62 Notices respecting New Boohs. 



the Rev. 0. Fisher's paper, made responsible for what I have 

 never expressed. I have indeed stated that at an early stage in 

 the cooling of our planet, contraction was met mainly by that 

 deformation of the spheroid which gave rise to the continents 

 and ocean-beds ; but I have abstained from assigning any me- 

 chanism for the immediate production of that deformation, 

 which I still believe the state of our knowledge does not enable 

 ns fully to explain. Difference of coefficient of contraction 

 beneath land and ocean is not any necessary condition to the 

 deformation of the spheroid ; and had I ventured to speculate 

 upon the mechanism of such deformation, I certainly should 

 not have rested it upon so extravagant and unsustainable an 

 hypothesis as that all parts of our globe beneath the ocean had 

 a larger coefficient of contraction than those beneath the land — 

 one the deductions from which would be quite irreconcilable 

 with even what we already know as to the forms of both con- 

 tinents and ocean-beds. 



The actual mechanism of deformation here referred to is far 

 too complex to be attributable to a single condition such as that 

 of difference of contractility beneath the sea and land ; and 

 whenever its solution shall be arrived at, it will be found to 

 have involved considerations of the most diverse order, some 

 of which I have pointed out in paragraphs 55 and 56 and else- 

 where in my paper above referred to. 



June 19, 1876. 



IX. Notices respecting New Boohs. 

 Algebra for Beginners. By James Loedojs", M.A., Professor of 

 Mathematics and Natural Philosophy, University College, Toronto. 

 Toronto : Copp, Clark & Co., Front Street, 1876. (12mo, pp. 

 158.) 

 The Elements of Algebra, originally designed for the use of Students 

 in the Universities. By James "Wood, D.D., formerly Dean of 

 Ely, and Master of St. John's College, Cambridge. New Edition 

 {the Seventeenth). Remodelled, Simplified, and adapted for general 

 use in Schools — with numerous Easy Exercises, Examples, and 

 University Examination Papers. By Thomas Ltjtstd, B.D., Pre- 

 bendary of Lichfield, Rector of Brindle, Lancashire, and formerly 

 Ftllow and Lecturer of St. John's College, Cambridge. London : 

 Longman, Green & Co., 1876. (Small 8vo, pp. 604.) 

 ^pHESE works are almost sufficiently described by their title-pages. 

 X The former is a very elementary treatise, and will take the 

 beginner to quadratic equations inclusive. The last chapter is 

 devoted to an explanation of Exponential Notation. It seems to 

 have been carefully drawn up, and is illustrated by many easy 

 examples. It will doubtless prove useful to the beginners whom, 

 we presume, the author has to teach. 



