442 Literary Notices. 



had been slipped into a wrong part of our bookcase, and, 

 therefore, up to the time named, overlooked. We much regret 

 this ; not that so excellent a work, and from such an author, 

 can remain unknown through our silence, but we are ever 

 anxious to show ourselves alive to the attention of our friends, 

 and to supply to our subscribers the earliest information of 

 works likely to conduce to their gratification and service. 

 This work is one such ; and a friend of ours, eminent in 

 geology, has pronounced it excellent. 



We shall quote from the book one paragraph, which pro- 

 pounds, in relation to geology, a universal principle, a canon 

 of the science. It is elegantly written ; as is the whole book, 

 where the subject matter allows it : — 



" We shall use the term vicinity, with much greater 

 latitude than it commonly receives. The essence of geology 

 consists, in fact, in general views, and one of the best accom- 

 plishments of the geologist is mobility ; for the features of 

 the globe are on so vast a scale, and the facts to be brought 

 together lie often so wide apart, that it is only by great 

 activity in observing, and by very careful inference from what 

 we see, that good results are to be hoped for. The best 

 gift, therefore, that could be offered to the learner would, 

 perhaps, be, the power of transporting himself at will to 

 distant places, and of floating above the surface of the earth, 

 at such a distance as to seize upon the general features, and 

 contemplate their relations at his ease ; descending, from 

 time to time, for the purpose of studying the coast sections 

 in detail. In the mean time, he must be content to use the 

 more humble conveyances of common life ; and, with their 

 aid, to make the best approach he can to this desirable 

 ubiquity of mind and body. His progress in geological 

 knowledge and discovery will be proportioned to his success 

 in the attempts, and he may obtain some measure of his zeal 

 from his alacrity in attending to these recommendations." 



Art. II. Literary Notices. 



Mr. Jenyns is preparing for publication A Manual of 

 British Vertebrated Animals. It is intended that this work 

 shall contain accurate descriptions and measurements, taken, 

 as far as possible, from recent specimens, of all our indigenous 

 mammalia, birds, reptiles, and fishes. The domesticated, 

 naturalised, and some of the extinct species will be likewise 

 included, but distinguished from those which may be con- 

 sidered as true natives, by a difference of type. Under each 



