274 Reviews — Professor BrigharrCs Text-hook of Geology. 



In the meantime it is an object still more to be desired, that 

 scientific men should discontinue the practice, first introduced by 

 Huxley, of prosecuting research by the mutual application of 'beak 

 and claws,' as otherwise the only possible effect on the world in 

 general will be the one represented by the following astounding 

 observation made to me by a highly educated man of the world : 

 " Scientists are a disagreeable lot, not worth controverting " ! 



So far as my own observation goes, science has never been at so 

 low an ebb in the estimation of the general public as at present, 

 unless they fancy they see ' money in it.' During the last five 

 years science has been struck four staggering blows. Two have 

 been already mentioned, but perhaps nothing can equal in danger 

 the attack made on British science and the old Universities by the 

 President of Section B at Glasgow, this being coupled with 

 a panegyric on the German methods of teaching and research, 

 together with scathing contempt for the two English Colleges 

 which have ever aimed at the highest attainable standard of 

 education. Trinity and Balliol. Eeally, one would think Cambridge 

 had done fairly well with such men as Kelvin, Stokes, Kayleigh, 

 Airy, Sedgwick, Bonney, Teall, and Balfour, and scores of others 

 who have made their marks, though not always such deep ones. 

 At the present moment the claims of science are being pressed on 

 the unscientific public in a remarkable book entitled "Anticipations," 

 in which the average intelligent Englishman is severely handled. 



It is scarcely fair, but I cannot resist quoting Bacon's judgment 

 on Anticipations and Interpretations. Here it is : " We have 

 accustomed ourselves to call the one method the ' Anticipation of 

 the Mind,'' and the other the ' Interpretation of Nature.' " He refers 

 to the former method as follows : " And as for those who prefer 

 and more readily receive the former .... because they are 

 imable from weakness of mind to comprehend and embrace the 

 other (which must necessarily be the case with by far the greater 

 number), let us wish that they may prosper as they desire in their 

 undertaking, and attain what they pursue." Headers will kindly 

 note that this appalling sarcasm is Lord Verulam's, not mine. 



I^ :e "V I IHl "V^ S. 



I. — A Text-book of Geology. By Albert Perry Brigham, A.M., 

 Professor of Geology in Colgate University. 8vo ; pp. 477, with 

 294 illustrations. (London: Hirschfeld Brothers, Ltd., 1902. 

 Price 6s. nett.) 



THIS is a clearly written introduction to geology, full of in- 

 formation and yet devoid of detail, and as well fitted as any 

 book with which we are acquainted to stir up interest in the science 

 and to provide the general reader with a knowledge of the principles 

 and leading results of geological investigation. The work is divided 

 into three parts dealing with Dynamical, Structural, and Historical 

 Geology. After a brief introduction of but two pages, the author 



