390 



NA rURE 



February 25, 1892 



As it is, her views are hardly consistent. She generally 

 appears to regard the organism or the thought-cells as 

 the only reality — a reality set over against, and in marked 

 contradistinction to, the "realistic drama" of the sur- 

 rounding universe. But, in the passage above indicated, 

 she admits the phenomenal nature of the thought-cells, 

 and confesses an unknown noumenon. We do not think 

 that Miss Naden's philosophy had reached its final form 

 when Death so untimely snatched her hence. 



C. Ll. M. 



PHYSIOGRAPHY. 

 The Realm of Nature. An Outline of Physiography. By 

 Hugh Robert Mill, D.Sc. Edin., F.R.S.E. (London : 

 John Murray, 1892.) 



THE scope of physiography has perhaps been more 

 misunderstood than that of any other subject. It 

 had its birth in the Government system of science exa- 

 minations, and the new name was applied to distinguish 

 the subject from the older and narrower one of physical 

 geography, which was so widely taught in elementary 

 schools. 



In the great majority of the text-books which have 

 hitherto appeared, the authors have rigidly followed the 

 lines laid down in the syllabus of the Science and Art 

 Department, and have generally contented themselves 

 with stating facts, more or less accurate, without properly 

 considering their inter-relation. It is a great relief to 

 turn from these to the book before us. It is written inde- 

 pendently of all examinations, and in it the true place of 

 physiography among the sciences is clearly defined. 



The book is one of the University Extension manuals, 

 of which the editor (Prof. Knight) says : " Their aim is 

 rather to educate than to inform." No better subject 

 could therefore have been selected as one of such a 

 series, and Dr. Mill fully bears this aim in mind. Indeed, 

 in this respect the book is worthy to be compared with 

 the " Introductory " science primer written by Prof. 

 Huxley some years ago. The opening chapter deals 

 with such matters as " Nature," " Science," " Use of the 

 Senses," "Reason," "Common Sense," "Cause and Effect, 

 and ' Natural Laws,' " all of which are set forth very 

 clearly, and made deeply interesting. For the benefit 

 of those who may have doubts as to the meaning of 

 physiography, we may quote the following from this 

 chapter :— 



"Physiography means literally the description of 

 Nature (p. i). . . . It describes the substance, form, 

 arrangement, and changes of all the real things of Nature 

 in their relations to each other, giving prominence to 

 comprehensive principles rather than to isolated facts 

 (p. 3). . . . In order to have a just conception of the 

 universe, the results of specialized research must be fitted 

 harmoniously together. This is the function of physio- 

 graphy, which has, consequently, a unique value in 

 mental training, being at once an introduction to all 

 the sciences and a summing up of their results. It 

 enables a beginner to obtain a quicker insight into any 

 of the special sciences and a fuller grasp of it, while, at 

 the same time, a student versed in any one special science 

 is enabled to appreciate far more fully than an unversed 

 one its relation to all others and to the system of the 

 universe" (p. 13). 



NO. I 165, VOL. 45] 



Succeeding chapters deal with subjects somewhat after 

 the order of the syllabus of the Science and Art Depart- 

 ment. It is only necessary to say of these that they 

 are excellent, and that they have been revised by 

 well-known specialists, including such names as Prof, 

 Tait, Dr. Copeland, and Dr. John Murray. In chapter 

 xvi. there is an admirable account of " Life and Living 

 Creatures," in which is given a good outline of the 

 classification, distribution, and functions of animals and 

 plants. The final chapter is reserved for " Man in 

 Nature," and deals with the distribution of the various 

 types of humanity, the effects of environment, migrations, 

 and man's power of altering the course of Nature's 

 works. A useful list of memoirs and books is appended 

 to each chapter. 



The book is fully illustrated, chiefly by new diagrams, 

 and there are nineteen beautiful maps, which have been 

 specially prepared by Mr. Bartholomew, whose com- 

 petence for such work is well known. These maps form 

 an important feature of the book, and illustrate, amongst 

 other things, earthquake regions, isotherms, rainfall, and 

 the evolution of continents. 



The whole book shows signs of the greatest possible 

 care in preparation, and it is not an easy matter to sug- 

 gest improvements. It is a very valuable contribution to 

 the literature of the subject, and we trust that it will meet 

 with the appreciation it deserves. It is admirably 

 adapted for all thoughtful persons desiring an insight 

 into scientific methods ; and although not intended as a 

 book for use in schools, all teachers and students of the 

 subject will do well to make themselves acquainted with 

 its contents. A. F. 



OUR BOOK SHELF. 



Grasses of the South- West. Plates and Descriptions of 

 the Grasses of the Desert Region of Western Texas, 

 New Mexico, Arizona, and Southern California. Part 

 II. By Dr. George Vasey, Botanist, Department of 

 Agriculture. 50 Plates, with descriptive Letterpress. 

 (Washington: Government Printing Office, 1891.) 

 The first part of this work was issued in October 1890, 

 and duly noticed in our columns. It also contained 

 50 plates. It is a pity that in this second part the 

 numbering from i to 50 is begun over again. It would 

 have been much more easy to cite the plates continuously 

 from I to 100. The present part goes all through the 

 series of tribes again, and includes 4 species of Pas- 

 palum, 3 of Stipa, 4 of Muhlenbergia, 5 of Sporobolus, 

 9 of Triodia, 5 of Diplachne, and 4 of Eragostis. Most 

 of the species are endemic, and very few of them have 

 been figured before. None of them are British species, but 

 one of the Stipas is a variety of the common European 

 feather-grass [Stipa pennata). A good general hand- 

 book of grasses is one of the books most urgently 

 wanted both by systematic botanists and agriculturists ; 

 and the United States Department of Agriculture is 

 doing a very useful work in bringing out these bulletins. 

 The next two bulletins are to be devoted to the grasses 

 of the Pacific slope, and the four numbers will bind up 

 into one volume, containing 200 figures. 



Sporting Sketches in South America. By Admiral 



Kennedy. (London : R. H. Porter, 1892.) 

 The sketches presented in this volume appeared origin- 

 ally in Land and Water., and are now reprinted with only 

 such slight changes as " time and circumstances have 



