Feb. lo, 1887] 



NA TURE 



541 



granulated gneiss, in some places impacted together with 

 green sandstone into a tolerably dense granitic breccia. 

 At some points the kryolite is found in direct contact with 

 the granite, at others pegmatite is interposed between the 

 two, while here and there this mineral is embedded in a 

 granitic ivigtite. 



Great interest attaches to Dr. Hoist's observations on 

 the nature and appearance of the so-called " kryokonite," 

 in regard to whose origin the most opposite views have 

 been maintained. According to the writer, who mainly 

 agrees with the opinions held by Danish geologists, this 

 substance is nothing more nor less than moraine mud ; in 

 support of which view he gives the result of the careful 

 analyses made, independently of one another, by Profs. 

 La-saul.v:, Zirkcl, and Svedmark, who agree in maintaining 

 that kryokonite contains nothing but the ordinary con- 

 stituents of the native rocks. The evidence supplied by 

 these and other carefully-conducted microscopical inves- 

 tigations is, it would appear, so conclusive as to the true 

 constituents of all kr\okonites, that it has considerably 

 moditied the views once held by Baron Nordenskjold and 

 others, who at one ti ne maintained the cosmic origin of 

 these bodies. In point of fact, Dr. Hoist's observations 

 of this substance, of which he collected various speci- 

 mens between Kipissako, in 61° N. lat., and Illuliakik, 

 65" 25' N. lat., seem to show that the kryokonite of Green- 

 land differs in no way in its nature from the loess of 

 Europe, of which it may be considered as the Arctic 

 analogue. 



During his four months' stay in Greenland Dr. Hoist 

 visited various native settlements, and his descriptions of 

 the numerous difticulties he encountered in securing boats 

 and guides in the face of the Greenlander's habitual 

 slowness and vacillation are not without interest, but the 

 great value of his narrative depends upon the care and 

 clearness with which he has recorded the results of his 

 scientitic investigations. In these particulars, indeed, 

 geologists will find that he has ably fulfilled the purposes 

 of his expedition, and there can be \\a doubt that the 

 results of his diligent study of the various processes by 

 which glacial action is manifested, and the effects which 

 it produces, will prove of the greatest use in contributing 

 new materials towards the interpretation of various 

 problems connected with the Ice Age in Europe. 



A chart of South Greenland, drawn by C. J. Kjellstrom, 

 on which the inland ice-beds are marked in green and the 

 habitable land in white, enables the reader to follow the 

 track of coast explored by the writer between Holstenborg, 

 in 66' 50', and Kipissako, in 61' N. lat. 



The Handy Natural History. By J. G. Wood, Author 

 of " Homes without Hands." With 226 Engravings. 

 (London : Religious Tract Society, 1886.) 



Mr. Wood is so well and so widely known for his many 

 popular books on natural history, that the present one is 

 sure to be welcomed by a large number of readers. The 

 illustrations as a rule are most excellent, and care has 

 been taken to make the text as simple as possible for 

 even juvenile readers. The chapter on the monkey tribe 

 is one of the longest and most interesting in the book. 

 .Mr. Wood is very careful to state in his first page that 

 between the lower animals and man there is a great gulf 

 fixed which neither can pass. Mr. Wood does not seem to 

 see that the question which hasbeen widely ventilated of late 

 years is not whether there is a great gulf now, but whether 

 there was originally any gulf at all. It is not necessary 

 that this question should be discussed in a book intended 

 chiefly for juvenile readers ; but in the absence of a dis- 

 cussion, the statement to which we refer is one which 

 had better not have been made. 



There is no index to the book, but at the beginning of 

 it an alphabetical list of animals mentioned is given, 

 which practically serves the purpose of an index. The 



number of animals mentioned may be gathered from the 

 fact that the list occupies seven pages of closely-printed 

 type in three columns. 



Hand-book of the British Flora. By George Bentham, 

 F.R.S. Fifth Edition. Revised by Sir J. D. Hooker, 

 F.R.S. (London : L. Reeve and Co., 1887.) 



In the preface to the first edition of this book the author 

 explained that he had often been asked to recommeni a 

 work which should enable persons having no previous 

 knowledge of botany to name the wild flowers they might 

 gather in their country rambles. His object in writmg 

 his " Hand-book" was simply to meet this demand, and 

 experience has shown that it is well adapted for its 

 purpose. Sir Joseph Hooker, we need hardly say, has 

 revised his late friend's work with perfect tact and judg- 

 ment, adding considerably to its value by bringing it into 

 accordance with the latest knowledge, without making 

 any essential changes. Mr. Bentham held that previous 

 writers on our indigenous flora had exaggerated the 

 number of distinct species. His opinions on this subject, 

 Sir Joseph Hooker thinks, should not be dismissed 

 hastily, since they were the views "of a great master of 

 systematic and descriptive botany who had collected and 

 studied a large proportion of the prevalent forms of 

 British plants in a living state, not only m our three 

 kingdoms, but in France, Scandinavia, Russia, Germany, 

 Switzerland, and Turkey." 



The Zoological Record for 1885. Being Vol. .XXII. of 

 the Record of Zoological Literature. Edited by 

 JeftVey Bell, M.A., &c. (London : John Van Voorst, 

 1 886.) 

 Before the close of 1886 the record of zoological literature 

 for the year 1885 was in the hands of those interested in 

 zoology, and the editor is to be warmly congratulated on 

 this result. The difficulties in the way of such a result 

 are very great; on- the present occasion they have been 

 overcome, and we confidently trust the same may be 

 the case for the future. The recorders have accom- 

 plished much, but they would be able to do more 

 if the writers of scientific memoirs would assist in so 

 desirable a cause and promptly send to the editor copies 

 of their writings when first issued from the press. All of 

 the recorders seem to have done their share of the work 

 with care and discretion, though to some the lion's share 

 has fallen ; the largest contributor being Dr. Sharp, who 

 records all the Insecta with the exception of the Neuro- 

 ptera and the Orthoptera, which latter groups are recorded 

 by Mr. McLachlan. The large group for so many years 

 recorded by Dr. von Martens is now divided between 

 Prof. \V. A. Herdman and Messrs W. E. Hoyle and G. 

 R- Vine. Dr. P. Bertkau records the Arachnida, including 

 the new species and genera for 18S3 and 1884. Numerous 

 corrections and additions have been made in the list of 

 works consulted, and this list now forms a very useful 

 work of reference to the scientific publications of the 

 world. To the records of the Mammalia and the Birds 

 short introductory paragraphs are added, a practice which 

 we would suggest to the other recorders. It is very 

 expedient that they should follow this example, for, short 

 though these paragraphs are, yet in thein the reader gets 

 some hint of what has been done in the group for the 

 year. The Zoological Record Association is again able to 

 record grants of 100/. each from the Government Grant 

 Fund and the British Association, and one of 10/. from 

 the Royal Irish Academy. .Vlthough these money grants 

 are extremely well disposed of, we very much regret 

 that so valuable and essential a publication should 

 be to a large extent dependent upon them, and we 

 would fain hope to see the list of subscribers greatly 

 increased. 



