NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS. 851 



given some vivid descriptions of the remote and little known 

 islands he has visited. But beyond this the book, without any 

 anthropological pretence, is of the greatest value to students of 

 the science of man. He describes the primitive peoples with 

 whom he has sojourned at first hand, without the hamper of 

 preconceived notions, and in simple recital makes us acquainted 

 with many interesting and some important details of customs 

 and belief. The photographic illustrations are of anthropo- 

 logical excellence, and one in particular, " The kiss, Papua," is 

 important, for kissing is not a universal custom of mankind, 

 and it is not everyone who knew it was followed in Papua. 

 By-the-bye, Mr. Meek does not tell us either whether he took 

 these portraits himself, or whence they were obtained. 



Mr. Meek, who is apparently immune from the dangers of 

 wild life in Papua, but was — as he states — recently nearly killed 

 by a taxi-cab in London, is returning to the South Seas, "with 

 another ten years at least to look forward to of collecting in wild 

 country." May his forecast be assured, and may we also hope 

 to read a new book on his return ! 



Hampstead Heath : its Geology and Natural History. Prepared 

 under the Auspices of the Hampstead Scientific Society. 

 T. Fisher Unwin. 



This is a book with many contributors, and in such a case is 

 naturally a little uneven. Geology is described by F. W. Eudler, 

 and when we see that name it is at once apparent that his 

 subject will be not only treated with absolute knowledge, but 

 will also be written with lucidity. Needless to say, we are not 

 disappointed, and, having been well introduced to the geological 

 floor, we can turn to the living things above it. Three chapters 

 are devoted to " Plant Life," a subject beyond the purview of 

 'The Zoologist,' Mr. Goodchild has undertaken "Bird Life," 

 and Mr. Hugh Findon "Mammals, Fishes, and Eeptiles," as 

 well as "Molluscs." " Insect Life" is undertaken by Dr. F. 

 O'Brien Ellison, and although some very interesting entomo- 

 logical information is given regarding special insects, the specific 

 list at the end of his chapter refers only to Lepidoptera and 

 Coleoptera, the latter especially being a very attenuated enumera- 



