16 
NATURE 
[Mov. 4, 1869 
certain remarkable “finds.” These are very interesting, 
50 objects discovered together being more instructive 
than 500 found separately. On the remaining plates are 
represented the most characteristic Danish forms, as well 
as many unique specimens. The work is devoted to the 
Stone age (the Bronze age portion, though commenced, not 
being yet completed), but it must not be supposed that all 
the specimens of stone implements here figured necessarily 
belong to the Stone age, although the great majority no 
doubt do so. It cannot, however, be too often repeated that 
many stone implements were in use during the Bronze age. 
Everyone looking even cursorily at these plates must be 
struck by the exccllence of the Danish flint, and the 
wonderful mastery which had been acquired over it. 
The daggers, for instance, represented in Pl. xxxy. are 
extraordinary instances of skill in flint chipping, and it 
must be confessed that such masterpieces could hardly be 
found in any country but Denmark. 
It will be observed also that all the specimens figured 
belong, or may have belonged, to the Neolithic or second 
Stone period ; there is not in the whole series, nor I believe 
is there in any of the great Danish museums, a single speci- 
men of the characteristic Paleolithic forms. The rarity of 
the reindeer and of the mammoth renders this still more 
significant. We suppose that no one could look through 
these plates and yet retain any doubts as to the important 
part played by stone, and especially flint implements, in 
ancient times; though we must confess that we once showed 
our collection to a lady, who remained incredulous almost 
to the last, until we came to a drawer containing a roedeer’s 
horn, which she at once said was evidently of human 
workmanship, and showed much skill. 
The letterpress attached to the plates is confined to 
twenty pages, of which nine contain an introduction, the 
rest giving descriptions of the plates. It would, we 
admit, have been scarcely worth while to describe each 
specimen figured, but we regret that, excepting as re- 
gards the first few plates, no information is given as to 
the localities in, and the circumstances under, which 
they were discovered. 
The introduction represents very fairly the general 
opinion of Danish archeologists, and with it we in the main 
concur. M. Madsen points out that the large, chambered, 
tumuli never contain metal, and, like Steenstrup, he 
doubts whether during that period the inhabitants of Den- 
mark had any other domestic animal than the dog. No 
doubt some modern races, for instance the Polynesians, 
present this condition ; but then their islands contained no 
cattle or sheep. It is, we think, very improbable that a 
people capable of such considerable constructions as the 
chambered tumuli, would not have tamed the wild cattle 
of the country. 
Neither can we agree with M. Madsen and the Danish 
antiquaries in fixing the commencement of the Danish 
Iron age so late as the third century. We know 
that in southern Europe the use of iron commenced 
several hundred years earlier, and the great similarity of 
the bronze weapons all over Europe indicates clearly, we 
think, that they belonged to one and the same period. 
We cannot but think that the use of iron, when once dis- 
covered, would have spread rapidly over Europe, though 
it would, no doubt, have remained scarce in a com- 
paratively poor country, as Denmark then was. 
Lest our readers should suppose that a book containing 
more than forty beautifully executed plates must necessarily 
be very expensive, we may mention that the price is only 
1/7, 165. We heartily thank M. Madsen for this valuable 
addition to our Archeological Libraries.—JOHN LUBBOCK 
NEWMAN S BRITISH MOTHS 
An Illustrated Natural History of British Moths. 
Edward Newman, F.L.S. F.Z.S. &c. 
pp. 486. (London : W. Tweedie.) 
HUNDRED years ago, or perhaps even less, a man 
who displayed a fondness for collecting insects was 
commonly regarded as a weak-minded individual, whose 
power of managing his own affairs, although it might in 
charity be conceded by his neighbours, was at least 
somewhat doubtful. To use the old Scotch phrase, he 
was supposed to have “a Bee in his bonnet,” because 
he liked to have a Butterfly under his eyes. 
In the present day, although many people may be 
found who cannot see the use of such pursuits, one runs 
no risk of a commission de Zunatico, on account of a pre- 
dilection for moths or beetles; and if we may judge from 
the articles provided for the delectation of the multitude 
in our popular journals, natural history subjects, including 
entomology, form a not unattractive portion of their bill 
of fare. 
The fact is, that the cacotthes colligendi is one of the 
commonest affections of humanity,*and there are few 
forms of the disease more harmless than the entomo- 
logical one. Pictures and statues, books, prints and old 
china, call for a very considerable expenditure of hard 
cash, if it is desired to form ever so small a collection of 
any of them; but the insect-collector generally brings 
his treasures together by the labour of his own hands, 
and his boxes and pins do not cost much. Moreover, the 
collector of insects can hardly avoid learning something 
of the structure and habits of the objects of his pursuit—a 
knowledge which must have a favourable effect upon his 
own mind, and may frequently enable him to be service- 
able to his neighbours. 
Mr. Newman’s “ History of British Moths,” which is 
now completed so far as the larger forms are concerned, 
is admirably adapted to favour these desirable objects ; 
it not only furnishes good descriptions of the British 
species of moths, but gives an account of their habits in 
all stages of their existence. This book, which forms 
a handsome octavo volume, will be welcomed with 
enthusiasm by numbers of young entomologists in 
all parts of the country, as it gives them, in a 
convenient and intelligible form, pretty nearly all that 
can be told about the great group of insects of which 
it treats. It has another claim upon their attention also 
in the admirably executed woodcuts with which it is 
illustrated.. Mr. Newman has given figures of every 
species, in many cases of both sexes of the species, and 
sometimes of their most prominent varieties, and these 
figures, although from their nature they are only in black 
and white, have been so carefully drawn, and so admirably 
cut, that the want of colour is hardly felt. 
We reproduce here two of the cuts, which will show 
how effective the illustrations are. To the country ento- 
mologist working at a distance from any library, whence 
he can obtain the expensive illustrated works in which 
By 
Large 8vo, 
