82 



KNOWLEDGE. 



[Apkil 1, 1899. 



Spencer, the distinguished teacher of biology at the University 

 of Melbourne, has brought to bear upon the many problems 

 considered the influence of his scientific training, thereby 

 sifting the evidence and setting aside as untrustworthy much 

 that is mere hearsay. The result of this co-operation is a 

 remarkable book, notevrorthy for the painstaking care displayed 

 in every chapter as ivell as the guarded conclusions therein 

 expressed. In the description of the various ceremonials, no 

 details, however trivial, have been omitted, and we have in con- 

 sequence a much fuller and more accurate account of what takes 

 place at these " functions '' than has hitherto been presented 

 to us. This, together with the remarkable series of photographs 

 with which the work is illustrated, serves to place the book in 

 the forefront of the literature relative to the ethnology of 

 Australia. In various chapters the authors treat of the social 

 organization of the tribes, the totems, the various ceremonial 

 proceedings, the myths concerning the origin of the tribes, and 

 the customs relating to marriage, burial, mourning, etc. The 

 general reader will find the description of the social organization 

 of the tribes a very stifE chapter to digest ; it may well be left to 

 the experts in these matters. Jlore interesting, from a general 

 standpoint, is the account of the totems ; our authors incline to 

 the view that in regard to the particular tribes with which they 

 are dealing, this peculiar., custom is in some way related to the 

 food supply. "It is quite possible," say they, "that the curious 

 ceremony in which the members of any local group bring into 

 the men's camp stores of the totemic animal or plant, and place 

 them before the members of the totem, thus clearly recognizing 

 that it is these men that have the first right of eating it, as well 

 as the remarkable custom, according to which one man will 

 actually assist another to catch his, i.e., the former's, totemic 

 animal, may be .surviving relics of a custom, according to which 

 in past times the members of a totem not only theoretically had, 

 but actually practised the right of eating their totem." 

 Concerning their " Medicine men," the natives seem to be in 

 advance of the times, for women as well as men are eligible for 

 the " profession," having to undergo the same initiation 

 ceremonies and become subject to the same restrictions. 

 Startling, too, are the remarkable instances recorded by the 

 authors in which the mind seems to exercise an all powerful 

 influence over the body. Three cases are quoted in which men 

 were so slightly wounded that there was absolutely no reason 

 why they should not speedily recover ; so convinced were they, 

 however, that the weapons they had been wounded by were 

 " sung " to, or subjected to the influence of magic, that they all 

 made up their minds to die, and this, in the words of the authors, 

 they " accordingly did." On the other hand, a man, even 

 though severely wounded, would make a rapid recovery 

 provided he was satisfied that no magic had been practised on 

 him. The various methods of obtaining wives by magic, as 

 also the instances of what appears remarkably like thought 

 transference, are no less curious, but those interested in this and 

 other subjects must be referred to the book itself. A valuable 

 addition to the volume is the series of measurements given of 

 twenty males and ten females. We congratulate the authors on 

 the completion of a work which has been undertaken and carried 

 through under many difficulties, and it is with pleasure that we 

 accord to them our hearty thanks for this trustworthy addition 

 to our knowledge of the ethnology of the Australian tribes. 



Skertchley's Elements of Geolor/i/. 9th Edition. Revised by 

 Dr. James Monckman. (Murby.) Illustrated. Is. 6d. As a class- 

 book, Skertchley's Geology has sustained a good place amongmany 

 competitors, and we are glad to see it revised by so able a man 

 as Dr. Monckman. The science is so progressive, and, what is 

 more to the point in this case, the syllabus of the Science and 

 Art Department is so ephemeral, that radical changes in the 

 text are often required to keep pace with the modifications thus 

 rendered inevitable. The new matter comprises chapters on 

 Rock-forming Minerals ; Crystallography ; Volcanic and Plutonic 

 Rocks ; and the Microscopic Examination of Rocks. Also many 

 new illustrations have been interpolated in the text, but as far 

 as circumstances would permit, the original author's impress on 

 the work has been left undisturbed. 



The Farmer and the Birds. By Edith Carrington. (Bell.) 

 The author's aim in this book has been to show, by bringing 

 together a considerable amount of evidence regarding the food 

 of birds, that apparently all birds do infinitely more good than 

 barm. 'While agreeing with a great deal that Miss Carrington 



says, we do not consider that she has struck a just balance with 

 regard to several of the birds with which she deals. It is very 

 likely the case that all birds, provided their numbers are kept 

 within due proportion, do more good than harm, but in this 

 book the good is positively pronounced as great, while the harm 

 is minimised or considered uncertain. The destruction of game 

 by birds has not been considered an offence, because " game is 

 a luxury,'' but in a book appealing to farmers, to whom game is 

 often a source of income, this exclusion is absurd, and will do 

 the author's case no good. Of the number of "authorities" 

 which are quoted some have been inadvisedly chosen. 'VVe 

 have no wish to throw cold water upon Miss Carrington's 

 endeavours, which are deserving of all praise and support, but 

 she herself wishes the question to be faced fairly, and this, we 

 think, has hardly been done in the little book before us. 



The Science of Life. By J. Arthur Thomson, M..A.. (Blackie.) 

 2s. 6d. As Mr. Thomson remarks in his preface, "this little 

 book bears a big title," but the author does not attempt to solve 

 the stupendous riddle of existence. The book is intended 

 simply as a historical sketch of the growth and development of 

 biological science, and as such it is a very valuable production. 

 All students of biology should possess a work of this kind, 

 which gives, so to speak, genealogical trees of ever}- branch of 

 the science — classification, morphology, physiology, embryology, 

 heredity, bionomics, psychology of animals, evolution, and so 

 on : shows us who has taken part in bringing our knowledge of 

 these .subjects to its present condition, from Aristotle's time to 

 our own day ; brings before us contemporaries in all ages who 

 have formed the scientific senate, as it were, and evolved for us 

 laws, theories and beliefs which, like the acts of our Legislature, 

 have undergone many transformations in conformity with the 

 progress of advancing civiUzation and the amplification of 

 knowledge. 



Qtiaro. By James H. Keeling, M.D., F.E.c.s. (Taylor and 

 Francis.) For private cisculation. An essay in which certain 

 questions relating to matter, energy, intelligence and evolution 

 ai'e discussed, the purpose being to ascertain whether recent 

 advances in physical and biologic science can be held to have 

 shaken the grounds for the old faith in the existence and rule 

 of a Supreme and Intelligent Power." It is written in popular 

 form, and thoughtful, educated ])eople, though not deeply 

 versed in science, will probably be able to gauge the value of 

 the arguments advanced. The author exhibits a profound 

 knowledge of scientific questions, and the reader, whether he 

 accepts his views or not, will be repaid for time spent in the 

 perusal. 



The Principles of Sfratie/raphical Geoloyy. By J. E. Man-, 

 r.K.s. (Cambridge University Press.) Illustrated, lis. A 

 correct chronology is of paramount importance to the student 

 of earth-lore, for the history of our planet, like other histories, 

 is a connected one in which one period is linked on to the 

 next, and it is the aim of the stiatigraphical geologist to record 

 the events which have occurred during the existence of the 

 earth in the order in which they have taken place. In order 

 that the student may not be confused with the multifarious 

 details usually accompanjang descriptions of the stratified rocks, 

 the author has given very concise accounts of the strata of the 

 different systems, showing the skeleton only — if we may use the 

 expression — of the solid crust. This is as it should be for the 

 beginner in such a subject, which demands the exercise of 

 imagination as well as common sense, and too much explanation, 

 like too much salt, may blunt the edge of one's appetite. 



Through Arctic Lapland. By CutclifEe Hyne. (A. and C. 

 Black.) Illustrated. In his preface to this book the author 

 claims to have " stumbled across the one bit of Europe which 

 has not been pilloried on paper at one time or another.'' We 

 wish there were such a place in Europe, but we are afraid there 

 is not. Mr. F. L. H. Morrice, in the " Nightless Xorth," pub- 

 lished in 1881, deals with a journey undertaken by himself and 

 a friend from Yadsij to Torneo at the head of the Gulf of 

 Bothnia. Mr. Hyne, accompanied by Mr. C. J. C. Hayter have 

 traversed Lapland between the same points, but they have taken 

 a route some few miles to eastward of Mr. Morrice's route. 5Ir. 

 Hyne writes in a most graphic, emphatic style, and it is a great 

 pleasure to read his epigrammatic and often very humorous 

 pages. We have some shrewd remarks on the characters of both 

 Lapps and Finns, and a good description of their country. Like 



