430 



NATURAL SCIENCE. Dec, 



Atlases. 



Philip's Systematic Atlas. Physical and Political, specially designed for the use 

 of High Schools and Private Students, etc. By E. G. Ravenstein. School 

 Edition, ii x 8 inches. 41 double pages containing 170 maps and diagrams 

 and an Inde.x of 12,000 names. London : G. Philip & Sons, 1894. Price los. 6d. 



Philip's HanIdy-volume Atlas of the World. By E. G. Ravenstein. New 

 and enlarged edition, 6x4 inches. 72 maps and Index. London : G. Philip 

 and Sons, 1895. Price 5s. 



In April, 1894, we had something to say about the first of these 

 atlases, and though our remarks may not have been pleasing to the 

 compilers or to the publishers, they might well have been listened to 

 for reputation's sake. The School Edition of the Systematic Atlas, 

 it is true, omits the nonsensical geographical distribution map as well 

 as the inadequate geological map of Europe ; but it includes the 

 absurd little hemispheres of religion, and those showing the races of 

 mankind. " Tit-bits of inaccurate folly " we called them then, tit- 

 bits of inaccurate folly we call them now. We have no good word 

 for publications in which absurdities once pointed out are persistently 

 reproduced, even though Messrs. J. Scott Keltic, H. J. Mackinder, and 

 E. G. Ravenstein vouch for their accuracy. We hope this atlas was 

 not exhibited at the Geographical Congress for the delectation of our 

 foreign visitors. 



The Handy-volume Atlas, with its seventy-two maps, is much 

 more useful. It seems to have been brought up-to-date carefully, and 

 is clearly printed, and not overcrowded with names. The imperti- 

 nence of classifying religions into Heathen, Hindus, Bhuddists, \sic] 

 Mohammedans, and Christians is repeated, but the races of mankind 

 here fall into the following heads : Aryans, Semites and Hamites, 

 Mongols, and American Indians, though others are shown in the two 

 little hemispheres. On the backs of each map is printed a variety of 

 information of use for reference, and there is a good index. 



Cats. 



A Handbook to the Carnivora. Part I. By R. Lydekker, F.R.S. Allen's 

 Naturalist's Library. Edited by R. B. Sharpe. Pp. viii., 312, with 32 plates 

 and woodcuts. London : Allen & Co., 1895. Price 6s. 



Dr. Sharpe, the editor of the series, has wisely entrusted to Mr, 

 Lydekker the preparation of a large number of the mammalian 

 volumes of the Naturalist's Series, a task for which he is well fitted 

 by reason of his special acquaintance with the group and his 

 phenomenal fertility in the production of results. We imagine that 

 there are few writers upon zoology who can show so magnificent a 

 total in the way of published work as can Mr. Lydekker. So far as 

 we can judge of the present volume, we cannot accuse the author of 

 having sacrificed accuracy to speed. His clear descriptions are borne 

 out by plates which we cannot actually term excellent, but which are 

 fair representations of the animals which they illustrate ; but in 

 making this criticism the low price of the book must obviously be 

 taken into consideration. For our part, we would have preferred 

 fewer and better pictures ; but that is a matter of taste concerning 

 which there might be disputes. The figure of the Cryptoprocta, for 

 example, — which we are glad to see Mr. Lydekker includes without 

 any fuss among the Viverridae, a proceeding in which he is supported 

 by Mr. Beddard in his memoir upon the anatomy of the animal 

 published in the last number of the Proceedings of the Zoological 



