162 Reviews, [Jan., 



known changes, and it is enough to limit ourselves to those that have 

 actually taken place. 



There are certain incidental effects produced, not by, but through 

 and on account of, civilization and the passage of man over the earth 

 that are worthy of notice. 



A little iron, deposited under peculiar circumstances, will provide 

 material for cementing a large extent of sand. A few street-sweepings 

 have formed the nucleus of a considerable marine deposit. A man in 

 Malta wishing to establish salt works on his land, which was situated 

 over a large cave open to the sea, sunk a well into the cave to draw 

 up the sea-water for evaporation. This opening once made, the sea 

 took advantage of it. During heavy gales, the water was forced up 

 through the well in large quantities, and injured the" land around. 

 Once made, the communication could not be stopped. In Italy, 

 Greece, and Egypt, are hills of broken pottery. In Denmark the 

 celebrated kjokken middens are not less remarkable ; and there is 

 scarcely an ancient town that does not show an accumulation of mate- 

 rial from five to fifteen feet in thickness. 



Thus it appears that man not only may influence, but has very 

 seriously and largely influenced, both organic and inorganic nature. 

 So largely is this the case, that even the immediate results are beyond 

 measurement, and what the ultimate and incidental effect may be it is 

 altogether impossible to estimate. 



Mr. Marsh's book is a little overlaid with matter already familiar, 

 and diverges occasionally from its professed object — that of recording 

 the influence of man on nature ; but it is a valuable contribution to 

 the physical geographer, especially in those departments of his science 

 which bear directly on geological questions. We are bound, there-, 

 fore, to welcome its author, and thank him for his labours. 



THE NEW ZEALAND FLOKA.* 



At the request of the Colonial Government, Dr. J. D. Hooker has 

 published the first part of a Handbook of the New Zealand Flora. It 

 contains the flowering plants and ferns with their allies. The second 

 part, which will be shortly published, will contain the remaining 

 orders of Cryptogamic plants, with index, catalogue of native names 

 and of naturalized plants. Dr. Hooker published in 1854-5, the 

 second part of the ' Botany of the Antarctic Expedition of Sir J. 

 Boss,' containing the Flora of New Zealand, in two volumes, quarto, 

 with 130 coloured plates of New Zealand plants, including 1,060 

 species. No one was better fitted to draw up a compendious Hand- 



* 'Handbook of the New Zealand Flora: a Systematic Description of tie 

 Native Plants of New Zealand, and the Chatham, Kermadec's, Lord Auckland's, 

 Campbell's* and Macquarrie's Islands/ By J. I). Honker* M.D.* F.U.S., L.S., and 

 G.S. 8vOi London : Eeeve & Co. 1864. 



