^ ks^Si \^i' Bibliographical Notices. 375 



and all will for any length of time retain sufficient moisture to 

 prevent brittleness. The salt being neutral, no fear need be 

 apprehended of its injuring colour or texture, while its antiseptic 

 properties will aid in the preservation of matters liable to decay. 



BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES. 



A Manual of Natural History for the use of Travellers. By 

 Arthur Adams, W. B. Baikie, and Charles Barron. Lon- 

 don, 1854. Van Voorst. 12mo. 



" The design of the following pages," say the authors in their pre- 

 face, " is to endeavour to supply what seems to be a blank in the 

 scientific literature of this country, for, although numerous treatises 

 exist upon every branch, yet no work has hitherto appeared, com- 

 prising either succinctly or in detail, a comprehensive outline of 

 natural history. It may appear presumptuous," they add, "on the 

 part of the authors to attempt to grapple with such an extensive 

 range of subjects" — and we regret to say that a careful examination of 

 the book only shows us how well founded was this fear. There can 

 be no doubt, in fact, that the authors have entirely miscalculated 

 their strength, or they never would have attempted so arduous an 

 undertaking. This is the more to be regretted, as we fear that a 

 work with the above attractive title, brought out under the auspices 

 of a publisher so well known for the first-rate character of his publi- 

 cations, will inevitably to a great extent preoccupy a place in our 

 scientific literature which might be much more creditably filled. 



The authors have fallen into an error in their very first step,— 

 the general design and scope of the work. Let us first see what are 

 the objects of travelUng, or indeed of any, naturaHsts, and the condi- 

 tions to be fulfilled by a * Manual ' intended for their use, and we 

 may afterwards consider how far their wants are supplied in the work 

 before us. The study of Natural History may safely be divided into 

 two branches — the collection and arrangement of species, and the 

 study of the structure, habits, and general classification of the nume- 

 rous creatures inhabiting our planet. The same person may un- 

 doubtedly combine the study of both branches, but they may never- 

 theless be regarded to a great extent as distinct, and capable of 

 being carried on independently of each other ; accordingly we find 

 that works on natural history are generally directed exclusively to 

 one or other of them. Now the collector of species, whether for sale, 

 or for his own personal gratification, desires, if possible, to ascertain 

 the actual specific names of the objects which come in his way, their 

 comparative rarity and so forth, so that nothing short of a " Species," 

 or at all events a* "Genera," with copious information as to the geo- 

 graphical distribution of the species, can serve his purpose. The 

 reader need but reflect on the voluminous works devoted to descrip- 

 tion of portions only of the organic kingdoms of nature, to be con- 

 vinced that an attempt to bring together all the species, or even 



