742 
being about three times as great on the south 
and west margins as along the north and east 
coast, where two hundred feet appear to be the 
limit of raised marine terraces and beaches. 
Appended to the report are lists of the mam- 
malia, birds, food fishes and plants found in 
Labrador, as well as an appendix by Mr. Fer- 
rier on the microscopical structure of some of 
the rocks collected, and one by Mr. Eaton on 
the meteorology of the peninsula. 
FRANK D. ADAMS. 
McGini UNIVERSITY, MoNTREAL. 
L’ Evolution de commerce dans les diverses 
races humaines. Par CH. LETOURNEAU, Pro- 
fesseur 4 L’ Ecole d’ Anthropologie. Paris, 
Vigot Freres. 1897. Pp. 581. 
Professor Letourneau has made it his special 
branch to write about the development of arts 
and institutions. In the volume before us he 
takes up commerce, and aims to show its begin- 
ning and its growth in the various races and na- 
tions of humanity. Beginning with animals of 
lower species he is obliged to acknowledge that 
he finds no traces of commerce among them, and 
tells but one doubtful story of the possible inter- 
change of values between a bird and a man. 
In the lower races he discovers stil] little 
which is really commerce. When they give in 
exchange they appear to think each party 
makes a true gift to the other, and the mercan- 
tile idea is not present. Perhaps here he over- 
looks a peculiarity of human nature which 
exists in the highest as well as the lowest civili- 
zation. There is, for instance, a sort of pride 
which while expecting exchange on equal terms 
declines to recognize itassuch. Itis illustrated 
in the American custom of ‘ treating.’ 
Leaving this aside, the author pursues his in- 
vestigations among the negro races of Papua and 
Afriea, discovering in them a strong commer- 
cial instinct. In Polynesia he recognizes a wide- 
spread commerce, but his chapter on that of 
Ancient America is very much short of what 
- the reader has. a right to expect. The authori- 
ties whom he quotes are mostly second-hand, 
such as Prescott and Bancroft, and he does not 
seem to be acquainted with the valuable articles 
of Professor Rau on this topic. Hence we are 
not surprised to find on page 173 the assertion 
SCIENCE. 
{N. 8. Vou. VI. No. 150. 
that the Indians considered commerce of the 
least possible importance ; whereas, every one 
acquainted with the facts knows that it was one 
of their most active avocations. 
He is more at home when dealing with the 
early commerce of China, Japan, Egypt and the 
Arabs, who next occupy his attention. Of their 
activity in this direction he presents a well writ- 
tensketch. The classical epochs of Greece and 
Rome are described in their commercial rela- 
tions, and from them he passes on to medieval 
and modern life, of which he gives a hasty out- 
line. His final chapter is intended to embrace 
the survey of his results and the forecast of what. 
commerce may be in the future. In this pro- 
phetic utterance he indulges in some of those 
dreams of a possible future society with which 
he delights to amuse his readers, but for which 
he acknowledges his hopes are faint. 
The work is well printed and has a carefully 
arranged table ef contents and a sufficient in- 
dex. 
D. G. BRINTON. 
How to Know the Shore Birds (Limicolz) of North 
America. By CHARLES B. Cory. Boston, 
Little, Brown & Co. 1897. Small4to. Pp. 
89. Price in paper, 75 cents. 
How to Know the Ducks, Geese and Swans of 
North America. By the same author and 
publisher. Pp. 95. Price in paper, $1.00. 
These publications are a departure in the 
way of ornithological literature. Hach consists 
of a key, with figures of heads, bills and tails, 
followed by plain descriptions of the species, 
with additional illustrations and a paragraph 
or two onthe range and eggs. The illustra- 
tions are half-tone reproductions of wash draw- 
ings by Edward Knobel, and while not equal in 
artistic merit to those of Fuertes, Ridgway or 
Thompson are excellent for purposes of identi- 
fication, and some are admirable as pictures, 
particularly the one of a group of Labrador 
ducks. In the case of the shore birds, where 
the beginner is often confused by strikingly 
different seasonal plumages, both summer and 
winter dress are shown ; and in the case of the 
water birds having different sexual plumages, 
pictures of both male and female are given. 
The keys do not conform to the modern 
