Miscellaneous Intelligence. 159 



popular treatment of the Natural History of hoofed big game of 

 all parts of the world, in which is found, of scientific interest, the 

 discussion of their present and past distribution. Numerous 

 illustrations of the horns of the different species are inserted in 

 the text. w. 



6. Our native Birds of song and beauty ; by Henry Nehrling. 

 Vol. I, pp. i-1; and 371 (George Brumder, Milwaukee). — This is 

 a beautifully made book containing eighteen, full page, colored 

 plates illustrating the song birds and flycatchers of North 

 America. Prepared for the general public, it contains information 

 of scientific interest regarding the geographical distributions and 

 habits of the birds under discussion. w. 



7. Les Emules de Darwin, by A. de Quatrefages. Two vols. 

 1894 (Felix Alcan, Paris). — A preface by Edmond Perrier, intro- 

 duces the first volume, followed by a notice of the life and works 

 of M. Quartrefages by E. T. Haamy. The author has attempted 

 to review the conceptions of the chief rivals of Darwin, those 

 who have either advanced new theories or have sought to perfect 

 the Darwinian theory, and the following names have been con- 

 sidered : Alfred R. Wallace, M. Naudin, M. J. Romanes, Carl 

 Vogt, Ernest Haeckel, T. H. Huxley, Richard Owen, St. G. 

 Mivart, A. Gubler and A. Koelliker, M. Trury, D'Omalreius 

 d'Halloy, and Erasmus Darwin. 



Upon closing the book the author says (translated) : " From 

 this detailed examination, which we have endeavored to make as 

 impartial as possible, one unpleasant impression is left : that of 

 our inability to solve actually the great problem which so many 

 eminent men have attacked in vain. The beginning of life upon 

 the earth remains for all an impenetrable mystery. We are un- 

 able to assign any plausible cause for the transformations which 

 the composition of faunas and floras have suffered. The modifi- 

 cations of which actually living forms are susceptible are capable 

 of forming only varieties and races, no one has been able to pro- 

 duce a new species. The species remains an indelible entity, like 

 that of the simple elements of chemistry. 



Perhaps the darkness which envelopes the origin of the organic 

 world will some day clear up. Science has shown too great 

 power to make it prudent to assign limits to it. We will not 

 repeat, in conclusion the ignorabimus of Dubois-Raymond, we 

 will say only ignoramus. w. 



8. Bibliotheca Zoologica II. Verzeichniss der scriften iiber 

 Zoologie welche in den periodischen werken enthalten und von 

 Jahre 1861-1880 selbstanclig erschienen sind. Bearbeitet von Dr. 

 O. Taschenburg. Elite Lieferung, pp. 3249-3568. (Wilhelm 

 Engelmann, Leipsig, 1893). — The number of this valuable work 

 just issued contains the continuation of the Bibliography of 

 Fishes and commences that of Amphibia and Reptiles. 



9. The Mechanics of Hoisting Machinery ; by Wiesbach and 

 Herrmann. Translated by Karl Dahlstrom, M.E. pp. 329, with 

 177 diagrams (Macmillan and Co.). — A part of Wiesbach's great 



