Literary Notices. 227 



LITERARY NOTICES. 



Cosmogony, or the Principles of Terrestrial Physics. By 

 Evan Hopkins, C.E., F.CS., Author of " Geology and Magnetism." 

 (Longmans.) — Mr. Evan Hopkins, like Mr. Kelly, whose lucu- 

 brations were noticed in our last number, desires to reform 

 geology, so as to do away with the long periods supposed necessary 

 for the formation of the various strata. He does not, however, 

 resort to the steam-grinding apparatus of the last-named philo- 

 sopher. His process is more simple. Electro-magnetism is the 

 motive power on which he relies. He has convinced himself that, 

 during the last 2140 years, " the entire surface of our globe has 

 moved to the north-west in a spiral path 30°, and northward 12°." 

 He invites us to reject any astronomical or geological doctrines that 

 do not coincide with this hypothesis, and he tells us that " the south 

 polar basin is the starting-point of the embryo of the crystalline 

 film of our globe, i.e., our terrestrial habitation ; and the north 

 polar basin is the receptacle of the final dissolution of all terrestrial 

 substances." 



Homes without Hands. By the Rev. J. Gr. Wood, M.A., E.L.S. 

 (Longmans.) — The recent numbers of this entertaining work fully 

 maintain Mr. Wood's reputation as an admirable popularizer of 

 natural history. He comes in No. 14 to the weaver bird, the hive 

 bee, the hornet, and several other sociable insects, the "homes" 

 of which he describes. JSTo. 15 contains an accqunt of driver 

 ants, mud wasps, and corder bees, and then passes to the curious 

 question of parasitic nests, of which several illustrations are given, 

 taken from the domestic economy of both birds and insects. The 

 illustrations are, as usual, numeroiis and good ; and we can only 

 repeat what we have said in former articles, that " Homes without 

 Hands" is a good and instructive family-book. 



The Pauper, the Thief, and the Convict : Sketches of some of 

 their Haunts, Homes, and Habits. By Thomas Archer, Author of 

 "Wayfe Summer," "Madame Prudence," etc. (Grroombridge and 

 Sons.) — Few persons will go for themselves into the haunts of 

 wretchedness in which town crime is so prolifically bred ; nor will 

 many become personally acquainted with the physiognomy of the 

 workhouse or the jail. It is, however, an indispensable foundation 

 for reformatory efforts, that the condition of the erring and suffering 

 classes should be distinctly understood. In many cases, terrible 

 poverty is patiently borne, without its immediately or directly 

 leading to actual delinquency. This is the case when a once- 

 thriving class like the Spitalhelds weavers have become depressed, 

 and still retain many heart-touching traits of tastes and habits 

 which belonged to better days. Below these unfortunates are 

 thousands who have not even the traditions of a happier state of 

 things to fall back upon, and they furnish a constantly-recruited 

 army of pauperism and crime. Mr. Archer has put into a compact, 

 well-written book a great deal of information concerning our 



VOL. VTI. — NO. III. Q 



