apparently, that they 

 have all sprung from a common stock. They 

 occupy territories on the west coast of Af- 

 rica contiguous in the order in which they 

 are named, from west to east, and exhibit, 

 on the whole, a gradual advance in civiliza- 

 tion, in the same order. The author sug- 

 gests that the differences in civilization may 

 be due to differences in local conditions and 

 surroundings and in the character of the 

 country, which opens up from the forest 

 regions of the west, where density of popu- 

 lation is discouraged and communication is 

 difficult, to the open plains of the Yoruba 

 country. The religious beliefs of the Ga- 

 speaking people resemble those of the Tshis, 

 and are not considered for the present. 

 Those of the Yorubas are reserved for a fu- 

 ture volume. The best-known representa- 

 tives of the Tshi-speaking tribes are per- 



haps the Fantis and Ashantis. Throughout 

 the vast tract of forest inhabited by them, 

 they live in insignificant villages and ham- 

 lets, built in small clearings in the forest, 

 between which communication is kept up 

 by narrow forest paths. Ideas permeate 

 among them but slowly ; and notwithstand- 

 ing an intercourse on the part of the inhab- 

 itants of the sea-coast with Europeans, which 

 has existed for more than four hundred 

 years, they are much in the same social and 

 moral condition as they were at the time 

 of the Portuguese discoveries. The Ewe- 

 speaking peoples, among whom are the Da- 

 homis, present the ordinary characteris- 

 tics of the uncivilized negro. In early life 

 they evince a degree of intelligence which, 

 compared with that of the European child, 

 appears precocious, and they acquire knowl- 

 edge with facility till they arrive at the age 

 of puberty, when the physical nature mas- 

 ters the intellect, and frequently deadens it. 

 Like most inhabitants of the tropics, they 

 have more spontaneity and less application, 

 more intuition and less reasoning power, 

 than the inhabitants of temperate climes. 

 These traits, of both peoples, are ascribed 

 partly to the climate, partly to physical 

 peculiarities, and partly to the social con- 

 dition and the general sense of insecurity. 

 As a result of all the inimical influences, 

 the energy of all has degenerated into idle- 

 ness and sensual enjoyment, " and it will 

 take centuries to raise them." Incidentally, 

 in collecting information concerning the re- 

 ligion of these peoples, the author also gath- 

 ered facts concerning other matters their 

 laws, government, various customs, prov- 

 erbs, folk-lore, etc. and these subjects are 

 also presented, not as in a full record, but 

 to fix a starting-point from which a sys- 

 tematic and more complete study may be 

 made. 



Geological Survey of New Jersey. Final 

 Report of the State Geologist. Vol. 

 II, Part II. Zoology. Trenton. Pp. 824. 



The present " part " of the final report 

 of the late Prof. Cook contains two papers : 

 A Catalogue of Insects found in New Jersey, 

 by John B. Smith ; and a Descriptive Cata- 

 logue of Vertebrates, by Julius Nelson. Mr. 

 Smith confesses to having had to encounter 

 many difficulties in preparing his catalogue 



