SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



213 



NOTICES BY JOHN T. CARRINGTON. 



Note. — In consequence of the great variety in sizes of books 

 now published, the old descriptions, founded on the folding 

 of the paper on which they are printed, will not in future 

 be followed in these pages. In its stead their size, including 

 binding, will be given in inches, the greater being the length 

 and the lesser the breadth, unless otherwise specified. — Ed. 

 Science-Gossip. 



Marvels of Ant Life. By W. F. Kirby, F.L.S., 

 F.E.S. 174 pp. 7J in. x 5 in. with 34 illustra- 

 tions. (London: Partridge & Co., 189S). is. 6d. 



Mr. W. F. Kirby, the well-known entomologist 

 and assistant in the Insect Department of the 

 Natural History Museum, South Kensington, has 

 produced in this one of the best popular books 

 we have seen for some time. By popular we do 



therefore has more scope to raise the interest of the 

 reader. A wise feature of this work is chapter xvi., 

 which is devoted to a list of trustworthy books on 

 ants. These are divided into sections dealing with 

 various geographical regions. The author thus 

 first creates an interest and then gently leads his 

 readers on to make that interest more than passing, 

 for he indicates its scientific direction in the future. 



The Groundwork of Science : A Study of Epistem- 

 ology. By St. George Mivart, M.D., Ph.D., 

 F.R.S. xx. and 331 pp. 8J in. x 6 in. (London: 

 John Murray; New York: G.J. Putman's Sons. 

 1898.) 6s. 



This book is one of the Progressive Science 

 Series now publishing by Mr. John Murray and 

 edited by Mr. F. E. Beddard, M.A., F.R.S. Dr. 

 St. George Mivart approached bis subject in 

 the only possible manner when writing the book 

 before us. As he points out, many persons well 

 able to judge would naturally object to there being 

 a groundwork common to all sciences with their 

 diversity of knowledge. One, at first thought, 

 could hardly imagine a common basis for the 

 sciences " from logic to . geology." The author 



Ants Building a Covered-Way. 

 From "Marvels of Ant Life." 



not mean the mere gathering together of a number 

 of improbable anecdotes; for it is a really scientific 

 work on ants, written brightly, and with an absence 

 of confusing technicalities. In dealing with these 

 insects the author has to steer clear of his prede- 

 cessors who have made books on this section of the 

 Aculeate Hymenoptera. The subject of ants and 

 their habits is so attractive that everyone with an 

 itch for writing "popular" works on insects usually 

 turns first to ants, often knowing as little about 

 the entomology of their subject as they do about 

 the scientific breeding of shorthorns. Therefore, 

 though the ants are more or less threadbare 

 in literature, Mr. Kirby's veteran knowledge of 

 insects renders him eminently fitted to produce a 

 work at once popular and yet accurate in its details. 

 In this the author has succeeded, and presented to 

 us a charming little book which should be obtained 

 by all interested in the wild things of the world 

 and the marvellous instinct developed in them. It 

 is particularly a book for young people, though it 

 may be read by older ones also, and should be 

 largely used as a prize book in schools. Mr. Kirby 

 has not confined himself to the British species, and 



reminds us that "however numerous and diverse 

 the sciences may be, they all agree in having been 

 developed by one kind of energy, namely, that of 

 the human mind," hence "it is evident that the 

 groundwork of science must be sought in the 

 human mind and in the mind of each individual 

 man who applies himself to its study." Dr. Mivart 

 thus gets his sub-title for the work, " A Study of 

 Epistemology," derived from two Greek words 

 representing a discourse on understanding. The 

 ten chapters in this book will be found to form such 

 a discourse of great excellence. The titles of the 

 chapters are : i. Introductory, ii. Catalogue of 

 Sciences, hi. The Objects of Science, iv. The Methods 

 of Science, v. and vi. The Physical Antecedents of 

 Science, vii. Language and Science, viii. Intel- 

 lectual Antecedents of Science, ix. Cause of Scien- 

 tific Knowledge, x. The Nature of the Groundwork 

 of Science. In these chapters the author critically 

 examines the manner by which the knowledge of 

 the facts and truths composing the evidence sup- 

 porting the present groundwork of science have 

 been attained. Further, he inquires if the facts 

 carry with them their own evidence, or whether 



