260 
NATURE 
[ Fan. 6, 1870 
omniscien:c. We remember to have heard a criticism 
passed on a controversial work, made up of many short, 
somewhat disconnected chapters, to the effect that it | 
reminded the reader of a dog ina kennel coming out at 
intervals to have a short sharp bark, and then quickly 
going in again. “The Universe,” in a somewhat similar 
manner, reminds us of the dissolving-views at which the 
lecturer goes in and out at every view. It is, in fact, a 
pictorial entertainment, in which M. Pouchet takes the 
reader, agreeably and without exertion, through all time 
and all space, with remarks by the way. A picture is 
presented and the author tells us a little about it, playing 
all the while (so that the affair may not be tedious) a 
pretty accompaniment of eloquent diction, charming 
fancies, and pleasing sarcasm; then another picture is 
put before the readers, and again another entertainment 
is begun and finished in like fashion. In this way the 
author brings before his audience something about 
most things, treading with a light fantastic mind over 
the animal and vegetable kingdoms, the formation of 
the globe, fossils, volcanoes, glaciers, the sun, the stars 
and immensity, and many other things besides; and 
as dissolving-views generally end, or used to end, with a 
chromatrope, so M. Pouchet finishes with an amusing 
chapter on monsters and superstitions. To every topic 
there is a picture. We have reproduced two of the 
smallest and simplest ; but a very large number of them 
are extremely beautiful full-page drawings. And if in 
them the naked truth is anywhere departed from, it is 
only for the purpose of heightening the entertainment. 
Our readers will already have seen that we regard the 
letter-press as subsidiary to the pictures ; and as far as 
we can judge, that seems to be also M. Pouchet’s own 
view. The great fault we have to find with the writing, 
relates to the extreme elegance of the diction. In Eng- 
land we generally talk of bird’s nests, but M. Pouchet 
dwells with zest on the Nuptial Arbour of the Bower 
Birds ; and in the same spirit we have a good deal about 
“the Nuptials of Plants.” In the next edition we shall 
probably hear something about the Hymeneals of Ba- 
thybius. 
It is an old question which has puzzled many genera- 
tions of mothers and nurses, “ whether it is better to give 
a child his powder in jam until he discover the deception, 
or to be straightforward from the beginning and make the 
powder go down all nasty as it is.” 
for granted that to the general reader simple naked 
scientific truths are at first as unpalatable as medicine; so 
that with them too the question of what the old apothe- 
caries used to call ‘a vehicle” has always to be con- 
sidered. This question we do not pretend to decide, 
however strong our own private convictions may be; but 
to those who range themselves on the side of jam we may 
recommend this volume as a most skilfully prepared, and 
not unwholesome confection, with not too much medicine 
init. The author states in his preface that he wrote it 
in the hope of exciting some love of science in his readers, 
and the researches which have made his name distin- 
guished, are evidence that he has himself a real love of 
science to no small degree. We can readily imagine how 
a mind, especially a young mind, fascinated by these 
beautiful pictures and interested in the lightsome narrative, 
should let the things grow upon him until there sprang 
up an actual fondness for plain scientific truth, and he came 
at last to think that “the medicine was food.” To such, 
and towards such an end, we can heartily commend it. 
OUR BOOK SHELF 
The Origin of the Seasons. By Samuel Mossman. (Edin- 
burgh: Blackwood & Sons. 1869.) 
A PLEASANTLY written and interesting work, spoiled by 
being coupled with a preposterous theory. Mr. Mossman 
boldly attempts a difficult task. He proposes to solvea 
complex problem on very simple principles. Unfortu- 
nately his principles are unsound ; and overlooking this, 
there remains the objection that they do not solve his 
problem. This problem is the well-known fact that in 
bygone ages plants existed in high latitudes—as far north 
as England, for example—whose analogues are now only 
found in the tropics. Mr. Mossman explains this very 
simply. The obliquity of the ecliptic is now slowly de- 
creasing ; therefore it must once have been increasing, 
and doubtless—though astronomy objects—there was at 
one time no obliquity: in those days perpetual spring 
reigned on the earth. But there began a series of up- 
heavals, he says, “directed chiefly towards the northern 
hemisphere almost exclusively,” and this hemisphere be- 
coming overweighted, naturally began to incline. The 
inclination became at length perhaps twice as great as at 
present, or even more ; but then the southern hemisphere 
began in its turn to be upheaved, and so checked the in- 
crease of inclination, and caused the present process of slow 
decrease. Mr. Mossman thinks there is nothing in this 
“‘contrary to the universal law of gravitation,’ an opinion 
which he would modify were he more familiar with that 
law. The want of balance he speaks of would affect pre- 
cession and nutation, but not the inclination of the earth’s 
axis. Supposing gravity were on his side, however, and 
we granted his extension of the tropics, he should re- 
member that the Arctic regions would be equally extended. 
If he brings the northern tropic to the latitude of London, 
he has brought the Arctic circle to the latitude of Madrid. 
Tropical plants in the latitude of Paris, say, would fare ill 
under this arrangement. 
Recherches sur la Faune de Madagascar et de ses Dépen- 
dances. re: Partie: Reiation de Voyage. Par 
Francois P. L. Pollen. (Leyde: Steenhoff, 1868.) 
M. POLLEN, being fond of sport, and having a mind 
to travel, after consulting Professor Schlegel, started 
for Madagascar, and spent there a considerable time 
exploring that and the neighbouring islands, having 
M. C. Van Dam for companion and preparer of skins, &c. 
He now publishes the results of his expedition, in large 
And we may take it | quarto, with profuse illustration in the form of lithographic 
plates. There are to be five parts to this work—(1) The 
account of the expedition, (2) the mammifers and birds, 
(3) the reptiles, (4) the fish, (5) the insects, crustacea, and 
molluscs. M. Pollen writes the first himself, whilst Pro- 
fessors Schlegel, Bleeker, Vollenhoven, Herklots, and 
Selys Longchamps assist in the more strictly scientific 
portion. At present we have only M. Pollen’s account of 
his voyage before us, which is written in a popular style— 
as he says in the preface—and is as interesting as could 
be expected. We should suppose that M. Pollen is not 
himself profoundly scientific ; but he has good assistance 
for the rest of his work. 
Country Walks of a Naturalist with his Children. By 
Rey. W. Houghton. (London: Groombridge and 
Sons, 1869.) 
IF the author had aimed at interesting children of a some- 
what larger growth than he has had in view, we think he 
would have succeeded. The trivial parts of the book 
will hardly please boys and girls capable of understanding 
the more solid portions, 
