143 

 REVIEWS AND BOOK NOTICES. 



The Wonders of Instinct : Chapters in the Psychology of Insects, by 

 J. H. Fabre. London : T. Fisher Unwin, 320 pp., 10/6 net. All English- 

 speaking naturalists will thank the publishers for producing this volume 

 by ' The Poet of Science ' as Fabre has quite properly been called. The 

 book contains the most striking chapters in the author's well-known 

 ' Souvenirs Entomologiques.' There are no scientific classifications, no 

 lists of species nor details of geographical distribution, but, instead, a 

 beautifully written narrative of observations made in reference to the ways 

 of different species of insects. The various experiments, remarkable alike 

 for their simplicity and for the valuable results obtained — are described 

 in a style which places Fabre far ahead of any of his contemporaries or 

 successors. Among the fourteen fascinating chapters it is difficult to 

 say which appeal the most, though perhaps those dealing with the author's 

 experiments with dead moles and burying beetles have the greatest ' grip ' 

 on the reader. Spiders, Glow-worms, the Cabbage Caterpillar, the Green 

 Grasshopper and even the Bluebottle are made to instruct and entertain 

 us. This is certainly an ideal book for any reader, and a necesary book 

 for the naturalist, but we must warn our readers not to take it up if they 

 are very busy, or the inevitable result will be that work will wait. 



Geology, by A. R. Dwerryhouse, D.Sc, etc. T. Nelson & Sons, 301 

 pp., 3/6 net. This remarkably cheap volume is one of the ' Romance 

 of Reality ' series commenced by Messrs. Jack before the firm was 

 taken over by Messrs. Nelson. Dr. Dwerryhouse is well known to 

 our readers ; and in this book, after deploring the fact that ' most people 

 are content to go on living in this world without attempting to find out 

 anything about the world itself,' he gives four chapters on the Earth and 

 its Early History, the Atmosphere, the Hydrosphere, and the Lithosphere. 

 These contain a useful summary of geology. The remaining fourteen 

 chapters have the general heading ' A Geological Reconnaissance.' In 

 these the author invents a country ' Geologica' which he explores — dealing 

 in turn with the coast, rivers, mountains, lakes, volcanoes, hot springs, 

 valleys, glaciers, minerals, etc. In this way Hutton River, Lyell, Coal 

 Hill and many other places bearing names familiar to geologists, are visited, 

 and in imagination, the country is thoroughly explored, mapped, examined 

 for minerals and ores. Almost everything that a geologist could wish for 

 occurs in ' Geologica ' ; plans and sections are also given, as well as photo- 

 graphs of tjrpical Geologica- al scenery, which, in many cases, bear a striking 

 resemblance to geological scenery in Yorkshire and other places from which 

 Dr. Dwerryhouse no doubt obtained ' colour ' for his story. 



Modern Whaling and Bear Hunting, by W. G. B. Murdoch. London, 

 Seeley, Service & Co., 320 pp., 21/- net. To most people the whaling 

 days are past history ; yet the narratives of the somewhat primitive 

 methods of capturing our largest mammals, and the dangers attendant 

 thereto, have always had a fascination. We had looked upon such stories 

 as relics of the good old times, but Mr. Murdoch has produced a volume 

 with all the charm and adventure of the old ones, relating experiences 

 quite as weird and wonderful, with the additional advantages of more 

 reliable scientific information, more modern appliances, and better methods 

 of illustration. Mr. Murdoch took part as artist and historian in the 

 expedition to the Weddell Sea in 1892-3 — the first of its kind since Sir 

 James Ross's expedition in 1842. The expedition of 1892-3 led to the 

 development of the present large southern whale fishing industry. The 

 book also contains an account of bear hunting in the Arctic, and catching 

 narwhals after the old style, by harpooning from small boats. Mr. 

 Murdoch has the style of a practised lecturer — he keeps one's interest 

 from first to last — his descriptions are clear, and enlivened by many a 

 good anecdote. He also tells much of great value to a naturalist, while 

 his sketches and photographs are admirable. ' Modern Whaling and Bear 

 Hunting ' is one of the finest books we have read for some time. 



1918 April 1. 



