344 NATURAL SCIENCE [November 
hypothesis, and a distinctly genetic motive. The subjects with which 
it deals are of necessity vague in outline and indefinite in limitation. 
The social and moral feelings, the religious and aesthetic sentiments, 
the emotions associated with intellectual endeavour—all these present 
us with such a variety of factors, such an interlacement of the threads 
of our mental life, so much overlap and so much that is dependent on 
individuality of character, that anything like mathematical, exactness 
or precision of measurement is at present, and 1 is likely long to remain, 
impossible. 
On the other hand, Dr Scripture’s Vew Psychology is characterised 
by limitation of field, a devotion to exactness of measurement, a love 
of mathematical and formulated presentment, an impatience of hypo- 
thesis, and a refusal to look beyond the formulated facts. The sub- 
jects with which it deals are carefully restricted to those which lend 
themselves to physical measurement. The new psychology—a re- 
markably unsatisfactory and somewhat arrogant title—deals with a 
comparatively small area of the field of mental endeavour, and one in 
which there is no luxuriant profusion of mental products. But it 
endeavours to deal with this small area with an exactness and pre- 
cision which is in itself wholly praiseworthy. And if the results 
attained by the large expenditure of time, money, and energy in the 
well-equipped psychological laboratories across the Atlantic would 
seem at present scarcely commensurate with the cost, this will not, 
we trust, damp the ardour of enthusiasts like Dr Scripture. Psychology 
is a great subject of which we are only just beginning to realise the 
importance. There is plenty of scope both for the breadth of treat- 
ment we find in Prof. Ribot and for the patient experimentation of 
those whose work is described in the New Psychology. 
A BLIND GUIDE- 
Naturne-Cuat. By ae A. Martin, F.G.S. 8vo, pp. 141. London: 
R. & A. Taylor, 1897. Price; 1s. 
THERE are numbers of folk who derive much innocent enjoyment from 
natural history, and who have a harmless enthusiasm for ‘ Nature.’ 
No one would wish to interfere with their amusement ; but the matter 
assumes a different aspect when their trivial observations and inaccu- 
rate assertions are obtruded upon the public. This is the case in the 
latest addition to the biblia abiblia which are now so freely issued 
from the press—“Nature-Chat,”’ by Mr Edward A. Martin. Mr 
Martin is a leading light of the Selborne Society; he guides the 
members in their summer rambles, and lectures to them on winter 
evenings. He has written a bibliography of White of Selborne, and 
seems to think he follows the methods of ‘Gilbert, as he affection- 
ately styles him. 
Disraeli said that the critics were men who had failed in literature; 
Mr Martin makes it clear that a teacher may be one who has never 
succeeded in learning. He has brought together in this volume a 
number of paragraphs, many of which, we believe, have appeared in 
a local magazine or newspaper ; others are “parts of letters addressed 
to friends,’ who must, we think, be somewhat bored by the honour of 
Mr Martin’s correspondence. We look in vain for a single addition 
to knowledge in this collection of trivialities. 
