968 
perspective and a deeper insight.” In the 
books before us, however, there is a contrast in 
the attitude toward the reader as well as 
toward the subject. Listen to Gilbert White: 
“Tf the writer should at all appear to have 
induced any of his readers to pay a more ready 
attention to the wonders of the Creation, too 
frequently overlooked as common occurrences; 
or if he should by any means, through his 
researches, have lent a helping hand towards 
the enlargement of the boundaries of historical 
and topographical knowledge; or if he should 
have thrown some small light upon ancient 
customs and manners, and especially on those 
that were monastic, his purpose will be fully 
answered.” Simplicity and humility enough, 
but the offering consists of his own “ re- 
searches,” presented in the hope of somewhat 
enlarging the bounds of human knowledge. 
Now Professor Thomson: “ That the method 
of seasonal biological study is educationally 
sound is best proved by experiment. But it 
is perhaps enough to ask the simple question: 
What kind of scientific lore concerning living 
creatures would we most naturally teach our 
children in spring?” The attitude is peda- 
gogical throughout: the author has come to 
instruct—as pleasantly and interestingly as 
may be, but never forgetting that he is a 
teacher. The book does not set forth the 
“vesearches”” of the writer, or, if doing so, 
makes little of them; it is a contribution to 
pedagogy, based on compiled materials of 
every kind. There is nothing of the artless 
art of Gilbert White, nor indeed (in spite of 
Selbornian imitators) is such a thing quite 
possible in this sophisticated age. 
All things considered, Professor Thomson’s 
' book is a charming example of popular scien- 
tifie writing, and we would recommend it to 
those who have some knowledge of the matters 
whereof it treats. The other day I took occa- 
sion to read one of the chapters (The Tale of 
Tadpoles) to a large university class in biol- 
ogy, and in so doing came to highly appreciate 
its merits, and at the same time notice what 
seemed to be its faults. It is extremely sug- 
gestive, so that all along the line one is 
tempted to interject new arguments and facts. 
SCIENCE 
[N.S. Vou. XXXV. No. 912 
The whole book is just a little uncritical, the 
author having a field so wide that he can not 
quite master all the details, so that at times 
he takes little doubtful data on trust, and at 
others is perhaps led somewhat astray by his 
own rhetoric. This must be the fate of all 
popular writers and teachers, indeed of all 
university professors. As one of our most 
brilliant researchers and teachers put it in 
conversation recently, there is always this 
dilemma: if you make yourself quite clear and 
strive to be perfectly logical, you do it at the 
expense of some of the truth, because in deal- 
ing with biological matters you are never 
really free from difficulties and uncertainties. 
If you go to the other extreme, you merely 
produce confusion. Substantially, the method 
so excellently typified by Professor Thomson’s 
writings is abundantly justified and sufi- 
ciently accurate, but critical readers will al- 
ways wish that some things had been stated 
rather differently. 
Another fault in the book reviewed is, I 
think, an undue tendency to use words which 
are not likely to be understood by the general 
reader. Even in the reading just mentioned, 
to a more or less instructed class, I found 
myself frequently translating. Against this 
objection must be set the undeniable fact that 
the author’s rich vocabulary enables him to 
state things more accurately and briefly than 
would be possible were he to use only the poor 
English of the street. 
There still remains the question whether 
popular science, as presented to-day by Pro- 
fessor Thomson and a number of other emi- 
nent men, has not swung too far away from 
the standpoint of Gilbert White. Is there not 
some danger of becoming too professional, too 
pedagogical? Is it too much to say that we 
can not have a real diffusion of culture in 
these matters until we have more of the spirit 
of the amateur? 
The new edition of “ Selborne” has a most 
attractive appearance. It is reprinted from 
the original without any alterations or anno- 
tations; there is not even an editorial note. 
The numerous colored plates are pleasing, yet 
I think not wholly satisfactory. In many the 
