Notices of New Books. 5335 



omitted volumes, it is certain they never became popular, and always 

 acted as a land of drag on those which preceded them. 



This reprint is one of those works on which criticism would be 

 altogether out of place; the world has long since passed a verdict in 

 its favour, and its reappearance in this cheap yet substantial form is 

 the greatest boon that Entomology has ever received at the hands of 

 an author. I am credibly informed that Mr. Spence has caused this 

 volume to be issued at a cost which renders profit impossible ; and 

 which, therefore, as a matter of course, incurs the risk of a heavy loss. 

 Let no naturalist forget that by extending the sale this risk is 

 diminished ; and that it is a positive duty to make the attempt, to 

 relieve from all loss one who has acted thus nobly in the cause of 

 Science. 



'A Natural History of the Animal Kingdom, being a Systematic 

 and Popular Description of the Habits, Structure and Classi- 

 fication of Animals? By W. S. Dallas, F L. S. 8vo, 

 8'20 pp. letter-press; numerous woodcuts; price 8$. 6d. 

 London: Houlston and Stoneman. 1856. 



The publication of the * Regne Animal,' and its translation into all 

 modern languages, have made it a comparatively easy task to compile 

 Natural Histories of the Animal Kingdom. The ' Regne Animal' is 

 to the zoologist what the Testament is to the Christian. As all 

 Christian sects merge in the one general faith, so all teaching of 

 Zoology emanates from the one great book. It matters not that often, 

 as in the present instance and the prior publication of Van Hoeven, 

 the work is turned end for end ; it matters not that, as in both 

 instances, more recent observations are skilfully and judiciously intro- 

 duced ; still all our Zoology is Cuvierianisra, and ever must remain 

 so, while structure maintains its present position as the one sole basis 

 of classification : and the reason for this is obvious : Cuvier not only 

 carried his knowledge of structure far beyond any other naturalist, 

 living or dead, but methodized that knowledge with an almost super- 

 human skill and exactitude. It yet remains to be seen whether struc- 

 ture is the true basis of classification ; whether physiological will 

 succumb always, as now, to physical differences ; whether the radiate 

 structure of a starfish will take precedence of those physiological con- 

 ditions which necessitate that radition ; whether the form or presence 



