390 NATURAL SCIENCE. Mav. 



plained by his physical nature. To arrive at this, he goes over a 

 large field, where it would be impossible to follow him in detail, 

 pointing out a multitude of distinctions — ^as, for instance, that man 

 is a producer, animals only consumers, animals are modified by 

 environment, man can modify environment, animals have sensibility, 

 man rationality, and so forth. All these are points of discussion that, 

 however Professor Calderwood trick them out in new settings, have 

 been debated abundantly ; and it is no unfair thing to say that one 

 knows beforehand how the facts will appear to different men. Pro- 

 fessor Calderwood and his kind exaggerate the mechanical rigidity of 

 " instinct," dilate on the breaking down of animals in unaccustomed 

 circumstances, and dwell on the glories of Shakespeare and Newton. 

 The Darwinian and his kind dwell on the gradations by which 

 "instinct " seems to pass into deliberated adaptation of means to ends, 

 lavish adulation on the intelligence of the dog, and grovel before the 

 animal stupidity of the savage. 



Professor Calderwood, and with him many others, still fear what 

 Carlyle called " the monkey damnification of mankind." They have 

 lost the old fears now that they have lost the battle over the evolu- 

 tion of the body : they redouble them on the question of reason. To 

 this reviewer it seems inexplicable that as all men know we have (to 

 use the popular terms) reason, conscience, power of making moral 

 judgments, and the apparent choice between them, it should matter 

 whether these came suddenly or gradually ; and it appears extra- 

 ordinary that when all the processes of the world (including evolution) 

 are a " sovereign wonder of superhuman fixedness of law," any 

 writers should be so concerned to establish jerkiness in the law. 

 Thus, Professor Calderwood with considerable pride, leads up to an 

 argument for the existence of deity by coming to the conclusion that 

 he has sliown the incompetence of science to explain life, mind, and 

 reason. Then he goes on: " There is a Power operating continually 

 in Nature, which does not come within range of the observation pos- 

 sible for scientific modes and appliances, yet to which science is ever 

 indirectly bearing witness. This Power has manifested itself at the 

 most impressive periods in the world's history, first at the appearance 

 of Organic Life, again on the appearance of Mind, and again on the 

 advent of Rational Life." A smoothly-rvinning process, an organic 

 growth of the world of matter and life, a growth on which the fruits 

 of life, of mind, and of soul appear in their due season, seems to 

 Professor Calderwood less compatible with theology than an inter- 

 rupted and repeatedly tinkered Nature. 



This book is devoid of scientific value, and no doubt was not 

 intended to have any ; and while it cannot conceivably help to sup- 

 port the faith of anyone who has not in his mind a thought-tight 

 partition between faith and reason, it may be a consolation to many 

 good stupid people sorely tried in their faith. 



The Year Book of Science. Edited for 1892 by Professor T. G. Bonney, D.Sc, 

 LL.D. F.R.S. 8vo. Pp. 519. London : Cassell & Co., 1893. Price 7s. 6d. 



In this second volume of the Year Book of Science the unevenness 

 of the different sections is still very noticeable, and the book might 

 be greatly improved by stricter editing. We observe that the 

 authors of the different parts take various views as to the objects of 



