Dec. 23, 1875] 



NATURE 



147 



ture, we also rejoice, in the interests of science, that they 

 think there is some chance of such a work becoming a 

 commercial success ; for thus, in the judgment of practical 

 men, there exists a considerable public who are able to 

 understand, appreciate, and enjoy a work which is largely 

 scientific in its character. This is an additional sign of 

 the general advance in intelligence which has been going 

 on in recent years, and of the fact that the results of 

 scientific research are gradually taking a place in the 

 public estimation of equal importance with the results of 

 Uterary eflfort We sincerely wish " The Arctic World'"' an 

 extensive circulation ; the publishers certainly deserve to 

 be rewarded for the venture they have made. 



Although the text is of substantial value, still, 



the most striking feature in this beautifully got-up 

 book is its pictures, which are most, if not all, of French 

 workmanship, and are really beautiful in execution, with 

 that touch of artistic exaggeration which the French 

 manage to impart to the most commonplace woodcut. 

 These pictures, upwards of 100 in number, render the 

 work a most attractive one, and besides, of themselves, 

 are calculated to convey not a little information concern- 

 ing the Arctic regions, the varied life, animal and human, 

 and scenery of which they represent with considerable 

 fulness. They are in all respects so attractive, that they 

 can be looked at over and over again without any diminu- 

 tion of interest. 



In the first chapter the author points out briefly and 



The Aurora I^realis. 



forcibly the scientific and practical gains which may be 

 expected from Arctic exploration, and which were fuUy set 

 before the public in connection with the Arctic expedition, 

 which no doubt is now upon or beyond the " threshold of 

 the unknown region." He gives a short sketch of the 

 geographical features of the Arctic region, of its surface in 

 relation to snow and ice, and of the general character of life 

 in the Polar World. In the second chapter an interesting 

 account is given of some of the most striking phenomena 

 tures of the region, the scener)', atmospheric phenomena, 

 the aurora, and some of the most prominent astronomical 

 features. The nature and formation of icebergs are pretty 

 fully discussed in the next chapter, and the various forms 

 of ice to be met with in the Arctic regions described ; 

 after which comes an interesting accoimt of some of the 



forms of animal life to be met with in the Polar Seas, and 

 the methods of capturing it Then follows a well-written 

 account of the most trustworthy researches on the 

 nature and formation of snow and ice in connec- 

 tion with the constitution and movements of glaciers. 

 Vegetable life is described in Chapter V., as also 

 the connections, habits, and uses of the principal land- 

 animals and birds. A slight divergence is made in 

 Chapter VI., in order to give a brief account of Iceland 

 its scener)', its physical phenomena, and the life and 

 character of the people ; this chapter is written in a tone 

 that Capt. Burton would probably think too highly 

 pitched. In the three succeeding chapters the charac- 

 teristics and mode of life of the various people who 

 inhabit the Arctic regions are set forth with considerable 



