344 NATURAL SCIENCE [November 



hypothesis, and a distinctly genetic motive. The subjects with which 

 it deals are of necessity vague in outline and indefinite in limitation. 

 The social and moral feelings, the religious and aesthetic sentiments, 

 the emotions associated with intellectual endeavour — all these present 

 us with such a variety of factors, such an interlacement of the threads 

 of our mental life, so much overlap and so much that is dependent on 

 individuality of character, that anything like mathematical exactness 

 or precision of measurement is at present, and is likely long to remain, 

 impossible. 



On the other hand, Dr Scripture's New Psychology is characterised 

 by limitation of field, a devotion to exactness of measurement, a love 

 of mathematical and formulated presentment, an impatience of hypo- 

 thesis, and a refusal to look beyond the formulated facts. The sub- 

 jects with which it deals are carefully restricted to those which lend 

 themselves to physical measurement. The new psychology — a re- 

 markably unsatisfactory and somewhat arrogant title — deals with a 

 comparatively small area of the field of mental endeavour, and one in 

 which there is no luxuriant profusion of mental products. But it 

 endeavours to deal with this small area with an exactness and pre- 

 cision which is in itself wholly praiseworthy. And if the results 

 attained by the large expenditure of time, money, and energy in the 

 well-equipped psychological laboratories across the Atlantic would 

 seem at present scarcely commensurate with the cost, this will not, 

 we trust, damp the ardour of enthusiasts like Dr Scripture. Psychology 

 is a great subject of which we are only just beginning to realise the 

 importance. There is plenty of scope both for the breadth of treat- 

 ment we find in Prof. Eibot and for the patient experimentation of 

 those whose work is described in the New Psychology. 



A Blind Guide 



Nature -Chat. By Edward A. Martin, F.G.S. 8vo, pp. 141. London: 

 It. & A. Taylor, 1897. Price, Is. 



There are numbers of folk who derive much innocent enjoyment from 

 natural history, and who have a harmless enthusiasm for ' Nature.' 

 No one would wish to interfere with their amusement ; but the matter 

 assumes a different aspect when their trivial observations and inaccu- 

 rate assertions are obtruded upon the public. This is the case in the 

 latest addition to the biblia abiblia which are now so freely issued 

 from the press — " Nature - Chat," by Mr Edward A. Martin. Mr 

 Martin is a leading light of the Selborne Society ; . he guides the 

 members in their summer rambles, and lectures to them on winter 

 evenings. He has written a bibliography of White of Selborne, and 

 seems to think he follows the methods of ' Gilbert,' as he affection- 

 ately styles him. 



Disraeli said that the critics were men who had failed in literature; 

 Mr Martin makes it clear that a teacher may be one who has never 

 succeeded in learning. He has brought together in this volume a 

 number of paragraphs, many of which, we believe, have appeared in 

 a local magazine or newspaper ; others are "parts of letters addressed 

 to friends," who must, we think, be somewhat bored by the honour of 

 Mr Martin's correspondence. We look in vain for a single addition 

 to knowledge in this collection of trivialities. 



