682 SCIENCE PROGRESS 



Ornithologists' Union which has, to a certain extent, served as a guide in the 

 preparation of the present volume. The names of the two authors, who are well- 

 known authorities on North American herpetology, are a sufficient guarantee of 

 the recentness and reliability of the matter contained in the book. We should 

 like to point out, however, that from the point of view of the zoologist, who is not 

 familiar with the details of the classification of these two classes, a table of 

 contents and an index similar to those provided in the A.O.U. check list would 

 considerably simplify its use in looking up references. It only remains to be 

 noted that the printing and general " get up " of the book are of that excellent 

 quality that we have learned to associate with the Harvard University Press. 



C. H. O'D. 



MISCELLANEOUS 



Crime and Criminals. Being the Jurisprudence of Crime, Medical, Biological, 

 and Psychological. By Charles Mercier, M.D., F.R.C.P., F.R.C.S. 

 With an Introduction by Sir Bryan Donkin, M.A., M.D., F.R.C.P. 

 [Pp. xvii + 291.] (London: University of London Press, 1918. Price 

 ioj-. 6d. net.) 



The appearance of a new work on Crime by the author of Criminal Responsi- 

 bility and Crime and Insanity is an event of very wide interest, both to criminolo- 

 gists and to the general public. Dr. Mercier unites a specialist's knowledge of 

 the subject with a breadth of view not often found in specialists, and with an 

 originality of thought and independence of authority not often found anywhere. 



The present work is a natural sequel to his work on Conduct, and to his 

 writings on Logic. Dr. Mercier classifies crime into the two primary divisions of 

 those aimed against " the very principle of society " (international crimes), and 

 those that injure a single state (national crimes). The former include piracy, 

 filibustering, brigandage, and anarchy. The latter are subdivided into those 

 directed against the state (public crimes) and those directed against individuals 

 (private crimes). These with their further subdivisions are considered in detail. 



In dealing with the factors which conduce to criminality, Dr. Mercier re- 

 pudiates all theories that the criminal has any fundamental difference from the 

 ordinary man. This theory, carried to so extreme a length by Lombroso, has 

 indeed largely gone out of fashion. "Every man," says Dr. Mercier, "is a 

 potential criminal." The perpetration of a crime is consequent upon a temptation 

 which exceeds the resisting-power or "breaking point" of the individual. Every 

 one has his "breaking point," though for a saint the degree of temptation 

 required to attain it will be exceedingly high, and in a habitual criminal low. 

 Hence Dr. Mercier would prevent crime, partly by raising moral tone, partly by 

 removal of temptation. He favours regulations, for instance, to prevent shop- 

 keepers from exposing their wares in such a way as to offer temptations to theft 

 by passers-by. This seems to savour somewhat of moral coddling. If the 

 individual is protected too much from all the temptations in life, is there not a 

 danger of moral softness resulting ? On n'acquiert pas les qtialitds dont on pent 

 se passer; moral as well as physical strength comes only to those who have had 

 the opportunity of exercising these faculties. 



Sir Bryan Donkin supplies an admirable introduction to this important book. 

 If it is true that Dr. Mercier needs no introduction, it is no less the case that an 

 introduction by Sir Bryan lends great additional weight and authority to any book 

 on the subject of crime. 



