io6 



NATURE 



\Fcb. 15, 1872 



rnrpfnllv studied than what is termed sensational effect-a usually considered fas pertaining to the domain of dry 

 feature so characteristic of the period we live in-it is \ Science. In so doing he seems also to have been assisted 

 l.frP.hin° to find that Dr. Hartwig, in his description of by having adopted a system of classification, or rather 

 tWnrious phenomena of the subterranean world, has, grouping, of the subjects which form his separate chap- 

 ,,i?hnnt inv such aid, succeeded admirably in conveying ters, which, although not strictly scientific, is preferable 

 rvast amount of solid information, in so lucid and easy a , in the present instance, as being more m accordance with 

 .;tvlr as to make even his unscientific readers quite inte- ! popular notions. • , 1 .1 



icsted and likely to forget that he is treating of subjects ' The work, besides being well got up, is abundantly 



illustrated ; many of the woodcuts being of very superior 

 character and execution, whilst the plates are, in general, 

 good, and with one exception — that of the ideal view of 

 the great earthquake at Lisbon in 1775 — they are free 

 from that objectionable sensational or exaggerated cha- 

 racter so obseri-able in the illustrations of French works 



on popular Science, several of which have lately been 

 rendered into English. The two maps indicating the 

 distribution of coal and metallic deposits in Great Britain 

 and the Americas respectively are not on a par with the 

 rest, owing to errors of omission ; thus, amongst others, 

 neither the central lead-producing district of Wales, nor 



