270 The American Naturalist. [March, 
ever, in it also much of interest to the general geologist, especially in 
the essays upon the individual counties, although even in these the 
greatest emphasis is placed on the geological features of the mines 
situated within their borders. To the geologist the most valuable 
portions of the book are the few handsome maps of counties and of 
mining districts accompanying it, and the mineralogical and geologi- 
cal map of the state, on a scale of twelve inches to the mile. It is 
proposed in the near future to issue this map by counties on a larger 
scale. It is unfortunate that California has no geological survey to 
cooperate with its mineralogical survey in making known to the scien- 
tific world the interesting features of its geology hinted at in the 
report. The state mineralogist feels the need of such a survey, and 
makes known his desire for it in the opening pages of the volume 
before us. If a geological survey is instituted, it is to be hoped that 
its work will be as successful as that of the mineralogical survey.— 
Mexicology ! in our country is a province of archzologic research ot 
but very recent birth. It was inaugurated about 1875 by Raming, 
and since cultivated, with more or less success, by specialists 
like Brinton, Bandelier, Thomas, and Valentini. In the person of 
r. Ed. Seler a new ally and collaborating force appears to have 
joined the ranks of the students enumerated. He comes well prepared 
for his task. He has traveled extensively in Mexico, and commands the 
Spanish, Nahuatl, and Maya languages to a high degree. He is in 
intimate connection with the museums of both America and Europe, 
and has taken wise care in working only in sight and with the aid 
of complete literary material,—a luxury which each true scholar 
longs for, but is rarely able to indulge in. Besides, Dr. Seler 
possesses that ‘‘sense of form’’ which is so necessary to the true 
recognition of all the objects drawn, painted, or sculptured, with and 
which the student of this special branch preéminently has to deal. 
It was owing to the lack of this artistic sense that some of his prede- 
cessors have been lured into the grotesque belief that the ancient Mexi- 
2 Dr. Ed. Seler (Berlin, Kaiser Wilhelm-Strasse, No. 3): (1) “ Das Tonalamatl der 
Aubin’ schen Samm und die verwandten Kalenderbucher ; " 217 pages, with 173 
printed illustrations, in Compts Rendus du Congrès International des Américanistes, 
ze session, Berlin, 1888. (2) Id., “ Alt-mexicanische die Wurfbretter ; 12 pages, wi 
1 colored and 32 printed illustrations ; in Internationales Archiv fur Ethnographie, Band 
II., Berlin. 1890. (3) Id.,"' Alt-Mexikanische Studien.” (a) “ Ein Kapite! ans dem 
gun.” i 
bei W, Speeman, 
Sane 
Same MaRS Ceti (Ae oa hE E ERROR gy Boi oe oR NE a 
