220 



NATURE 



[January 7, 1892 



The result is that, whilst in the majority of instances 

 the upper is equivalent to the /<?/? valve, in Nucula, vi^hich 

 is opisthogyre, the author has 'got the head where the 

 tail should be,' and writes, for example, of N. sulcata 

 (pp. 329-30) : " region ant^rieure presque droite, trds 

 etroite ; rdgion postdrieure tr&s developpde, oblique." It 

 is only fair to add that in Do7iax, thanks to the pre- 

 sence of the well-marked external ligament, this error is 

 avoided. 



The author's recognition in his introduction that every 

 species is liable to variation, and his wise resolve not to 

 cumber his book with trashy "varieties," founded merely 

 on differences of colour or size, that have of late been so 

 fashionable in certain quarters, is satisfactory ; but it is 

 greatly to be regretted that the process of elimination was 

 not carried a step further. A very slight acquaintance 

 with the animals, or even a cursory inspection of a fairly 

 extensive series of examples of the shells of the individual 

 species, would have been sufficient to convince any un- 

 prejudiced person that a very large percentage indeed of 

 the "species" cited in this volume are but mere varieties, 

 and unworthy of specific rank ; at the same time we con- 

 fess to some fear that all argument and instance would 

 be lost on one who but lately has sought to divide so 

 homogeneous a species as Helix rufescens into six ! The 

 principle adopted seems, in fact, to be, judging from 

 numerous instances in the pages before us, to raise 

 species into " groupes," and varieties into " species" (save 

 the mark !). This is certainly the "case in the genera 

 Nassa, Purpura, Mytilus, &c. 



It is little wonder under these circumstances, then, that 

 M. Locard's three volumes should represent the French 

 Molluscan fauna as including close upon 1 500 marine and 

 1250 odd non-marine " species " ! This may all be very 

 magnificent ; but it is not science ! 



The systematist will also have much cause to complain 

 of the classification adopted, which is certainly not in 

 accord with the latest views of the biologist. The extreme 

 stickler for priority in nomenclature, of whom we have 

 lately heard a good deal, will exclaim loudly against many 

 of the names, though, since full reference to the authority 

 is given in each case, there is perhaps not quite so much 

 to find fault with, although the references are not always 

 accurate. 



On the other hand, we feel convinced that no one will 

 approve certain arbitrary changes in the nomenclature, 

 iirst proposed without comment or explanation in foot- 

 notes in the " Prodrome . . . Mollusques marins" (1886), 

 .but here introduced into the text itself. M. Locard appears 

 ;to entertain special objection to the use of a substantive 

 as a specific name, and converts it into an adjectival form, 

 at the same time retaining the name of the original author 

 as its sponsor ! For example. Purpura lapillus appears 

 as/*, lapillina; Nassa granum is changed to N. grant- 

 formis J Murex nux into M. nucalis; Aporrhais 

 pespelicani masquerades as A. pelecanipes ; Pholas 

 dactylus is turned into P. dactylina. We also find 

 Cassis Sabiiron altered to C Saburoni j and Murex 

 scalaroides to M. scalariformis. 



It would be interesting to learn on what principle, if 

 any, these alterations are made, since some names that 

 might apparently be equally objected to are left (fortu- 

 nately) untouched ; whilst M. Locard's own names are 

 NO. I 158, VOL. 45] 



not always unexceptionable, as witness Murex Brandari- 

 forj/iis. 



If we comment thus strongly and at unmerited length 

 upon this production, it is not because we mean to imply 

 the work is altogether without merit, nor because we 

 fail to recognize the honesty of the attempt. It doubtless 

 to a certain extent supplies a want, and helps to fill a 

 void : it is well printed and on good paper, with a good 

 index, and some of the little illustrations are excellent. 



The subject, however, is a worthy one, and deserving 

 of broader, and, we regret to have to say it, more 

 scientific treatment. This work, like Paetel's " Catalog " 

 is a mere shell-collectors' book. What every student of 

 the subject must desire to see is a really good treatise, 

 worthy of the best traditions of French scientific work, 

 and of the land of the illustrious Lamarck ; one which 

 shall do for systematic French malacology as a whole 

 what Moquin-Tandon did for the terrestrial portion as 

 known to him ; and one that shall be done with the same 

 conscientious care which distinguished that eminent 

 naturalist, and which is characteristic of the work of 

 Lacaze-Duthiers, himself one of the last of a long line of 

 those distinguished biologists whom France has produced, 

 and of whom she is so justly proud. (BV)^. 



MAN'S PLACE IN NATURE. 

 Nature and Man in North America. By N. S. Shaler. 

 Pp. 290. (London : Smith, Elder, and Co., 1892.) 



PROF. N. S. SHALER, in the introduction to his 

 new volume, gives a sketch of the plan of the work, 

 and as there seems to be some want of connection 

 between the different chapters, we prefer to quote the 

 author's own words as to the object he has in view. He 

 writes (p. vi.) : — 



" It seems to me to be the duty of every naturalist, 

 particularly when he has adopted the tasks of the teacher, 

 to use each fit occasion to show wherein he finds proof 

 of a just confidence as to the relations of man to the 

 creative power which works m Nature. By so doing, he may 

 hope to help himself and his fellow-students to escape 

 from the perplexity which has been brought about through 

 the revolution in the opinions of men which modern 

 science has induced. With this end in view, I shall 

 devote the first four chapters of this book to a general 

 statement concerning the effect of critical conditions of 

 the earth on the development of organic life in general. 

 It will be my aim to show that geographic changes and 

 the consequent revolutions of the climate which our earth 

 has undergone, though rude and in a way destructive, 

 have nevertheless served the best uses of life, driving 

 organic creatures by the whips of necessity upward and 

 onward toward the higher planes of being. 



" I shall give the latter half of this essay to the dis- 

 cussion of geographic influences upon man, endeavoring 

 to show, at least in a general way, how the development 

 of race peculiarities has been in large part due to the 

 conditions of the stage on which the different peoples 

 have played their parts. I shall endeavor to trace in 

 outline the effect of the geographic conditions on the 

 development of peoples in the past, and to make a some- 

 what careful study of these problems as they are exhibited 

 in North America." 



Less than half of Prof. Shaler's book is devoted to 

 Nature and man in America, but this part is decidedly the 

 best, and shows more signs of care than the earlier 

 chapters. For these reasons, and because the title of the 



