550 Reviews. [July, 
Some over-curious spirits might, perhaps, inquire what could haye 
been going on in the “ chaotic vapours ” to produce these germs before 
their “ specks” began to rotate, but that would be hypereritical, and 
we feel sure that all naturalists will be grateful to Dr. Bichner for 
this lucid exposition of his views concerning the origin of living organ- 
isms, more especially the advocates of spontaneous generation, the 
believers in the creation of foraminifera from “ooze,” and in the 
spontaneous development of the gigantic reptiles of old, from the 
muddy beds of rivers, a theory which, by the way, appears to have 
the author’ s valuable but qualified support.* And now, organic life 
being once established, development proceeds actively. It is, “ per- 
haps, morally certain that a spontaneous generation exists, and that 
higher forms have gradually and slowly become developed from pre- 
viously existing lower forms, always determined by the state of the 
earth, but without the immediate influence of a higher power.’ 
Here, too, a little difficulty presents itself. The revelations of 
science are certainly tending in the direction here indicated (leaving 
out the question of the higher power) ; but still the author feels that 
he would appear ignorant in the eyes of men of science if he did not 
acknowledge that the question is not yet quiie decided; so he re- 
minds his readers that external influences upon animals are, “though 
considerable, yet insufiicient to change their specific form.” The 
alternation of generations, the metamorphoses of insects, are evidences 
which may be adduced in favour of his theory ; but even these pheno- 
mena, although they represent “a real change of the species,” are 
limited. There has, however, been ‘‘ one important and pregnant dis- 
covery” which should suffice to convince the most sceptical. It was 
made, not by an unknown observer, but by one of the greatest physio- 
logists of the day; not by a sceptic, but by a “believer,” and it was 
‘“a discovery which staggered its orthodox discoverer.”{ Johannes 
Miiller discovered “a generation of snails in Holothwrie,’ and 
“* Holothurie and snails belong to different divisions in the Animal 
Kingdom.” This discovery “removes any doubt as to the possibility 
of a permanent development of one species from a different one.” 
This is the kind of canards upon which the author bases his views 
as to the processes by which nature, as we now sce it, has, “ without 
the immediate influence of a higher power,” called itself into existence, 
or, to speak more correctly, developed itself from vaporous masses ; 
and we shall now cull from his book a few of his thoughts regarding 
the behaviour of nature whilst engaged upon its important task, so 
that we may be enabled to judge whether or not the intervention of 
any “higher power” was necessary for the perfection of the universe. 
But as our space is limited, and our criticisms upon this contribution 
to our scientific literature, however remarkable it may be, cannot be 
allowed to extend to an unreasonable length, we will at the same time 
extract a few of the author’s ideas on other difficult subjects, and our 
readers will have an opportunity of judging how clear is the con- 
ception he has formed of them himself, and what deference he pays to 
truth and reason. 
LER TT fue eae t P. 80. 
