1881. ] Recent Literature. 793 
RECENT LITERATURE. 
- Hyatt’s GENESIS OF THE TERTIARY SPECIES OF PLANORBIS AT 
STEINHEIM.—It sometimes occurs to the active student of biol- 
ogy, when wearied. with the multiplicity of details, the almost 
endless species and varieties of the groups he may be making his 
specialty, to inquire what is the use of this great expenditure of 
time and mental effort, when the actual result of years of labor 
and research may be to add but one stone to the foundation of 
facts underlying the superstructure which others abler than he 
or his successors, may build up; or if he be synthetic in mental 
disposition, and capable of adding a well founded, sound gener- 
alization as the fruit of the years of his labors as a collector and 
discoverer of facts, what a slight contribution after all is his new 
“Jaw” or induction to what is really needed to establish a phil- 
osophy of life! The earnest naturalist who desires to make a 
permanent solid contribution to his science, is animated with the 
wish to attempt, at least, a solution of two problems: What is 
life? and second, How did life originate? These problems are or 
should be the sources of inspiration, the goal to which all his ef- 
fort tends. The first question may never be solved, though the 
attempt has been and always will be made; the second may be 
within the scope of the human intellect, and we may, with some 
confidence, hope for a solution which will appeal to the under- 
standing of every candid naturalist, and ultimately command the 
assent of every philosophical mind, 
The obvious method of inquiry in the discovery of the laws of 
evolution is to ascertain the effect upon organisms of nature and 
life about them, and the mutual relations of the organisms them- 
Selves. This is beginning at the bottom of the matter; and the 
attempts in this direction will in the long run, it seems to us, 
bring deeper-reaching, truer and more logical results, than by 
confining the attention alone to the secondary, more superficial 
study of variations and effects of natural selection. Mr. Darwin 
has, by his genius, industry and simple, popular mode of presen- 
tation of the doctrine of natural selection, produced a revolution 
in scientific thought. He has sowed the seed and prepared the 
way for more profound, thorough going views as to the origin of 
life-forms, 
The work of Professor Hyatt before us, as well as his earlier 
Papers on the origin of forms among the Ammonites, which have 
been noticed in the earlier volumes of this journal, are important 
Contributions to the evolution hypothesis. These ‘essays, to- 
gether with those of Professor Cope on the origin of genera 
(1861), and his later papers on the law of acceleration and retar- 
dation, with the briefer, more fragmentary writings of other Ameri- 
eet Genesis of the Tertiary Species of Planorbis at Steinheim. By A\PHEUS 
ATT. (From the Anniversary Memoirs of the Boston Society of Natural His- 
tory. Boston, published by the Society, 1880, 4to, pp. 114, with 9 plates.) ; 
VOL. XV.—NO. xX. $5 : : : 
