REVIEWS 339 



•which it has been "WTitten, and, in spite of its rather heavy price, should be 

 iound at least in the library of every teacher of geography, and in that of 

 every school in which geography is properly and seriously taught. A word of 

 caution as to its use may be necessary. The authors are right in claiming 

 that their book is written for students able to think for themselves. If, in 

 reading this book, this habit is not carefully exercised, one source of error 

 will at once arise. So many generalisations are made that, in the absence of 

 definite statements as to the relative importance of the physiographical 

 principles involved, it is possible for any one of the many conclusions to have 

 a quite disproportionate value placed upon it. It is easily seen how this may 

 arise in a book where an attempt is being made to connect physiographical 

 •environment with such widely different considerations as human character, 

 activity, mentality, and even international relationship and history. 



It is rather unfortunate that, in one of the few items where the physio- 

 graphical background is explained in detail, namely tides, so inadequate an 

 explanation should be given. Also in the reference to the London water- 

 supply a misleading impression is inevitable to the American reader, for whom 

 the book is primarily written. 



Geographers are proverbially careless in their choice of terms, and it 

 seems a great pity that a loose habit of this kind should be persisted in by 

 modern writers. The use of the term "subtropical" to indicate a special 

 climate — as opposed to monsoon — is, to say the least of it, very unfortunate. 



W. C. Brown. 



The Great Riddle. By Frank Horridge. [Pp. iii + 99.] (London : Kegan 

 Paul, Trench, Triibner & Co., 192 1. Price 35. 6d. net.) 



This book is an essay on the effects of natural forces and conditions in the 

 creation. It is evident that the author knows nothing about natural forces 

 and conditions, or the creation. It is truly the strangest mixture of rubbish 

 and antique scientific knowledge we have read for some time. Indeed " the 

 Great Riddle," to us, is to know why and how the book was ever published. 

 Mr. Frank Horridge, in addition to being a respondent in the question of 

 "the Great Riddle," is also author of Ballades of Olde France, Alsace, and 

 Old Hollande. Would that Mr. Frank Horridge had kept at the Ballades, 

 and left the Great Riddle alone 1 We do not claim to be able to judge 

 Olde Ballades, but we feel sure that we are correct in saying that Mr. Frank 

 Horridge has not altogether been successful in this preliminary canter upon 

 the fields of the Biological Science. We hope that he will refrain from pub- 

 lishing his further promised work " on a comprehensive and all-embracing 

 scale." The last has been too much for us. j. Bronte Gatenby. 



