400 THE CANADIAN NATURALIST. [*J une 



BOOK NOTICES. 



ACADIAN GEOLOGY.* 



Canada has been upon the whole liberal to science. Not so 

 liberal, it is true, as the neighbouring State of New York, whose 

 splendid series of quartos are known the world over ; not perhaps 

 so liberal as some even of our sister colonies, who have cheerfully 

 contributed their share of the expense necessary to publish the 

 series of works known as the Colonial Floras, while Canada has 

 hitherto refused hers. Yet, withal, she has been, in her 

 own way, liberal. She has for many years back spent something 

 like $20,000 per annum on literary and scientific societies. 

 It might .have been better if this money had been given to 

 these several societies for some specific object — for research 

 into some defined branch of literature or science (excluding 

 geology), to be pursued from year to year, and the results 

 published ; nevertheless, though probably there may not be 

 much to show for it, this money has, doubtless, been upon 

 the whole well spent. Canada's greatest benefaction to science 

 is, however, in the maintenance of her Geological Survey, which, 

 under the direction of its eminent chief, has been continued 

 for some sixteen or eighteen years, with plenty of good work to 

 shew for the sums expended on it. Personally we are of opinion 

 that this Survey has been too restricted, — all has been devoted to 

 the fossil, almost nothing to the living. Had Sir William been 

 provided with means to extend his survey so as to report on the 

 natural productions of a district as well as on its geology, the 

 country might have been saved the thousands it has spent in 

 making so-called colonization roads through uncolonizable terri- 

 tory, and in surveying lots unfitted for settlement. 



Until very recently, the Lower Provinces have not enjoyed the 

 benefits of organized Geological Surveys, but our author, Dr. 

 Dawson, aided to some extent by other zealous explorers, animated 

 by a love of science for its own sake has, and that to no mean 

 extent, in great part made up for this deficiency, though of course 

 devoting himself to those points most likely to yield important 

 scientific results, leaving' the drudgery of details to those who 



* Acadian Geology. — The Geological Structure, Organic Remain*, 

 and Mineral Resources of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince 

 Edward Island, by John William Dawson, M.A., LL.D., F.R.S. Second 

 edition, with a Geological map and numerous illustrations. London : 

 MacMillan & Co. Montreal: Dawson Brothers. 8vo, pp. xxviii, 694. 



