344 



NA TURE 



[May 20, 1909 



almanacks, clocks, and watches have done away with 

 the necessity of using his eyes in this direction, and 

 the modern priest, like the modern layman, though 

 he prates about the heavens declaring the glory of 

 God and the firmament showing His handiwork, too 

 often does not know that the sun rises to the east- 

 ward, and, if he does, he imagines that it rises in the 

 same place all the year round ; natura reruin does not 

 interest him. 



The ancient priest need not have been a pro- 

 found astronomer to build the monuments, which 

 were simply calendars. I do not mean to say they 

 were calendars and nothing more, but they were, from 

 an astronomical point of view, simply calendars, 

 enabling people to know and recognise from past 

 experience the different parts of the year by the 

 place of sunrise or sunset, and they were also night- 

 dials, enabling them to differentiate between the early 

 and the late hours of the night. 



In my inquiry I have not confined myself to the 

 astronomical side of the question. I have tried to 

 dip into the folklore and tradition already garnered 

 in relation, not only to the sacred stones, but to the 

 sacred wells and sacred trees. 



From what I have learned I am convinced that 

 much light will be thrown on both when an attempt 

 shall have been made to picture what the lives of 

 the first British astronomer-priests must necessarily 

 have been. 



It is interesting to note that, while the astronomical 

 side of the inquiry suggests a close connection with 

 Egyptian thought, the folklore and traditions, when 

 studied in relation with the monuments, indicate a 

 close connection between the ancient British and the 

 Semitic civilisations. 



I do not wish for one moment to suggest that the 

 work in all these various kinds of monuments was 

 limited to practical astronomical purposes. Our tradi- 

 tions render that view impossible. There was worship 

 in its highest forms, perhaps in its lowest forms; there 

 was magic, there were all sorts of things going on 

 in relation to the wants of the people, and it was 

 because there were some people who did know 

 all that was required to meet general and special 

 needs, including their agricultural wants, that they 

 eventually became priests, because they were the tnen 

 who knew, and that I believe to be the origin of 

 priestly power throughout the world. 



This work, if subsequently confirmed by other in- 

 vestigators, has the double advantage of supplying us 

 pretty accurately with the date of erection of the 

 monuments and of indicating the methods of observ- 

 ing the movements of the sun and stars employed in 

 Britain in prehistoric times; and if risings and set- 

 tings were so abundantly utilised — for utility as well 

 as priestcraft was certainly at the bottom of it — in 

 Britain four thousand years ago, the remarkable testi- 

 mony to the knowledge and wisdom of the " Druids " 

 given by Caesar and Pomponius Mela two thousand 

 years nearer their time is now seen to be amply 

 justified. 



Multa praeterca de sideribus et eorum motu, de mundi 

 magnitudine, de rerum natura, de deorum immortalium vi 

 ac potestate disputant et juventuti tradunt. — Caes. De 

 Bello Gallico, VI., c. 14. 



Hi terrae mundique magnitudinem et formam, motus 

 coeli ac siderum, ac quod dii velunt scire, profitentur. — 

 Pomp. Mela, II., c. 2. 



The " Druids " of Csesar's time were undoubtedly 

 the descendants of the astronomer-priests some of 

 whose daily work has now perhaps at last been 

 revealed. 



Norman Lockyer. 



SO. 206.', VOL. So] 



RECENT STUDIES ON ANIMAL AND PLANT 



LIFE^ 

 (1) "T^ HE second volume of " Nature-study " con- 

 ^ sists of three parts. The first of these is 

 composed of chapters by Mr. O. H. Latter on 

 sundry disconnected topics — some insects, centipedes, 

 spiders, a mussel, and a snail. The second, written 

 by Miss Newbigin, treats of fresh-water and marine 

 aquaria. The last describes the haunts of animals 

 and methods of field observation. It is due to 

 Prof. Arthur Thomson. With such able coadjutors, 

 the editor could hardly fail to produce a work of per- 

 manent value and of practical suggestiveness. The 

 articles, taken singly, are excellent. The subjects are 

 treated with accuracy and first-hand knowledge; 

 practical difficulties are faced and often solved; lines 

 of thought are suggested from a single fact. The 

 only thing lacking is a better coordination between 

 the topics, and the want of it has led, in this volume, 

 to a regrettable amount of repetition. Mr. Latter 

 describes, for example, the water-beetle and its life- 

 history. Miss Newbigin repeats the story in connection 

 with aquaria, and Prof. Thomson refers to it again 

 in dealing with fresh-water faunas. Thus we have 

 five 'figures of the same beetle and four of its larva 

 (not always consistent). It is called Dyticus at first 

 and Dvtiscus afterwards. Repetition also occurs 

 in text and figure as regards the gnat, the pond- 

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 respects is riot edited with care. Thus, with respect 

 to the keeping of the pond-mussel, two of the con- 

 tributors make contrary statements. These blemishes 

 apart, the work is one that will give much pleasure 

 and information to students of animal life, and 

 stimulate to closer observation. The illustrations are 

 of unequal merit, and many might have been saved 

 or greater variety employed by a keener editor. The 

 anatomical diagram at the commencement represents 

 the structure of the pond-mussel. 



(2) Prof. Kellogg, following in the footsteps of 

 Fabre, gives a delightful series of episodes in the 

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 the visitations of insect pests in America give the 

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 little boolc for reading aloud to children. 



(3) Mr. Farrer's rock-garden in Yorkshire is 

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 who pursue this attractive form of imitating nature. 

 In the present volume, a continuation of his former 

 work, his experience and zeal are continually mani- 

 fested, for Mr. Farrer has travelled far to watch and 

 gather his alpines. Most amateur gardeners know 

 too little of the principles on which rock- and bog- 

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 of the plants employed for stocking them. One of 

 the great charms of this work is the way in which 

 Mr. Farrer takes his readers into the resorts of his 

 favourites, and describes the varying fortunes that 

 have followed his attempts at acclimatisation. There 

 is, for example, a description of the alpines near 

 Arolla. The author's experience should be of great 

 assistance to those who wish to know the best sites 

 and conditions under which this class of plants can 



1 (i) " The Book of N.^ture-sttidy." Edited by Prof. J. Bretland 

 Farmer. F.RS. Vol. ii. Pp. vlii+soa. (London: Caxton Publishing 

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(2) " Insect Stories." By Vernon L. Kellogg. Pp. vii+298. (London : 

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