800 recent Literature. : [ October, 
sun. After a discussion of Thompson’s views upon the cooling 
of the earth, the author gives his reasons for not accepting his 
explanation of the process of solidification, with its corresponding 
limitation of the geological ages. Peirce believed that there was 
a permanent superficial solidification at an exceedingly early 
stage of the process, together with the formation of an interior 
solid nucleus. “ These interior and exterior solid portions will 
be separated by a liquid stratum, which is ever decreasing in 
bility of an increased duration of organic life.” 
Turning then to the current view that the sun is not more than 
20,000,000 years old, our author believed that by computation 
the age of the sun may have been twenty-five times greater than 
the estimates of some distinguished astronomers and physicists. 
The concluding chapter on potentiality is replete with sugges 
tions by a Christian philosopher for arguments for the existence 
of a Creator and the immortality of the soul; and the volume 1s 
well worth reading, not only for the invaluable exposition of the 
nebular hypothesis, but as a proof that the legitimate results of 
speculative evolutionary science tends to demonstrate the exis 
tence, outside of the material world, of a Creator and of a spirit- 
ual world, where the soul of man, “ whose only life is action, 
freed of its physical scaffolding, however important in the begin- 
ning, may hereafter engage in ceaseless intellectual as well as 
spiritual activities. : 
New Encianp Birp Lire.\—There has never been published 
anything like a complete exhibition of New England bird-life. 
Samuels’ work,? the first attempt at it, was very successful as 4 
popular ornithology, but was hardly worthy of its success ; while 
Minot’s later volume,? meant for a substitute, was incomplete, de- 
signedly omitting all the water-birds, and seemed to many beer 
ing in precision and authority. The last work, just publish 
(its title is given below), is by Mr. Winfrid A. Stearns, son of the 
late President of Amherst College. It should be welcomed as 4 
concise, clear and careful summary of our knowledge of one 
England birds. In freshness, and individuality, and fullness it may 
seem wanting, though not in cccasional picturesqueness. Sa 
1 New England Bird Li | rnithology. By WIN: 
FRID A, Srenene. Rovied Gia saad be Der Eke Cte Published by Lee 
& Shepard of Boston, and Charles T. Dillingham of New York. Part 1, Os-ine® 
‘Ornithology and Odlogy of New England.” By Edward A. Samuels. (1867-) 
* Land-birds and Game-birds of New England. By H. D. Minot. (1876-77-) 
