38 Reviews — Life of Sir Richard Owen. 



epochs. It would obviously be premature to attempt at present to 

 correlate the glacial succession in North America with that in 

 Europe, but the fact of important climatic oscillations during the 

 Ice Age is as clearly shown in the former country as in the latter. 



In tliis edition the consideration of the cause of the Climatic and 

 Geographical Changes of the Glacial period forms the final chapter 

 of the book. The author still holds that the astronomical theory of 

 the late Dr. CroU appears the best solution of the Glacial puzzle, as 

 it accounts for all the leading facts ; for the occurrence of alternating 

 cold and warm epochs, and for the peculiar character of Glacial and 

 inter-Glacial climates, and further, it postulates no other distribution 

 of land and sea than now obtains. This theory has undoubtedly 

 thrown a flood of light upon the difficulties of the subject, and it 

 may be that some modification of his views will eventually clear up 

 the mystery. 



This third edition of the " Great Ice Age " should be received by 

 those interested in the study of Glacial Geology with as warm a 

 welcome as that which was accorded to the first edition twenty 

 years ago. Opinions will differ respecting some of the generalisa- 

 tions of the author, but all will agree on the value and importance of 

 having the evidence on this subject brought down to date, and stated 

 in a clear and impartial manner. G. J. H. 



II. — The Life of Eighard Owen.^ By his Grandson, the Eev. 

 EiCHARD Owen, M.A. With the Scientific portions revised by 

 C. Davies Sherbokn. Also an Essay on Owen's Position in 

 Anatomical Science by the Eight Hon. T. H. Huxley, F.E.S. 

 2 vols. 8vo. Pp. 409 and 393, with Portraits and Illustrations. 

 (London : John Murray.) 



THE record of the life of so well known a man as the late Prof. 

 Owen cannot fail to be of great interest, not only to those to 

 whom his researches more especially appeal, or who have known 

 him as a friend, but also to the more general reader. For Owen, 

 although a scientific man whose province was principally that of 

 Comparative Anatomy, and perhaps more especially that of Vertebrate 

 Pal83ontology, was at the same time a man of very broad human 

 sympathies, and devoted a large amount of his earlier life to the 

 services of his fellow-men by acting on various hygienic com- 

 missions ; he was further very successful both as a popular and 

 a special lecturer ; finally, by his efforts as Hunterian Professor at the 

 Eoyal College of Surgeons, and afterwards as Superintendent of the 

 Natural History Departments of the British Museum, he did more 

 than any of his predecessors to bring the study of Natilral History 

 before the public, to force its recognition on, and obtain its continual 

 support from, the Government. It is hardly an exaggeration to 

 say that Owen was the most popular and widely known of all the 

 scientific men the present century has seen. 



These records consist of letters and extracts from the diaries of 



^ For an Obituary of Owen, accompanied by an excellent portrait, see Geological 

 Magazine, 1893, Decade III. Vol. X. p. 49. 



