Nov. 20, 1 873 J 



NA TURE 



41 



the Sponges of such strikingly beautiful ones as belong 

 to the genera Euplectella, Holtenia, &c., though, indeed, 

 some allusion is made to these in the chapter on the geo- 

 graphical distribution of marine life. But perhaps we 

 have said enough to show that while the subject of this 

 work is a good one, it might easily have been treated by 

 a writer more familiar with it in a better, a more original, 

 and a more comprehensive manner. E. P. W. 



OUR BOOK SHELF 



The Theory of Evolution of Li vim:; Things. By Rev. 

 G. Henslow. (Macmillan and Co.) 



Scientific men cannot but feel how false is the stimulus 

 given to that form of literature of which the above-named 

 work is an example. If considerable pecuniary reward 

 is oflered for the production of treatises in favour of any 

 theory, or of the mutual compatibility of any two or more 

 different doctrines, the work will undoubtedly be produced, 

 however inaccurate the theory, or however dissimilar the 

 doctrines. That mistaken enthusiasm which led to the 

 production of the Brid.^water Treatises and the establish- 

 ment of the Actonian Prize, has resulted in the publica- 

 tion during the last year of two Actonian prize essays, the 

 former of which, by Mr. B. T. Lowne, we noticed on a 

 previous occasion, whilst the latter is the one under 

 consideration. The present author's treatment of his 

 subject is much that which would have been adopted 

 by Paley if he had been living at the present diy. Several 

 previously accepted axioms are shown to be incompatible 

 with the existing position of biological science, and their 

 weakness is well brought forward. Other considerations 

 of modern development are introduced, and it is in these 

 that the difficulty of combining the two doctrines appears. 

 For instance, the origin of moral evil is siid to be " the 

 conscious abuse of means, inetead of using them solely 

 for the ends for which they were designed." But on evo- 

 lutionary principles, it can hardly be said that there are 

 means for designed ends, because that peculiarity in an 

 organ which is of service is the only one retained, inso- 

 much that if the delicate sensitiveness of the conjunctiva 

 of the eye were to prove of more value to the individual 

 than Its sight, the power of vision would most probably 

 become lost at the expense of the developing tactile 

 organ. " The continual effort of beings to arrive at 

 mutual and beneficial adjustments " is said to be a great 

 principle of nature ; does not the term " struggle for exist- 

 ence " imply something very different from this ? Again, 

 that "animals and plants do not live where circumstances 

 may be best suited to them, but where they can. or where 

 other animals and plants will respectively let them live," 

 is quoted by the author as an instance of Nature falling 

 short of that absolute degree of perfection which may be 

 conceived as possible ; however, there cannot be many 

 who think a locality a suitable residence, in which they are 

 prevented from taking up their abode, or perhaps entering, 

 by the animals and plants which inhabit it. In other 

 places similar weaknesses may be found in the argument 

 adopted. In one thing Mr. Henslow has done great good : 

 he has shown that it is consistent with a full dogmatic 

 belief, to hold opinions very difterent from those taught as 

 natural theology some half century and more ago. 



LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 



[ 77/1.' Editor does not hold himself responsible for opinions expressed 

 by his correspondents. No notice is taken of anonymous 

 communications. ] 



Transfer of the South Kensington Museum 



I .\M glad to see that an effective opposition is likely to be 



made to the ill-advised proposal of the Government to place the 



.South Kensington Collections under the control of the fifty irre- 

 sponsible Trustees of the British Museum. 



In common with many other nituralists I had always hoped 

 that the nitionil collections of natural history, when removed to 

 the new buildings in South Kensington, would be freed from 

 the rule of the Trustees and placed under a responsible 

 director. The memorial of which I enclose a copy, and the re- 

 publication of which would, I think, be opportune at the present 

 juncture, will serve to show that I am by no means alone in 

 believing that such a change would be beneficial to Science. 



It would seem, however, that the Government, so far from 

 acceding to our views, have resolved to proceed in exactly the 

 contrary direction, and to increase the power of the Trustees. 

 I can only hope that we may succeed in preventing them from 

 carrying this retrograde measure into effect. 



P. L. SCL.\TER 



44, Elvaston Place Qaeen's Gate, Nov. 17 



" Copy of a Memorial presented to the Rii^ht Hon. the Chancellor 



of the Exchequer 



"To the Rt. Hon. the Chancellor of the Exchequer 



"Sir, — It having been stated that the scientific men of the 

 metrop jlis are, as a body, entirely opposed to the removal of 

 the natural history collections from their present situation in the 

 British Museum, we, the undersigned Fellows of tlie Royal, 

 Linnean, Geological, and Zoological Societies of Loudon, beg 

 leave to offer to you the following expression of our opinion upon 

 the subject. 



" We are of opinion that it is of fundamental importance to the 

 progress of the natural sciences in this country, that the adminis- 

 tration of the national natural history collections should be 

 separated from that of the library and art collections, and placed 

 under one officer, who should be immediately responsible to one 

 of the Queen's Ministers. 



"We regard the exact locality of the National Museum of 

 Natural History as a question of comparatively minor import- 

 ance, provided that it be conveniently accessible and within the 

 metropolitan district. 



George Bextham, F.R.S. 



William B. Carpenter, M.D., F.R.S. 



W. S. DALL.A.S, F.L.S. 



Charles Darwin, F.R.S. 



F. DUCANE GODMAN, F.L.S. 



J. H. GURNEV, F.Z.S. 

 Edward Hamilton, M.D., F.L.S. 

 Joseph D. Hooker, M.D., F.R.S. 

 Thomas H. Huxley, F.R.S. 

 JoH.N Kirk, F.L.S. 

 LiLFORD, F.L.S. 

 Alfred Newton, F.L S, 

 W. Kitchen Parker, F.R.S. 

 Andrew Ramsay, F.R.S. 

 Arthur Russell, M. P. 

 OSBERT Salvin, F.L.S. 



P. L, SCLATER, F.R.S. 



G. SCLATER-BoOTfl, M.P. 



S. Jame.s a. Salter, F. K.S. 

 W. H. Simpson, F.Z.S. 

 J. Emmerson Tenn'ent, F.R.S. 

 Thomas Thomson, M.D., F.R.S. 

 H. B. Tristram, F.L.S. 

 Walden, F.L.S. 

 Alfred I\. Wallace, F.Z.S. 

 "London, May 14, 1866" 



Deep-sea Soundings and Deep.sea Thermometers 

 Will you allow me to reply to a letter from Messrs. Negretti- 

 and Zambra that appeared m vol. viii. p. 529, in reference 

 to my Casella-Miller Deep Sea Thermometer, in which they 

 accuse me and the late respected Dr. Miller of " plagiarism." 



I presume, by thi; remark, that they intend to convey the 

 idea of their own introduction having been imitated, because 

 they state also that " their thermometer is identical in every re- 

 spect except in size." Without venturing to trespass upon your 

 valuable space by now going into more detail to prove the con- 



