BOOK REVIEWS. 571 



the numei'ous and profound i-esearcheH which have been made in recent 

 times into the history of the human race in the remoter ages. 



The result of these researches sterns to be that man's history began at 

 least with the animals of the Quaternary, if not with these of the Tertiary 

 period, and that he has gradually risen from a savage being to trie degree 

 of intelligence he now manifests. 



The French geologists and archffiolgists have, perhaps, more than those 

 of any other country, devoted themselves to the study of anthropology, 

 and it is to the early researches of such men as Boue, Cuvier, Tournal, 

 Christol, Boucher de Perthes and Lartet that the world is indebted for the 

 knowedge of pre historic man whicli it now possesses, for while many of 

 the scientific men of England and G-ermany soon took up the question and 

 joined in the investigation of the subject with great zeal and industry and 

 ultimately, perhaps, even surpassed the French in the extent and value of 

 their discoveries, still the chief credit for the conception and inauguration 

 of the work must be given to the former. 



In England Kemp, Frere and Dr. Buckland were among the earliest 

 writers who advocated the high antiquity of the human species, while later 

 Sir Charles Lyell, Milne Edwards, Sir John Lubbock and others have add- 

 ed the weight of their opinions to the same side of the question. 



Numerous works have been written upon the pre-historic races of dif- 

 ferent portions of the world and all ^jossess the greatest interest to readers 

 of almost every class, but none that we have ever seen surpasses and 

 scarcely any equals that of Col. Foster. 



From his wide experience as an explorer of the physical geography of 

 the Mississippi Yalley and the Lake region, and as an investigator of and 

 a writer upon ethnology and its kindred subjects, he was admirably fitted to 

 prepare a work of this kind, based as it is largely upon his own personal 

 observations, and it will certainly be the decision of every reader of this 

 book that he has been remarkably successful in conveying accurate, scien- 

 tific information and learning in a clear, easy and popular style, thus mak- 

 ing the subject attractive and interesting to all classes of readers and the 

 work especially valuable to the student of anthropology and archa3ology. 



Two chapters are devoted to the antiquity of man, in the first of which 

 the progress of discovery of its evidences in Europe is sei forth, and in th§ 

 second that of the United Slates is recorded. In the third chapter the 

 mound builders and the geographical distribution of their works are con- 

 sidered, and in this chapter are described the wonderful earthworks and 

 mounds at Marietta and Newark, Ohio, Cahokia, Ills., and St. Louis and 

 Charleston, Mo., all of which we ha-ve personally examined, and in addition 

 those of the whole Mississippi Valley, New Mexico, Colorado and the At- 

 lantic and Pacific coasts. 



Chapter lY is devoted to Shell mounds and their geographical distribu- 

 tion ; Chapter Y to mounds and enclosures ; Chapter YI to Mound builders 

 and their arts and manufactures ; Chapter YII to Ancient mining by the 



