230 REVIEWS AND BOOK NOTICES. 
in our commercial, literary or religious papers. It is the mental 
air that Galileo, Goethe, Newton, Kant, Linnwus, Cuvier, Rum- 
ford, and the scientific lights of our own day have created ; and 
nothing but sound mental health, a hearty love of truth, and 
greater happiness will result from breathing such air. Science is 
the expression of the common sense of all ages. It tends more 
than any other study to develop common sense in the individual. 
This journal does not cultivate a special department of science 
but aims at persuading men that science is to be cultivated not 
only for its own sake, but as directly increasing human health and 
happiness. 
The only fault we have to find is that the papers, most of which 
are selected from the scientific thinkers of England, do not per- 
haps fairly represent American thought, for certainly we have 
men of as much ability as the authors of many of the papers that 
have been reprinted in this journal, could they be induced to write. 
Again in the department of Reviews is an excellent opportunity, 
of which due advantage is not taken, of eliciting the best thought 
of our working chemists, naturalists, geologists and astronomers. 
American scientists have a duty to perform in impressing the value 
of science upon our politicians and rulers. We believe in the 
Platonic marriage of Science and the State. 
Harr Hour Recreations IN Poputar Scrence.*— This admira- 
ble series of reprints contains papers entitled ‘Strange Discover- 
ies respecting the Aurora and recent Solar Researches,” by R 
Proctor ;. ‘the Cranial Affinities of Man and the Ape,” by Prof. R. 
Virchow ; “Spectrum Analysis Discoveries,” by the editor ; “ Neb- 
ulæ, Meteoric Showers, and Comets ; and Unconscious Action of the 
Brain, and, Epidemic Delusions,” by Dr. Caspantet Prof. A. Win- 
chell has prepared a number on the “ Geology of the Stars” which 
is in press. This, series is to be followed by the publication of 
“ Half Hour Recreations in Natural History,” to consist of several 
volumes, entitled “Half Hours with Insects, with Birds, Wild 
Animals, Domestic Animals, Reptiles, Plants, Trees, and Fishes. 
Each volume is to be carefully prepared by an expert. We are 
to have such works freely disseminated. They are popular 
in n style and will be found to be very readable by persons not 
versed in science. 
: *Half Hour Recreations in Popular Science. Dana Estes, editor. Estes & Lauriat, 
Boston. 12mo. Each number 32 or 36 pages. With illustrations. 
