September i6, 1897J 



NA TURE 



467 



Popular explanations of the divine names obtained' 

 currency and modified the myths. Thus the old name 

 of a deity which had lost its meaning might remind a 

 later generation of the name of some beast ; hence 

 might arise those stories of gods taking the forms of 

 beasts and acting like them, which are mixed up with 

 and mar the lofty and poetical character of Greek 

 mythology. To this school mythology is, in a sense, 

 'a disease of language," and can be explained best by 

 means of etymology. Their method consists in extract- 

 ing the original meaning of Greek divine names by a 

 comparison of Sanskrit roots. Having by this means 

 obtained an inkling of a deity's origin, they proceed to 

 explain the myths connected with him in accordance 

 with his character. 



The younger school of mythologists proceed on 

 totally different lines. They do not confine their studies 

 to the mythology of one nation or one family of nations, 

 but examine and classify' myths all the world over. 

 They regard the savage stories of Greek gods and 

 heroes not as due to a disease of language, but as 

 survivals from an age of more primitive culture, tracing 

 their origin to certain human peculiarities shared by all 

 races in the early stages of their development. To the 

 mind of the savage, nature is not inanimate ; every 

 animal, plant, stone, wind and river he regards as 

 having a life and personality like his own, and attributes 

 to them human powers of thought, speech and action. 

 Moreover, the bounds which mark off the various sub- 

 divisions of the natural world are not drawn tight for 

 him, but he regards all things as capable of endless 

 change of form ; thus gods may become men, and both 

 gods and men may become beasts or things. When, 

 therefore, stories of gods assuming bestial shapes occur 

 in Greek mythology, the anthropologist regards them 

 not as later developments due to a mistaken etymology 

 of names, but as relics of an earlier state of culture. 



Such, broadly stated, are the differences in theory and 

 method between the two rival schools of mythologists, 

 of which the anthropological school will always be pre- 

 eminently associated with the name of Prof. Tylor. In 

 " Modern Mythology" wherever Mr. Lang sings the 

 praises of this method we entirely agree with him ; but 

 anthropology is now a sturdy infant, and in no danger 

 of being ignored. That part of the book which deals 

 with Mr. Lang's own utterances and those of Mannhardt, 

 Prof Tiele and others, though wittily and charmingly 

 written, is not of very great importance, and might well 

 have appeared in the form of two magazine articles ; a 

 fate, by the way, which had already befallen the last 

 quarter of Mr. Lang's book. In such a guise Mr, Lang's 

 " reply " would have amused and delighted us, for he 

 has the enviable power of writing attractively on the 

 surface of any subject, however abstruse. When, how- 

 ever, a clever but rambling collection of notes, thrown 

 together in a few days, would pass as a serious reply to 

 the ripe work of many years of scholarly labour, we 

 could wish, in the interests of science, that its author 

 had been a man of less eminence or greater discretion. 

 NO 1455, VOL. 56] 



OUR BOOK SHELF. 



The Vivarium : being a Practical Guide to the Construc- 

 tion, Arrangement, and Management of Vivaria, 

 containing full Information as to all Reptiles suitable 

 as Pets, hoio and where to obtain them, and how to keep 

 them in health. By Rev. G. C. Bateman. Pp. 424; 

 illustrated. (London : L. U. Gill.) 



The main title of this little work is likely to give the 

 impression that it merely treats of the best way of keep- 

 ing a few reptiles or other creatures in a fern-case in a 

 window or conservatory. But it is really much more than 

 this, and gives details of the manner to keep in confine- 

 ment and health, not only small lizards, salamanders, and 

 snakes, but likewise such inconvenient "pets" as alli- 

 gators, pythons, and boa-constrictors— creatures by no 

 means suited to the menage of every small household. 

 Nor is this all, for it is practically a natural history of 

 reptiles and amphibians, although attention is chiefly 

 directed to those species most easily obtainable in the 

 market, and which thrive best in confinement. The 

 illustrations are, for the most part, of a high class, and 

 the descriptions of the various animals well written, 

 although, perhaps, at times a trifle dull. The instructions 

 for making vivaria appear complete, and the hints on 

 management all that can be desired. 



A fair criticism on the book is that it is either a little 

 too scientific, or not quite scientific enough. That is to 

 say, the author is often too scientific for ordinary readers, 

 while naturalists would go elsewhere for the information he 

 seeks to impart. In the general arrangement of reptiles 

 an obsolete classification is adopted, while in the case of 

 genera and species the author is often undecided as to 

 what names to adopt. When both names are given side 

 by side not much harm is done, but when we find the 

 common viper figuring as Pelias berus on p. 3, and as 

 Vipera berus on p. 170, the beginner is likely to feel a 

 trifle puzzled. Then, again, what is the use of giving 

 abbreviations of authors, such as Dum. and Bibr., after 

 the names ? Hieroglyphics or logarithms would be just as 

 comprehensible to the readers who are likely to study 

 the book ! It would, perhaps, be severe to suggest that 

 the author's classical knowledge is a little shaky ; but it 

 is certainly new to us that Ichtys (p. 4) is the Greek for a 

 fish, or Orphis (p. 5) for a snake ! Probably the long- 

 suffering printer will be blamed. 



Many amusing anecdotes are introduced into the book, 

 and even professed naturalists will now and then find 

 something in regard to habits which may be novel to 

 them ; the account of the development of axolotls into 

 salamanders being specially good. We observe that the 

 author maintains an undecided neutrality on the subject 

 of vipers swallowing their young, although the anecdote 

 he relates of a live lizard appearing suddenly from a 

 snake's mouth after a sojourn of some four-and-twenty 

 hours, might perhaps have given grounds for thinking 

 that there is a germ of truth in the legend. To those 

 desirous of knowing something about reptiles and 

 amphibians, and, above all, to those venturesome persons 

 who are ambitious to have tame pythons and crocodiles 

 about their houses, the book may be commended. 



R. L. 



Geological Sun>ey of Canada. Annual Report (New 

 Series), vol. viii., 1895. Pp.998. (Ottawa: Printed by 

 S. E, Dawson, 1897.) 

 This fine volume of nearly one thousand pages is accom- 

 panied by six maps and illustrated by seventeen plates, 

 besides a number of figures in the text. It is a record 

 of work accomplished during 1895, and its pages show 

 that the progress made in that year was both satisfactory 

 and important. 



Dr. G. M. Dawson, F.R.S., the Director of the Survey, 



