NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS. 173 



The Present Evolution of Man. By G. Archdall Reid. 

 Chapman & Hall Limited. 1896. 



To adequately notice a book like this— a product of sustained 

 thought and research — within the limits of our pages is im- 

 possible ; to review such a work with critical examination is 

 beyond the province of our Journal. We can only approach it 

 here from the standpoint of zoology: a somewhat bare proceeding, 

 perhaps as unsatisfactory to the author as irksome to the writer. 



In the first section, " Organic Evolution," Dr. Reid clearly 

 defines his standpoint, and enunciates his axioms so that we 

 may readily understand the method of his' argument. He 

 adheres to the theory of spontaneous generation, which he 

 remarks " is popularly supposed to be quite exploded. What is 

 exploded is that such highly organized beings as the Infusorians 

 arose spontaneously." And with respect to organic evolution it 

 is stated that, though "many proofs will incidentally be afforded" 

 of its actuality, u it will be assumed that the truth of it is 

 admitted." 



A postulate to which considerable importance is attached, 

 and one which bears no little reference to the whole argument, is 

 11 that every species must necessarily undergo retrogression, 

 unless that retrogression be checked by selection." On the other 

 hand, " it is possible by means of selection to bring about rapid 

 and extensive, indeed unlimited retrogression." Thus we read : 

 " The domesticated Dog is presumably descended from one or 

 more of the different wild varieties, or from their relatives the 

 Wolves. Now, considering the length of time Dogs have been 

 domesticated, and the severity of the selection to which they 

 have been subjected, our largest Dogs, the St. Bernards, New- 

 foundlands, Mastiffs, Boarhounds, do not very greatly exceed 

 Wild Dogs or Wolves in size, nor do our most intelligent Dogs 

 greatly surpass them in intelligence ; but our smallest Dogs, some 

 of them little bigger than Rats, are very much smaller, and some 

 of our tame breeds are exceedingly stupid. Clearly, as regards 

 Dogs, we have been able to produce little evolution, but great 

 retrogression." 



We still, however, require more experimental facts, repetitions 

 of such experiments, and with different species, before we can 



