632 REVIEWS AND BOOK NOTICES. 
about the existence of natural groups constituting separate crea- 
tions.” e whole is in his opinion a question of degree. 
What is the outcome of the tendencies of modern scientific 
thought, materialism and the reign of physical law? The log- 
ical and courageous philosopher with the modesty of true science 
will exclaim with our author, after a survey of the little that is 
positively known of the laws of nature that ‘before a rigorous 
logical scrutiny the Reign of Law will prove to be an unverified 
hypothesis, the Uniformity of Nature an ambiguous expression, 
the certainty of our scientific inferences to a great extent a delu- 
sion.” 
The closing paragraphs of the book leave an excellent impres- 
sion, and its whole tendency is to induce that attitude of the mind 
which characterizes the true philosopher who, as our author quotes 
from Faraday, ‘shou e a man willing to listen to every Sug- 
gestion, but determined to judge for himself. He should not be 
biased by appearances; have no favourite hypothesis; be of no 
school: and in doctrine have no master. He should not be 4 
respecter of persons, but of things. Truth should be his primary 
object. If to these qualities be added industry, he may ind 
hope to walk within the veil of the temple of nature.” 
Scammon’s MARINE MAMMALS OF THE NORTHWESTERN COAST AND 
AMERICAN WHALE-FISHERY.* —The title of Capt. Scammon’s im- 
portant work indicates sufficiently its object and scope. It 8 
divided into three parts, besides containing a lengthy appendix. 
Part I (comprising 112 pp.) is devoted to the natural history of 
the Cetacea, or the whales, porpoises and dolphins. Part I 
(69 pp.) treats in a similar way of the Pinnipedia, or the seals, 
while Part III (87 pp.) contains a concise and very interesting 
history of the American Whale-fishery. In Part I, the author 
has before him an almost wholly unworked field, and one in which 
he proves himself to have been an intelligent and faithful laborer. 
The marine mammals, and especially the Cetacea, from the nature 
unwieldy proportions and wary dispositions, are among the oe 
difficult animals to study that the naturalist encounters. Only 
Kal iS Ne uit (a eee 
mals of the Northwestern Coast of North America, described ant 
illustrated : together with an account of the American Whale-fishery- By ca 
Scammon, Captain U. S. Revenue Marine. San Francisco: John H. Carmany 
1874. 4to, 319 pp., with 27 lithographic plates and numerous woodcuts. 
* Thea Maxi Af. 
