Notices respecting New Books. 217 



we behold Creative Power evolving and modifying the raw material, 

 which is afterwards to he invested with form and life, and the sense of 

 awe predominates over our admiration. Volcanic geology also differs 

 from all other branches of natural history, in not being limited to the 

 bounds of our terrestrial prison. We know nothing, and we never 

 can know anything in this life, of the zoology, or the botany, or the 

 mineralogy of other celestial bodies ; but the forms and configurations 

 of our own satellite, and in some degree of the planets also, enable 

 us to study volcanic geology in other spheres, and thus to add to the 

 proofs, which gravitation supplies, of the uniformity of Nature's 

 laws. 



The occuiTence in almost every region of the earth's surface of 

 volcanic products, ancient or modern, and their general uniformity 

 of character, prove how essentially they are connected with the in- 

 ternal structure of the globe ; while the minor variations in their 

 phsenomena afford an endless source of interest to the geologist, the 

 physical geographer, the mineralogist and the chemist. Innumerable 

 obsen'ations of volcanic phscnomena have been made in recent times, 

 and are widely scattered over the field of literature ; but some resume 

 of the whole subject was required to generalize these erratic facts, 

 to condense their substance, and to guide the more ardent student 

 to the original sources of knowledge. Such an object is incidentally 

 aimed at in most modern treatises on geology ; but Dr. Daubeny 

 was, we believe, the first, in this country at least, to devote an espe- 

 cial work to the whole subject of volcanos. His treatise, published 

 more than twenty years ago, has been long and deservedly esteemed ; 

 but from the lapse of time, had fallen much in arrear of the present 

 state of science. The work now before us, which he modestly terms 

 a second edition, is so greatly extended, both in the amount of its 

 information and in the maturity of its reasonings, that it might well 

 have been designated by an original title. 



The first and largest portion of the work contains an admirable 

 summary of X\\q facts of volcanic geology, arranged according to the 

 regions of the earth's surface where they occur. The wonderfully 

 extensive diffusion of volcanic phsenomena, and the diversities whiclr 

 they exhiljit in each district, render any other than a geographical 

 arrangement of them almost impracticable. The many personal 

 examinations which Dr. Daubeny has made of volcanic regions, 

 and the length of time that his attention has been given to the sub- 

 ject, have enabled him to render the descriptive portion of his work 

 very complete ; and the many reflected lights which he has thrown 

 upon it from historians and classic poets, make it interesting to other 

 classes of readers besides geologists. The chapters upon the vol- 

 canos of France, Italy, Greece, Asia Minor, and Syria, are particu- 

 larly instructive in this respect. The many authentic accounts of 

 the activity of volcanic foci in historic times, now slumbering for 

 awhile, now bunsting forth in some unexi)ected locality, prove the 

 vast extent of the fiery lake on which the lovely lands and seas of 

 Southern Europe tranquilly float. 



In his chapter on Syria, Dr. Daubeny shows the great probability 



