August 9, 1883] 



NATURE 



339 



comparative value of the evidence somewhat differently 

 He has taken a very commendable degree of pains in 

 collecting the opinions of former writers ; though we have 

 met with no notice of worthy old Derham, or the quick- 

 eyed but fanciful Gruithuisen ; but the natural result is 

 the revival of a good deal of antiquated matter that can 

 hardly claim a hearing before a modern tribunal ; such 

 as the assumptions of the Cosmotheoros (which by the 

 way he invariably cites as " Cosmothereos ") or the 

 affected niaiseries of Fontenelle. In fact, excepting for 

 those who would find interest or amusement in specimens 

 of almost all that has been said upon the subject, however 

 absurdly nonsensical, or needlessly pugnacious, the book 

 would gain by a process of winnowing and compression 

 and " weighting," if we may be permitted to use a 

 technical expression. And there can be no question as 

 to the advantage of a more careful revision of the 

 press. 



As regards the author's own share, there is much 

 deserving of attention. He writes in an excellent spirit ; 

 in espousing the negative side of the question, there is no 

 unfairness towards his opponents ; and though some of 

 his arguments carry little weight — for instance that drawn 

 from what seems to him the "dismal," "horrible," 

 " terrifying " aspect of the moon — others are well con- 

 sidered and expressed ; and some collateral questions are 

 handled in a way which demands attention, and will well 

 repay it. With regard to the point in hand, if the present 

 volume may not be thought to have done much to decide 

 the controversy, it may be doubtful whether any future 

 successor may do much more. The matter is in reality 

 out of reach. The data are insufficient ; and we venture 

 to doubt whether any future generation may be able to 

 attain more satisfactory ones. Long-continued and 

 patient investigation may be fairly expected to throw 

 some light upon the supposed final quiescence of the 

 lunar surface ; and possibly on the existence, under 

 certain circumstances, of slight obscurations which might 

 indicate the existence of a very attenuated atmospheric 

 envelope ; but this would still leave us at an immense 

 and hopeless distance from any certain proof of habita- 

 tion. As to the other heavenly bodies our position is 

 worse still. The observations of Schiaparelli, supported 

 to some extent by those of others, and at any rate deserv- 

 ing of respectful attention, tend to divest Mars of some of 

 his supposed similarity to our own globe ; and the con- 

 clusions hitherto attempted to be drawn as to the condition 

 of the other planetary surfaces are, we venture to think, 

 still less satisfactory. Opinion at present can be little 

 better than conjecture ; and it is uncertain at the best 

 whether it will ever be permitted to us to make a further 

 advance. The most ingenious analogical reasoning is 

 not demonstration, and the decision of the finest tele- 

 scopes would be invoked in vain. An interesting inquiry 

 might be entered upon as to the prospects of opticians 

 and observers ; the conclusion possibly might be that 

 their future is somewhat cloudy and obscure. At least 

 we might venture to predict, from past experience, that 

 the accomplished solution of any one of the mysteries 

 which now confront us would only prove a prelude to 

 problems still more insoluble, and proof still more con- 

 vincing of the comparatively bounded character of all 

 human knowledge. 



OUR BOOK SHELF 



United States Commission of Fish and Fisheries. 

 Part vii. Report of the Commissioner for 1879. 



The contents of the present volume, embracing details 

 of the work done by the United States Fishery Commis- 

 sioner for the year 1879, are quite as varied and even of 

 greater interest, if that be possible, than the preceding 

 reports. The specific objects of the methodical inquiry 

 which has now been going on for over twelve years, has 

 for its object to report progress in regard to the propaga- 

 tion of food-fishes in the waters of the United States, as 

 also to afford information as to the decrease in the stock 

 of food-fishes. As has been already stated in the columns 

 of Nature, in which previous reports have been reviewed, 

 the inquiry which has been so long in progress is being 

 conducted in a thorough and searching way ; it embraces 

 the consideration of every topic calculated to throw light 

 on the economy of the American fisheries. Nothing that 

 can be deemed illustrative is neglected — the literature 

 devoted to the natural history of food-fishes, or to de- 

 scriptions of the fisheries of other countries, especially 

 those of Europe, has been largely utilised in preparing 

 the reports, with the result of making the volumes which 

 have been issued a perfect encyclopaedia of fishery infor- 

 mation. The contents of the present report embrace a 

 full account of the work overtaken in 1879 and the early 

 part of 1880. The fishes which have been more parti- 

 cularly dealt with in the period noted are the Californian 

 Salmon (Salmo Quiimat), the Atlantic Salmon (S. Salar), 

 the Mountain or " Rainbow " Trout of California (S. 

 Irideus), as also the Schoodic Salmon {S. Salar, var. 

 Sebago). Various details are also given of what has been 

 done in carp culture, as also of experiments made with 

 the Striped Bass (Roccus lineatus), and the Shad (Alosa 

 sapidissima). This fish is dealt with quite in wholesale 

 fashion, the figures quoted being really marvellous, as 

 many as 16,062,000 of young shad being distributed, a 

 complete record being kept of the places to which they 

 were forwarded ; in the previous year the distribution of 

 this fish reached the figure of fifteen and a half millions. 

 Among the distinctive articles contributed to the present 

 volume are some of rare importance ; we may refer to 

 that by Prof. Barlow on " The Marine Alga: of New 

 England," which is both interesting and exhaustive; it 

 extends to 210 pages of the volume now before us, and 

 is illustrated by a series of well-executed drawings. 

 Another paper of importance, full of curious information, 

 is that of Mr. A. E. Verrill, " On the Cephalopods of the 

 North-east Coast of America" ; it is also profusely 

 illustrated with fine drawings. " The Propagation of the 

 Eel" is a contribution which is sure to attract attention ; 

 the article is by Dr. Otto Hermes, and was read before 

 the German Fishery Association ; although brief it con- 

 tains many features of interest in connection with the 

 natural history of the curious animal of which it treats, 

 and describes most distinctly the differences of the two 

 sexes. The author of this paper announces that the old 

 eels, both males and females, die soon after the spawning 

 season ; " the extraordinarily rapid development of their 

 organs of generation exhausts them to such a degree that 

 they die soon after having spawned.'' This is the reason 

 why they are never seen to return to the rivers. Among 

 the miscellaneous contents of the present report will be 

 found instructive essays on the food of marine animals, 

 by Prof. E. Mobius. In the appendix will be found a 

 very readable account of the herring fisheries of Iceland, 

 as also a short treatise on the fisheries of the west coast 

 of South America. One of the most scientific papers 

 which is given is one containing a reprint of a series of 

 extracts from the investigations of the Commission for 

 the Scientific Examination of the German Seas — it con- 

 tains much that will prove of interest both to naturalists 

 and economists. It may be safely said alike of the 



