March 24, 1887] 



NATURE 



485 



But in merely making incidental memoranda of the 

 every-day experiences of life in his northern home, Mr. 

 Smith has mentioned not a few interesting things ; and 

 for these one soon begins to be grateful in reading a 

 volume that is otherwise none too lively. He tells us, for 

 e.vample, how a heron was suspected of stealing duck- 

 lings, was watched, and finally caught in the act of 

 devouring one of the birds — which seems a singular 

 occurrence. On the other hand, the appearance of a 

 bat in January, when the West Highlands happen to be 

 visited by a spell of mild weather, is by no means the 

 rare phenomenon he supposes it to be. There are some 

 interesting remarks on the incubation of the cuckoo's 

 egg (pp. 13 and i6) which seem to suggest a need for 

 further inquirj-. But we cannot say that we place im- 

 plicit faith in Mr. Anderson Smith as an observer. His 

 story of how, on one occasion, in passing through a wood, 

 he startled a number of fallow-deer and roebuck may be 

 forgiven on account of the darkness prevailing at the 

 time : we should prefer to wait for some daylight notes 

 before believing that the fallow-deer and the roe have 

 agreed to lay aside their long-standing and mutual anti- 

 pathy. " The pheasant is an unwieldy bird and of no 

 great power of flight." Did the writer of that sentence 

 ever try to " stop '' a rocketer well on the wing and 

 coming down wind ; and what was the expression of his 

 face when he wheeled round to find the '' unwieldy " bird 

 already disappearing into the next parish .' Mr. Smith in 

 this volume revives a controversy in which, as it appears, 

 he has been engaged before, with regard to the lower 

 animals committing suicide ; and remarks that it may be 

 assumed they know what death is from the fact that 

 m.any of them can simulate it with marvellous accuracy. 

 It is no doubt true that the young of certain animals, 

 when confronted with danger, will suddenly become 

 motionless, and remain so until the danger is removed — 

 just as it is a common trick among street arabs for a 

 small boy, when pursued by a bigger boy, to throw him- 

 self down in the roadway and lie perfectly still, prepared 

 for the worst. But to assume that the young curlew or 

 the young rat that suddenly stiffens itself and shuts its 

 eyes is aware that it is simulating death, or has any 

 understanding of such a state, is a far jump. Mr. Smith 

 cites the case of a terrier belonging to a friend of his which, 

 having the distemper, deliberately went oft" and drowned 

 itself. Clearly the verdict here must be temporary insanity ; 

 the dog did not know what it was doing. The chief reason 

 for concluding that the lower animals are not aware that 

 they possess the liberty of suicide is that so few of them 

 (or none of them) take advantage of it : if they did know, 

 the overworked cart-horse, the mangy cur, the long- 

 enduring donkey, would forthwith knock their heads 

 against the nearest wall — unless, indeed, it is to be sup- 

 posed that these animals are so highly intelligent as to 

 have heard of the significant French proverb : " Quand 

 on est mort, c'est pour longtemps.'' But this question of 

 suicide among animals has always been a stumbling- 

 block. Prof. Edward Forbes accused a whole tribe of 

 star-fish of having a suicidal instinct on no better grounds 

 than that they, on being brought into the air, or put in 

 fresh water, went to bits. He even describes one of them 

 as rejoicing in its power of eluding scientific scrutiny : — " I 

 saw its limbs escaping through every mesh of the dredge. 



In my despair I seized the largest piece, and brought up 

 the extremity of an arm with its terminal eye, the spinous 

 eyelid of which opened and closed with something ex- 

 ceedingly like a wink of derision." After this we shall 

 not be surprised to hear of a body of scientific experts 

 meeting to consider the question of suicide among animals 

 — with Mark Twain as President of the Committee. 



" Loch Creran " is not a vivacious book ; but it is unpre- 

 tentious ; and the author, in a rambling and hap-hazard 

 fashion, contrives to give us some idea of his surroundings 

 and pursuits. Indeed, the dweller in towns, who has the 

 patience to follow this somewhat prolix writer, will pro- 

 bably part company with him with no slight feeling of 

 envv. 



OUR BOOK SHELF 



The Encyclopaedic Diciicinary. Vol. VI. Part I. (London : 



Cassell and Co., 1887.) 

 The work to which this volume belongs is much more 

 than a mere dictionary in the ordinary sense. It in- 

 cludes the description of things as well as of words, 

 special attention being given to objects and processes 

 indicated by scientific and technical terms. The infor- 

 mation otTered is never, of course, exhaustive, but it is 

 sufficient for the purposes the compilers have had in 

 view, and generally it has the merit of being clear, con- 

 cise, and, as far as it goes, accurate. As a dictionary the 

 work deserves high praise. It contains all the English as 

 well as all the Scotch words now in use, with their 

 significations re-investigated, re-classified, and re-illus- 

 trated by examples. A large number of obsolete words 

 have also been introduced. The etymology is inclosed 

 within brackets immediately following each word : and 

 the pronunciation is indicated by diacritical marks, a 

 key to which is given at the foot of the several pages. 

 The present volume includes all words from " quoi " to 

 " shipp," and, so far as we have been able to test it, 

 we have found it lucidly arranged and thoroughly 

 trustworthy. 



Descriptive Catah'-^i/c oftlie General Collection of Minerals 

 in the Australian Ahtseiiin. By A. Felix Ratte. Printed 

 by order of the Trustees. (Sydney : Thomas Richards.) 

 This Catalogue has been carefully compiled, and no 

 doubt it has already been of considerable service to 

 persons making use of the Australian Museum. For the 

 classification of silicates the compiler has taken as a guide 

 Dana's " .System of Mineralogy " : for the classification 

 of metallic minerals, Roscoe's " Chemistry." But these 

 authors' systems have not been entirely followed, 

 especially where rare mineral products are concerned. 

 The notes, although generally brief, are adequate, and 

 there is a valuable appendix on gems and ornamental 

 specimens. 



LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 

 [The Editor dots not hold himself responsibh for of inions ex- 

 pressed by his correspondents. Neither can he undertake to 

 return, or to correspond ■joith the writers of, rejected manu- 

 scripts. No notice is taken of anonymous communications. 

 [ The Editor urgently requests correspondents to keep their letters 

 as short as possible. The pressure on his space is so great 

 that it is impossible othertuise to insure the appearance even 

 of communications containing interesting and novel facts. ] 



West Indian Meteorological Confederation 

 In the leading article in Nature, vol. xxxv. p. 241. remarks 

 were made respecting the .advantages which would accrue to the 

 West Indian Islands, and to the Meteorological Council of the 



