486 REVIEWS — POPULAR GEOLOGY. 



wild opponents of everything venerable, but can show genius, learn- 

 ing, piety, and sober, laborious inquiry, employed in investigating the 

 actual phenomena of mind, without setting off from any fanciful 

 assumptions ; determining the laws which regulate them, and applying 

 these to the most important practical purposes in connection with the 

 science of reasoning, with education, government, natural morals, and 

 everything that concerns the intellectual progress and social improve- 

 ment of mankind. 



EEVIEWS. 



Popular Geology. By Hugh Miller. Boston: Gould and Lincoln, 

 1859. 



This, the last work, it may be presumed, that we are to have from 

 the pen of the lamented Hugh Miller, must not be confounded, as its 

 title would lead one to do, with the already sufficiently numerous and 

 superficial class of works on Popular Science. The title, " Popular 

 Geology of Scotland," would have indicated in some respects more 

 definitely the scope of the work. In its treatment it is fully as 

 popular as any of Hugh Miller's previous writings, while in originality 

 of thought and novelty of speculation it is little less scientific than 

 any of them. As is well known to the Geological world, the author 

 was engaged for some time prior to his death upon what he intended 

 to be his '^Maximum Ojpus," the Geology of Scotland. The volume 

 under notice contains the skeleton of this intended work, and consists 

 of six lectures delivered before the Philosophical Institution of Edin- 

 burgh. It unites the graceful diction and apt simile of the author 

 vnth. an immense amount of original research, — qualities rarely associ- 

 ated in such happy combination. Hugh Miller belonged to that 

 school of geologists, which holds that this earth has been gradually 

 fitted for its present inhabitants, in opposition to those who maintain 

 that " all things have been from the beginning as they are now." 

 Mrs. Miller has contributed an able resume of the progress of Geologi- 

 cal Science, and exercises the general editorial oversight of this pos- 

 thumous work. Several indications however, suffice to show that the 

 notes of the original lectures are printed, very much in the shape in 



