290 



NA TURE 



[July 28, 1904 



The discussion of the animal life occupies another 

 chapter (v.), and here we are given a succinct account 

 of the life-regions and life-zones, with lively descrip- 

 tions of the best known representative mammals, in 

 which again it is shown that America is or was blessed 

 by the abundance of large herbivores and the 

 rarity of dangerous carnivores. And how ill she de- 

 served the blessing is also shown. 



As for the birds, why! — "when one attempts to 

 write an account of the birds of North America, the 

 heavens seem darkened with such a multitude of varied 

 and beautiful forms and the air filled with such a 

 discordant clamour mingled with the sweetest of 

 music that failure to convey an adequate idea of the 

 countless numbers and diversity of the feathered 

 throng within the compass of a few pages must be 

 recognised from the start"! — wherein, somehow, we 

 feel that The Eagle, for once, has flapped his wings. 



Chapter vi., describing the geology of the con- 

 tinent, is the longest in the book. It claims, and de- 

 fends the claim, that North America should be re- 

 garded as " the most typical " of all the continents 

 by reason of its comparatively steady growth from one 

 main nucleus and the resultant simplicity of its general 

 structure. An outline of its evolution from the earliest 

 recorded time is presented, with the inevitable inci- 

 dental exposition of the fundamental principles of 

 geology ; the relation of the past to the present is 

 clearly brought out; and the mineral resources of the 

 continent, but more especially of the United States, 

 are somewhat fully reviewed. 



Then follows a chapter (vii.) on the aborigines, in 

 which the author guardedly agrees with Powell " that 

 the primordial occupancy of the continent antedates 

 present geographical conditions, and points to a remote 

 time which can be discovered only on geological and 

 biological investigation " (p. 357), and he states the 

 lines of evidence which have led to this provisional 

 conclusion. The sad history of the outcome of the 

 European invasion upon the original inhabitants, 

 whether Eskimo or Indian, is briefly retold, and it is 

 acknowledged that the Canadian Government has been 

 less unsuccessful than that of the United States in its 

 dealings with the natives ; but the whole record is 

 pitiful. 



It is mentioned in the preface that much curtail- 

 ment was found necessary in the treatment of the 

 economic phases of geography, and in a foot-note, 

 reference (p. 40S) is made to the omission, through 

 exigencies of space, of chapters that had been written 

 on the geography of fisheries, forestry, mining, com- 

 merce, agriculture, &c. As it stands, the booiv is so 

 full of information that he will be indeed a hardy 

 reader who can assimilate all that is provided and still 

 desire more. The volume concludes with a short 

 chapter (viii.) on political geography, and in the foot- 

 note already referred to it is explained that space has 

 been found for this part " for the reason that it pre- 

 sents a view of political adjustments not usually taken 

 and in a way perhaps pessimistical, which may awaken 

 opposition." The different kinds of political 

 boundaries to be found on the continent are then con- 

 NO. 18 I 3, VOL. 70] 



sidered, and a lament is raised that so many of the 

 boundaries should be arbitrary where the conditions 

 were so favourable for an ideal subdivision of territory. 

 Here once more the wings of The Eagle are spread. 

 The essential conditions of an ideal nation are defined 

 (p. 421) — conditions that naturally find their fulfilment 

 in the United States. Then (p. 423) : — 



" In North America, perhaps, several such eligible 

 sites for a definite number of people might be chosen, 

 but in no case without the drawing of unnatural 

 boundaries. The continent, as is shown by its geology 

 and geography, is a unit, and the most typical ot 

 comparable size of any on the earth. These same con- 

 ditions point to a single political unit. .Arguing from 

 geographical relations simply, and not considering the 

 racial differences and local self-interests, the one 

 boundary in North America should be the shore 

 boundary, except at the 30-mile-wide Isthmus of 

 Panama." 



In illustration of this chapter, a coloured map is 

 given, showing in vividly contrasting pink and blue 

 the areas respectively under " two radically different 

 principles of government — the monarchical and the 

 republican," or " the countries self-governed " and 

 " those still acknowledging allegiance to hereditary 

 rulers." 



But surely there is a touch of unscientific prejudice 

 in the insistence upon this distinction. Is not the 

 Government of Canada to all intents, except in name, 

 as purely democratic as that of the States — nay, is it 

 not even more democratic when we take count of the 

 political state of the negroes, the Indians, and the 

 Chinese immigrants south of the border? And shall 

 San Domingo and the Central American " republics " 

 bear the colour of Freedom on the map which is denied 

 to the Dominion? 



Throughout the book we find that the author is at 

 his best when describing those portions of the con- 

 tinent which lie within the States, but this is pardon- 

 able, or even commendable, since he is thus the 

 better able to give the acceptable tinge of personal 

 experience to his descriptions. Nevertheless, it is 

 probable that Canadian geographers will feel that the 

 background of the picture is sometimes a little out of 

 perspective. Certainly they will object that the name 

 of their charming mountain-resort Banff should be 

 spelt Bamj (p. 126). G. W. L. 



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