[174] 



REVIEWS AND CRITICAL ANALYSIS. 



I. — De VHistoire Naturelle des Cetaces, ou Recueil et Examen des 

 fails dont se compose VHistoire Naturelle des ces Animaux. Par 

 M. F. Cuvier, de l'Academie des Sciences, de la Societe Roy. 

 de Londfes, &c. 8vo. Avec Planches xxiv. Pp. lii. and 416. 

 Paris, 1836. 



We had for some time been anxiously waiting for the appearance 

 of this work ; and as, on perusal, we have been somewhat disap- 

 pointed, we think it best at once to say so. Our disappointment, 

 however, may, to a certain extent, be our own fault ; for we have 

 so long been accustomed to connect all that is most admirable and 

 wonderful in natural history with the name of Cuvier, that our as- 

 sociations and expectations concerning every thing coming from one 

 bearing that honoured name have probably been too high. Another 

 and more tangible cause of our disappointment has arisen from a 

 misapprehension of the avowed object of the treatise, and as this 

 may mislead others also, we take leave to point it out. The title 

 does not bear that the work is a natural history of the Cetacea, but, 

 in the words of our author, only a history of their natural history, — =■ 

 certainly quite a different, though a very important, subject. Not 

 only is this clearly declared to be the ostensible object in the title- 

 page, but the respected author takes early and frequent opportuni- 

 ty to press it upon the attention'of his readers, " J'ai cru etre utile 

 a la science en retracant en quelque sort Fhistoire de l'histoire na- 

 turelle de ces mammiferes aquatiques," (xlix.) ; and again, " Rien 

 loin d'avoir eu le project de donner l'histoire naturelle de cet ordre 

 entier de mammiferes, je n'ai pas meme du concevoir la pensee de 

 donner l'histoire d'une seule de ses especes." (iv.) Our author even 

 goes further, the object of his introductory remarks being to prove, 

 that the time has not yet arrived, when the natural history of the 

 Cetacea can be judiciously or profitably undertaken. 



It is no difficult matter to discover the circumstances which gave 

 rise to this train of reflexion, and dictated these remarks. The sub- 



