LITERARY NOTICES. 



275 



to him into seven orders in his work Sys- 

 tema Naturae (1735). Fabricius (a pupil of 

 Linne) prepared a new classification of in- 

 sects, founded on the structure of the mouth, 

 and he renamed all the Linnaean orders, even 

 where they coincided with his own. 



From these and other sources Mr. Kirby 

 selects only the nomenclature that is modern- 

 ly accepted, and he gives a most interesting 

 study in this volume. The chapters on the 

 Hymenoplera class will be found to be of 

 more zoological value than any account of 

 the habits of bees, wasps, ants, etc., that has 

 yet been published ; and as this family is, 

 industrially, of more consequence to the pub- 

 lic than any other of the insect class, the se- 

 lection of the Hymenoptera species for his 

 most elaborate history is well chosen. 



The analysis of the Lepidoptera family is 

 treated very exhaustively. It comprises espe- 

 cially butterflies and moths, and the plates 

 at the end of the book very fully illustrate 

 the principal members of the species. 



THE STUDENT'S HANDBOOK OF PHYSICAL GE- 

 OLOGY. By A. J. JUKES-BROWN, B. A., 

 F. G. S. Second edition, revised. Lon- 

 don: George Bell & Sons. 1892. Pp. 

 666. Price, $2.25. 



THIS is a recast of Mr. Jukes-Browne's 

 Handbook of Geology, to which he has added 

 over one hundred pages, chiefly dealing with 

 physiographical geology and the substructure 

 of the earth's crust. He shows pretty clearly 

 that, although physiographical geology is in 

 the nature of an incidental study, it is nev- 

 ertheless the most perfect basis upon which 

 to form accurate geological beliefs, and he 

 places this part of the work, very properly, 

 immediately following the chapters on Dy- 

 namic and Structural Geology. 



Perhaps the most interesting section of 

 the work is that devoted to the underground 

 circulation of waters. The mechanical ef- 

 fects of this subterranean water circulation 

 are very important in geological research. 

 In England and in many parts of the Conti- 

 nent and America they usually consist of 

 landslips and cave formations; whereas in 

 Ireland and in southern Germany the shell 

 of land above the water is oftentimes 

 " cracked," and, becoming detached from its 

 moorings, travels a mile or two from its 

 original location. 



In the chapter on Igneous Rocks as Rock 

 Masses, Mr. Jukes-Browne has given some 

 highly interesting examinations of the por- 

 phyritic deposits of Wales, Scotland, and 

 Ireland, clearly indicating the volcanic struc- 

 ture of these countries. In dealing with the 

 influence of earth movements, the author 

 quotes Prof. Powell in connection with the 

 probable system and time of the bed forma- 

 tion of Colorado, and he says : " All the 

 facts concerning the relation of the water- 

 ways of this region to the mountains, hills, 

 canons, etc., lead to the inevitable conclu- 

 sion that the system of drainage was de- 

 termined antecedently ... to the formation 

 of the eruptive beds (lavas) and (volcanic) 

 cones." The work is profusely illustrated. 



THE EARTH'S HISTORY. An Introduction to 

 Modern Geology. By R. D. ROBERTS, N. A. 

 New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. 

 1893. Pp. 270. Price, $1.50. 



THIS is a useful little volume, giving an 

 interesting sketch of the methods and chief 

 results of geological inquiry ; but the author 

 errs, in the same manner that do most Eng- 

 lish scientists and writers of scientific Eng- 

 lish bibliology, inasmuch as that he assumes 

 that " the geology of Great Britain is indeed, 

 in epitome, the geology of the world." In 

 his preface he says that although individual 

 groups of rocks may be found developed on 

 a grander scale hi one or other of the con- 

 tinental areas, and that " particular scenic 

 features, more majestic and impressive, may 

 be found elsewhere ; in no part of the world 

 can so great a variety of geological phenom- 

 ena (no doubt often in miniature), and so 

 complete a system of natural agencies, either 

 in active operation or displayed in their re- 

 sults, be observed than in Great Britain." 

 The recent geological surveys of Arizona, 

 California, and other American States had 

 not apparently reached London when Mr. 

 Roberts wrote his book, for in the ascer- 

 tained stratigraphical conditions of these 

 States we have a far more generous field for 

 geological research than the well-ventilated 

 analysis of British geological conditions can 

 ever display. Nevertheless, the author has 

 compiled a valuable text-book of preliminary 

 examination of the study of geology, and in 

 the chapters upon Aqueous Rocks and the 

 Deposition in Past Times, and the Volcanic 



