214 



SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



the science has been built up from speculative 

 knowledge by idealists. He gives examples of the 

 differences between truisms and idealisms, and dis- 

 cusses where or how these very different points of 

 human knowledge and thought may be associated 

 in constructing the groundwork of science. The 

 necessity for careful examination of evidence, its 

 frequent and accurate testing before acceptance as 

 truth, is emphasised, also the danger of drifting 

 into idealisms when building up a theory. 

 Taking as the basis that it is only human 

 knowledge and intelligence that construct a 

 science, Dr. Mivart discusses how these faculties 

 may be applied. He is evidently not satisfied with 

 all the teachings of those who have propounded 

 more or less accepted theories, and the objects 

 of this book is chiefly to act as a brake on the 

 too rapid course, without further investigation, of 

 their general acknowledgment. This applies not 

 only to the more modern theories, but also to some 

 of the oldest conceptions, as may be gathered from 

 his concluding words : " We feel bound to confess 

 that the more we study nature the more profoundly 

 convinced do we become that the action of an all- 

 pervading but unimaginable intelligence alone 

 affords us any satisfactory conception of the 

 universe as a whole or of any single portion of 

 the cosmos which may be selected for exclusive 

 study." Like all Dr. Mivart's works, this should 

 be read by every intelligent person, as many of its 

 axioms can be applied to the means of sustaining 

 human life under modern civilization, which, after 

 all, is a highly interesting science in itself. Though 

 possibly some may not always agree with the 

 author, it is a book to be perused carefully, slowly 

 and thoughtfully. Not on a single page do we 

 find it heavy, or otherwise than entertaining. In 

 places it is brilliantly written, teeming with 

 instance and anecdote. 



The Motograph Moving Picture Book. Illustrated 

 by F. J. Verxay, Yorick, etc. n| in. x 9jin. ; 

 22 coloured pictures. (London : Bliss, Sands & 

 Co., 1898.) 3s. 6d. 



This is a children's Christmas book, founded 

 upon scientific principles. It consists of a number 

 of brightly coloured pictures arranged in straight 

 and curved lines. With the book is supplied a 

 frame the same size as the pictures, containing a 

 transparent film on which is drawn numerous fine 

 parallel lines. By placing this transparency over 

 the picture as directed, and moving slowly in the 

 manner indicated, the appearance of movement is 

 given to the picture. The effect in some instances 

 is striking. The book will be found to be a source 

 of amusement to many young folks. 



Flax Culture for Seed, and Fibre. By Charles 

 Richards Dodge. 8 pp. 9 in. x 5$ in. with 4 

 plates and 5 figures. (Washington : Government 

 Printing Office, 1S98.) 



This fine Report, No. 10 of the " Fibre Investi- 

 gations Series," refers to flax culture in Europe 

 and America. The work is rather of an agricul- 

 tural than botanical character, but will be of 

 interest and use to those botanists who study the 

 structural and other changes of plants under arti- 

 ficial culture. 



Skertchley's Elements of Geology. Revised by 

 James Monckman, D.Sc. 9th edition, 256 pp. 

 7 in. x 5 in. and 90 illustrations. (London : 

 Thomas Murby, 1898.) is. 6d. 



Another edition, the ninth, of Skertchley's Text- 



Book has been issued, with a large amount 

 of new matter added, the chapters on petrology 

 being concise and useful. In fact to a painstaking 

 student its conciseness is the book's greatest 

 attraction. Still, the style is not one which will 

 attract any who have not already a taste for the 

 subject. The editor informs his readers that he 

 has altered little in the body of the work, but 

 has added such matter as was necessary to bring 

 it in accordance with the Science and Art Depart- 

 ment's syllabus. The illustrations to the crystal- 

 lographical portions of the book are good and 

 practical, as well as the classification and descrip- 

 tion of the various rock-forming minerals. The 

 added matter in this edition amounts to nearly a 

 hundred pages, and, as we have indicated, is much 

 the best part of the publication. It would have been 

 better had the editor taken greater liberty with the 

 rest than he appears to have felt himself entitled. 

 In regard to chapter xv., page 99, we would suggest 

 that the Echinodermata should be promoted to the 

 rank of a sub-kingdom, although for geological 

 purposes the zoological tables will possibly suffice. 

 In dealing with the tertiaries, we notice that the 

 title of " Oligocene " has no place, nor is it to be 

 found in the index. The Headon Beds, the 

 Osborne and St. Helen's Series, the Bembridge 

 Beds, the Hempstead (Hamstead) Beds, now 

 universally classed as Oligocene, are here divided 

 between Upper and Middle Eocene. The classifi- 

 cation of these Isle of Wight beds into a separate 

 system is now universally adopted, intervening 

 between the Eocene and Miocene. Again, why 

 are the Bovey Tracey beds still classified as 

 Miocene ? Does Dr. Monckman yet contend that 

 this is the proper arrangement ? Perhaps mention 

 should have been made of the Pliocene sands at 

 Lenham, in Kent, as also the St. Erth crag in 

 Cornwall, of the same age. Students are here 

 taught to see in boulder-clay evidence of an 

 ice-sheet ; and no mention is made of any other 

 school of thought. It seems to us, that although 

 an author is entitled to write as he sees, yet other 

 interpretations of certain phenomena should at 

 least be touched upon, so that young students 

 may be able to distinguish between what is fact 

 and what is theory. We would also ask whether 

 the foot-note to page 169 is by the author or the 

 editor. In conclusion, we will express a hope that 

 Dr. Monckman will some day send us a text-book 

 which shall have been written wholly by himself, 

 as the time seems to have passed for the reissue of 

 works that were written before the modern light 

 of scientific research had illuminated many points 

 then more or less obscure. E. A. M. 



First Lessons in Modem Geology. By A. H. Green, 

 M.A., F.R.S. 220 pp. 7J in. x 5J in. Edited by 

 J. F. Blake, M.A., with 42 illustrations. (Oxford, 

 London, Edinburgh and New York': Clarendon 

 Press, 1S9S.) 3s. 6d. 



This work, as the editor reminds us, is essentially 

 a primer in geology. At the request of Mrs. Green, 

 Prof. J. F. Blake, after the decease of the author, 

 undertook the editing. The book consists of 

 eighteen easy and accurate " Lessons," the last, 

 which deals with fossils, being added by the editor. 

 Out of 208 pages only nine are devoted to fossils. 

 We imagine that a second part of the work, of 

 equal proportions, was intended to be devoted to 

 palaeontology. The title conveys at once a correct 

 impression of the scope and style of treatment. 

 It is an excellent and easily-understood guide to 

 physical geology. E. A. M. 



