62 EDITORIAL NOTES. 



EDITORIAL NOTES. 



The science-lovin^^ portion of our communit}^ have been favored with 

 quite a number of lectures and essays during the past few weeks. Under 

 the auspices of the Academy of Science and other associations we have lis- 

 tened to Professors Broadhead, Mudge, Teed and Tice, as well as to Doctors 

 Fee and Shaw and Judge West. 



The organization of the Academy of Science in this city last year has 

 proved a decided stimulus to investigation and research in many directions, 

 xind if properly managed and maintained, will accomplish much good in the 

 future. There is no region in the whole country where objects of geolog- 

 ical interest abound more, nor, from recent discoveries, where archfeological 

 remains are more numerous or of greater interest, and the Academy will 

 furnish a nucleus about which scientific men from every direction will gather 

 for purposes of investigation and comparison. It is an institution which 

 should be aided and fostered by all classes of our citizens as a matter of 

 local pride, if for no other reason. Every one can in the course of the 

 year contribute something to assist in building it up, if it be nothing 

 more than a few fossils, minerals, books, or even a few dollars in money. 



The G-eographical Distribution op Animals, with a study of the relations 

 of living and extinct faunas as elucidating the past changes of the earth's 

 surface. By Alfred Eussel Wallace. Two vols., with maps and illus- 

 trations. New York: Harper & Brothers. 1110 pages. For sale by 

 Matt Foster & Co. $10.00. 



The object of this most valuable and interesting work, the only one, as 

 far as we know, that has ever been written on the subject without any at- 

 tempt to wrest the facts into a shape corroborative of some preconceived 

 hypothesis, can best be shown by quoting the author's own language in his 

 preface : "My object has been to show the important bearing of researches 

 into the natural history of every part of the world upon the study of its 

 past history. An accurate knowledge of any groups of birds or of insects, 

 and of their geographical distribution, may enable us to map out the islands 

 and continents of a former epoch, — the amount of difference that exists be- 

 tween the animals of adjacent districts being closely related to preceding 

 geological changes. By the collection of such minute facts alone can we 

 hope to fill up a great gap in the past history of the earth as revealed by 

 geology, and obtain some indications of the existence of those ancient lands 

 which now lie buried beneath the ocean and have left ns nothing but these 

 living records of their former existence." 



The book is divided into four parts.: First, The Principles and General 

 Phenomena of Distribution ; Second, The Distribution of Extinct Animals; 



