381 



REVIEWS. 



Art. I. Catalogue of Works on Natural History, lately published^ 

 with some Notice of those considered the most interesting to British 

 Naturalists, 



Edwards, Dr. : On the Influence of Physical Agents on Life. 

 Translated from the French, with Notes by Dr. Hodgkin 

 and Dr. Fisher. 8vo, 489 pages. Highley, London. 



This is a work of high interest to the philosophical na- 

 turalist. The object of the author's researches is to examine 

 and ascertain the effects, both separately and conjointly, pro- 

 duced by air, water, temperature, light, and electricity on the 

 various classes of vertebrated animals. These agents, no 

 doubt, almost always act simultaneously and conjointly, and 

 and hence it must be a very difficult matter to discriminate 

 the influences of one alone from those of the others. Dr. 

 Edwards," however, has laboured most meritoriously and 

 successfully to elucidate these dark arcana of natural science ; 

 and his work is the record of the almost countless, and in 

 many instances very curious experiments he has performed, 

 and of the highly interesting conclusions to which these ex- 

 periments have conducted him. His original views, which 

 are numerous and valuable, having been rigidly scrutinised 

 and confirmed by the researches of others, we may place the 

 most implicit reliance on their authenticity and correctness. 

 Dr. Edwards is, indeed, an honour to his country (he is an 

 Englishman); his work evinces the most unwearied industry, 

 and, at the same time, great penetration, ingenuity, and judg- 

 ment. He is quite an original thinker, and his mind is 

 evidently stamped with the signet of true philosophy. — J, J, 

 May, 1834. 



Jar dine. Sir William, Bart. F.R.S., &c. : The Naturalist's 

 Library. Vol. IIL Gallinaceous Birds. 65. 



The pictures of this class of birds (the pheasants, turkey, 

 pea fowl, Guinea fowl, &c., but especially of the pheasants) 

 are, as might be expected, striking for their splendour : they 

 are, besides, enriched with landscapes. A " Memoir of 

 Aristotle," with an engraved head of this naturalist, is prefixed 

 to this volume. The memoir occupies 98 pages. 



