44 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. IX., No. 206 



grasp than those of the higher animals and plants. 

 On the other hand, if too differentiated types be 

 selected, the mass of detail becomes somewhat 

 embarrassing. One may doubt, however, whether 

 the earth-worm is the best selection that might be 

 made, on account of its small size and the rather 

 skilful dissecting it requires. To those who do 

 not accept the annelid origin of the vertebrates, 

 its supposed central i)osition and clear relation to 

 the animals above it are not so apparent. 



A novel and most valuable feature of this book 

 is the attention devoted to physiology and embry- 

 ology. This method of treatment will no doubt 

 prove most attractive and stimulating to the 

 student, as well as give him a much more just 

 and adequate conception of the subject than is 

 possible from anatomical methods alone. 



As a whole, the work is excellently done, and the 

 points to which one may wish to take exception 

 are of minor importance. There is not quite 

 enough distinction between fact and inference. 

 For instance : while few naturalists reject the 

 theory of evolution, it seems hardly in place in an 

 elementary text-book. Huxley's example, in re- 

 spect to matters of theory, is a good one. Then, 

 too, the amount of physics and chemistry is some- 

 what unnecessary : if the student knows the ele- 

 ments of these sciences, it is superfluous ; if not, 

 it is insufficient. But these slight criticisms not- 

 withstanding, we can sincerely congratulate the 

 authors upon their work, and cordially commend 

 it as a very valuable aid to teachers. 



The publisher's share of the book is excellent as 

 to print and paper, but the execution of the illus- 

 trations is not all that could be wished. Unfor- 

 tunately this is a complaint that must very fre- 

 quently be made of American scientific books. 



ABBOTTS UPLAND AND MEADOW. 



The author of ' Upland and meadow,' Dr. C. C. 

 Abbott, tells us the secret of his success on the very 

 first page. To him every half-acre is an inex- 

 haustible zoological garden, every creature is 

 companionable, amusing or instructive or both, 

 and thus no ramble can be lonely, nor even the 

 shortest walk through the tamest region uninter- 

 esting or uninstructive. But, like many other 

 secrets, this is of little use to any except those 

 fortunately to the manner born. 



The relation between the author and his (gener- 

 ally feathered or furry) friends is not merely one of 

 companionship, but of good-fellowship, comrade- 

 ship. There is a sympathy between them. He 

 continually tries to put himself in feeling in their 



Upland and "meadow : a Poaetquissings chronicle. By 

 Charles C. Abbott, M.D. New York, Harper, 1886. 12°. 



place, not only by his kindness, but by the prac- 

 tical jokes which he plays upon them (see pp. 

 76-79 and 209) and his keen enjoyment when 

 they use the opportunity to laugh at him. The 

 questions which he answers, and the experiments 

 which he tries, are those which would occur to no 

 mere anatomist or pure systematist, but onlv to 

 one to whom all nature is in a certain sense akin, 

 and who desires an inside view of it. And this, 

 combined with a keen sense of the humorous and 

 a command of a simple style and plain English, 

 constitutes the great charm of the book. 



We cannot but feel, however, that what he 

 sees in the birds is often a reflection of his own 

 keen humor ; that he often transfers to their 

 minds trains of thought which really exist only 

 in his own ; and that, while his observation may 

 be entirely correct, his inferences from them are 

 those of a warm friend rather than of an impartial 

 judge. But one is disposed to pardon the author 

 for this, especially while reading his pages. 



The book is throughout a study of animal life, 

 not of dead animals, it is a plea for the study of 

 life-histories, of the habits, instincts, feelings, and 

 thoughts of the common animals. It is a book 

 which would encourage boys to observe, and give 

 the young naturalist an introduction to a field for 

 work unfortunately too sadly neglected by the 

 present generation of scientific men. Why should 

 not every one have a ' Poaetquissings Creek ' ? 

 Every one knows of similar streams, with their 

 uplands and meadows teeming with a life of which 

 we know practically nothing. It is hard to see 

 how any one can read the bright and attractive 

 pages of this book without making a firm resolve 

 to observe more widely and carefully than he ever 

 has before ; and a book which will make boys 

 and girls, and men and women, more observing 

 is certainly doing the very best educational work. 

 If love to being in general is the essence of virtue, 

 we shall all certainly be the better for reading it. 

 But the scientific man will also find in it much 

 useful information, and many valuable observa- 

 tions of the occurrence and habits of some of our 

 less known and studied animals. 



According to the Lancet, a new anaesthetic 

 has been discovered in Australia. It is called 

 drumine, and is obtained from the Euphorbia 

 Drummondii. It is local in its action, and has 

 certain advantages over cocaine, which is now so 

 extensively employed for local anaesthesia. Its 

 effects are as yet not sufficiently understood to 

 warrant the acceptation of all that is claimed for 

 it ; but it will doubtless be investigated further, 

 and its efficacy and value be more thoroughly 

 established. 



