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NOPE TE Cris) OB Ni Wee BOOKS: 

The Ox and tits Kindred. By BR. Lyprexxer. Methuen & Co., 
Limited. 
Tuts book constitutes a reliable and fully illustrated book of 
reference to the domesticated cattle of the world. It also gives 
a description of ‘‘ British Park Cattle,’ which were long regarded 
as truly wild. Mr. Lydekker, in his preface, writes: ‘‘ And I 
venture to hope that this volume will appeal alike to naturalists, 
to the owners of pedigree cattle, to cattle-breeders generally, 
and to archeologists.”’ This hope will be fully realized. All 
the chief authorities have been consulted, and many references 
are given to valuable memoirs little known and less read on the 
subject. ) 
In the present chaos as to a definition of the term ‘‘ species,” 
it is a great consolation to read the following dictum of Mr. 
Lydekker :—‘‘ It is quite certain that such animals as Kuropean 
cattle, humped cattle, gayal, yak, and the two kinds of bison 
severally represent perfectly distinct species, in spite of the fact 
that, under certain conditions, some of them will interbreed and 
_ produce fertile offspring when in a state of partial or complete 
domestication. Consequently, interbreeding or non-interbreeding 
cannot be taken as a test of the specific or racial status of any 
kinds of animal.” In the specific descriptions of the present 
day that time-honoured test is never considered—for all museum 
purposes it is an obsolete rule—and it is well on logical grounds 
to have it disclaimed. 
Prehistoric Man. By W. L. H. Ducxwortu, M.A., M.D., &c. 
Cambridge University Press. 
THe progress of anthropological study has departed in no 
respect from its evolutionary standpoint, but is marked by more 
caution on account of the greater—though still meagre—finds 
in the prehistoric remains of Hominide. In this manual Dr. 
