80 Reviews—Geikie’s Text- Book of Geology. 
(Ee. dE V7) Tee WV 
I.—TrxtTspook oF GroLtocy. By Arcurpatp Getxis, F.R.S., LL.D., 
Director-General of the Geological Survey of Great Britain and 
Treland. (London: Macmillan & Co., 1882.) 
(Continued from p. 42.) 
N the body of his work Dr. Geikie arranges his subject-matter 
under the following heads: 1. The Cosmical Aspects of Geology. 
2. Geognosy. 3. Dynamical Geology. 4. Structural Geology. 5. 
Paleontological Geology. 6. Stratigraphical Geology. 7. Physio- 
graphical Geology. Thus, in his mode of presentation of the subject, 
the author has, either with unconscious natural proclivity, or with 
well-considered art, selected that especial method of treatment which 
of all others commends his work to the prejudices of educated men in 
general, and he repeats in his plan the natural method of history itself. 
Feeling, doubtless, how incapable are the unimaginative and 
inelastic ideas of the old empirical school of British geology, of 
popular and artistic treatment, he deliberately cuts himself adrift 
from its society at the outset, and sails triumphantly away into 
the ranks of the new cosmologists. He points out how, in the 
infancy of the science, men commenced the study of geology by the 
adoption of some fanciful hypothesis of the origin of our planet, or 
of the universe, of which it is a part. He gracefully acknowledges 
that, thanks to the teaching of the illustrious Hutton and to the 
labours of the Geological Society of London, geologists learnt that 
it is no part of the province of their science to discuss the origin 
of things. But in this the Doctor sees nothing more than a very 
natural reaction. He owns that geology is never likely to discover 
even so much as a fragment of the first crust of the earth. But if 
geology has not yet attempted a cosmology, other sciences have done 
so. The average mind, he seems to imply, naturally desires a cos- 
mology, and we must provide one. 
Founding upon the nebular hypothesis of Kant and Laplace, the 
author therefore gradually developes, before the eyes of the reader, a 
consistent scheme of earth-evolution, buttressing every stage either 
with acknowledged facts, or with authoritative theories gathered from 
the most recent literature in speculative physics, chemistry, and astro- 
nomy. The manifold mathematical and physical conclusions of Sir W. 
Thomson, the latest guesses of Mr. Lockyer, the tidal hypotheses of 
Mr. G. F. Darwin, and the attractive speculations of Dr. Croll, are all 
laid under contribution. Interspersed with numerous and well-selected 
astronomical or physical facts, these are employed by the author as 
factors of almost equal value with the latter in the construction 
of an introductory cosmical section of wonderful symmetry and 
plausibility. It is impossible for the reader to refuse his admiration 
of the skill which could thus group such heterogeneous elements 
into so complete and consistent a whole. It is graceful and harmo- 
nious as a rainbow, and destined, alas! by the very nature of things 
to be almost equally evanescent. But, aerial as it is, it serves several 
purposes. It permits of the grouping of the more imposing points 
