June \, 1874J 



NA TURE 



83 



powers which, according to the doctrine of evokition, 

 they do not acquire, but inherit. For the benefit 

 of those who would now save this theory by maintain- 

 ing that it meant or moans something that was never 

 intended, we would quote the example given in illustration 

 by M. Ribot : — " Few of our necessities are so pressing 

 as thirst ; nevertheless an animal does not distinguish at 

 first that the water in the pond can appease it ; it is only 

 later in his wanderings that he comes to apply his tongue 

 to the surface of the water (happy accident) and to feel 

 the relief which it affords, and thus to learn what he 

 ought to will." Few of the poor animals, we fear, would 

 ever reach maturity if they had not more of mstinct than 

 Prof Bain would here allow them. Yet what Prof. Bain 

 has written about instinct he claims, and M. Ribot tliinks 

 "justly, as one of the most original portions of his work." 

 Unfortunately for the fame of this celebrated psycholo- 

 gist, it appears from the progress of research that exactly 

 in those departments where he has been most original 

 have his conceptions been least in accordance with the 

 order of Nature. 



M. Ribot's most serious labour seems to have been in 

 bringing together, in a more or less connected form, the 

 psychology which has hitherto been scattered through 

 the writings of Mr. George Henry Lewes. This original 

 thinker and highly suggestive writer is the only one of 

 our psychologists whsse work may not be regarded as 

 finished. The volume recently published (" Problems of 

 Life and Mind ") does not supply material for an estimate 

 of the work on which he has long been engaged. But 

 while continuing to agree with Mr. Spencer much more 

 than any other of the authorities, Mr. Lewes encourages 

 his readers to hope for important and permanent addi- 

 tions to mental philosophy ; and to put the prospects of 

 the work at the lowest, he will certainly compel the school 

 to which he belongs to gravely reconsider some of their 

 fundamental positions. 



When in his conclusion M. Ribot attempts to bring 

 forward the points on which the writers are agreed, the 

 " fundamental propositions " to which he reduces them 

 are unsatisfactory in two ways. Many of them are so 

 vague in expression as not to exclude rival theories ; 

 while others have a sufficient amount of precision to 

 make them flat contradictions of the clearly expressed 

 and reiterated opinions of some of the authorities. We 

 are, for example, not surprised to hear a disciple of 

 Mr. Mill and Prof. Bain express his astonishment 

 that his masters should have fathered on them the 

 realism they have so vigorously opposed. M. Ribot's 

 words are explicit : — " Outside of us, and independently 

 of our perceptions, there exists a material world which 

 condemns idealism. It is conformable to the data of the 

 sciences to believe that this material world, taken in itself, 

 does not resemble the perceptions of it which we have ; 

 this condemns vulgar realism." It surely says little for 

 idealism that M. Ribot, after studying and expounding 

 the arguments in its favour, should thus end with making 

 our idealists agree with that very realism which Prof. Bain 

 has described as unworthy the name of Philosophy. 



After recognising the shortcomings referred to, it re- 

 mains to be repeated that the author deserves the thanks 

 of everyone interested in the spread of mental science in 

 France. But we are unable to find any reason for the 

 book having been translated into English. No English 



! student ought to go to M. Ribot for the opinions of Mr. 

 Mill or Mr. Spencer. Should any not already familiar 

 j with the topics discussed attempt to read the work, they 

 I will frequently be much perplexed by the exceeding care- 

 I lessness of the translation. If they are amused to read 

 that " melodies are described in pathological treatises," 

 thev may be a little puzzled to make out how "all Science 

 is contradicted by the double action of analysis and syn- 

 thesis," or in what sense ''so long as the living being has 

 no consciousness he leads a purely psychological life." 

 fVnd we would hint to any innocent young persons dis- 

 posed to pin their faith to Locke, that they may be in 

 some danger of being misunderstood should they follow 

 the uniform usage of the translator and describe them- 

 selves as " sensuaiists." Douglas a. Spalding 



067? BOOK SHELF 



Africa : Geographical Exploi-ation and Christian Enter- 

 prise. By A. Gruar Forbes. (London : Sampson 

 Low and Co. 1874.) 

 We can recommend this moderate-sized volume as an 

 interesting popular resume of the progress of discovery 

 in Africa from the earliest time to the present day. The 

 author writes mainly from the point of view of missionary 

 enterprise, but seems to have read with diligence and 

 intelligence the greater part of the literature of modern 

 African travel, with which his book is mostly concerned, 

 and has made therefrom a creditable compilation showing 

 the progress of discovery from Bruce downwards. The 

 first chapter gives a brief account of the topography, 

 climate, and productions of Africa ; and the accompany- 

 ing pretty clear map shows the route of the leading 

 explorers. We notice one or two signs of carelessness or 

 haste ; for example, on p. 4, Mr. Forbes states that " the 

 most westerly point is Cabo \'crde, in long. 5 1' 25' E., 

 lat. 10° 25' N., the distance between tlie two pomts being 

 about the same as its length." Again, at p. 115, •' Sahara 

 Desert " ought surely to be " Kalahari Desert." 



LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 



[Ttte Editor does not hold himself responsible for opinions expressed 

 by his correspondents. No notice is talcen of anonymous 

 commnnieations .1 

 Ocean Circulation — Dr. Carpenter and Mr. Croll 



I.\ the interests of Science, of scientific discussions, and of 

 scientific men let me be allowed to protest very earnestly against 

 the manner in which Dr. Carpenter has thought fit to reply in 

 your columns to the defence which Mr. CroU made against the 

 representation of his views, given in Nature, vol. ix. p. 423. 

 I take much interest in the subject under discussion — the great 

 fundamental cause of the distribution of heat over the globe, and 

 am most anxious to arrive at the true solution of the problem — 

 a result, however, which will be indefinitely postponed if such 

 letters as that of Dr. Carpenter in Nature, vol. x. p. 62, are to 

 become common. 



Mr. Croll, discarding unimportant details, asked attention to 

 one or two cardinal " misappreliensions " on which Dr. 

 Carpenter had been proceeding. But the Doctor, instead of 

 plainly grappling with these alleged "misapprehensions," runs 

 off to call attention to a footnote 01 another paper of Mr. CroU's, 

 brings forward some statement of Mr. CroU's views about the 

 relative saltness of different portions of the ocean (about which, 

 however, not a single word is said in the letter that has called 

 forth Dr. Carpenter's reply), and concludes by another argu- 

 nuntnm ad hominetn, of which I am sure every reader of his 

 papers must now be weary. 



Now I strongly object to have dust thrown in my 

 eyes in this way. Dr. Carpenter does not attempt 10 deal 

 with any one of the cardinal and ctuci.il arguments in Mr. 

 CroU's letter. He raises a cloud about "averages," repeats his 

 joke about ten children to every marriage, and with other irre- 

 lev.ant matter, including an introduction of the Astronomer Royal 



