80 Reviews, Sfc. 



which, if witnessed, would have appeared to be exactly the same 

 natural and unmiraeulous operation of cause and effect with which 

 we are familiar. After the first creative act, what is described is 

 the formation of earth and its tenants out of a disorderly mass of 

 matter ; and this is represented as having been accomplished by 

 movements within the mass itself, that is to say, by means of 

 second causes," This is the theory which the book works out 

 with some ability and ingenuity. If it is not altogether new, it is 

 at least modern. We cannot say we are convinced of its truth. 

 We have no faith in unscientific treatments of the physical phen- 

 omena of the universe, or in unlearned criticisms of the sacred 

 text. No man should attempt the discussions of the topics con- 

 tained in this book who has not had practical acquaintance with 

 the subjects which it involves. The idea of all pervading law in 

 the production of physical phenomena is that which Baden Powell 

 attempts to demonstrate with rare ability in his recent works. 

 We do not recognise any special feature in the " Nuggets from 

 the oldest Diggins" that entitles it to a very high rank in the litera- 

 ture of the subject on which it treats. It may be read with in- 

 terest by the curious, and be regarded as another addition to the 

 unsuccessful attempts to settle the disputed interpretation of the 

 Mosaic cosmogony. 



Ox THE Origin of Species by means op Natural Selections, or thk 



PRESERVATION OP FAVOURED RaCES IN THE STRUGGLE FOR LiFE. By 



Ch. Darwin, M.A., &c., «fec. New York: D. Appleton & Co. Mon^ 

 treal : B. Dawson & Son. 



This is an abstract of a larger work in course of preparation. 

 It is entitled to most careful perusal. The author is a well known 

 and distinguished Naturalist. He has given much attention to and 

 spent now twenty years of his life in the prosecution of the sub- 

 ject of this book. The title is a good description of its contents. 

 It deals with questions of Natural History in a way most masterly 

 and profound. That its views will meet with much opposition is 

 to be expected. Few will be disposed to go the sweeping length 

 to which our author is disposed to go in the logical issue of his 

 theory. We merely call attention to this able work in the mean 

 time. It promises to create quite a furor in the minds of scien- 

 tific enquirers. We hope to present our readers with a thorough 

 review of the work either from the pen of one of the Editors, or 

 from the pages of one of tlie earliest scientific magazines of Europe 

 or America. 



