978 Recent Literature. [ October, 
depth, derivation of the abyssal fauna and other questions which 
the investigations carried on by the various deep-sea exploring 
expeditions have brought to the front. Among the remaining 
fifty-eight biological papers read, it will suffice to mention those 
of C. Spence Bate on the geographical distribution of the macru- 
rous Crustacea, of P. H. Carpenter upon the geographical and 
bathymetrical distribution of the Crinoidea, and that of E. A. 
Schafer on the mechanism of absorption. Many of the papers 
which are here given in condensed form have also been published 
at full length in scientific periodicals, 
Vinine’s “ An InGLorious Cotumsus.”'—This volume of more 
than 700 pages is devoted to the task of proving that Hwui Shan 
and four other mendicant Buddhist monks, who in 458 A. D 
came from Afghanistan to China, and thence proceeded further to 
the east, really discovered America. The points brought out in 
favor of this idea are certainly very many and their cumulative 
force large. 
Hwui Shan returned to China in the first year of the Ts’i dyn- 
asty, and told many med stories concerning the countries 
of “ Marked Bodies,” “Great Han eh “Fu-sang”’ which he 
had seen on his journeyings, as eel about a “ country of 
inhabited by females with Ba podis and long locks, 
who carry their young on their backs and nurse them a hundre 
days. From the distances given, the size of the countries and 
resemblances in the habits of the natives, Mr. Vining concludes 
that the land of “ Marked Bodies ” is identical with the Aleutian 
islands, “ Great Han” with Alaska, and “Fu-sang” with Mexico, 
while the hairy women are explained away into monkeys. 
Many preceding authorities have noticed or translated Hwui 
Shan’s recital, and Mr. Vining mercilessly quotes them all in the 
first portion of his work. This is very fair, but makes extremely 
wearisome reading. After these authorities comes an essay on 
the nature of the Chinese language, followed by Hwui Shan’s 
text, which is accompanied by eight translations, including that 
of the au or, | 
After pointing out various resemblances between Buddhism and 
the worship of Quetzalcoatl, parallelisms between the represen- 
Saon of that god and those of Gautama-Buddha, some curious 
-likenesses and certain Mexican traditions which seem to 
Be ss intimations of Hwui Shan’s visit, Mr. Vining does not 
_ forget to tell his readers that the fifth century was so long ago 
— Pg considerable difference between Hwui Shan’s description and 
__ the state of things known to us must be expected. 
4 ae iets Columbus; or evidence that Hwui Shan and a peny of Buddhist 
P vine from Afghanistan discovered America in the fifth century A. D . By EDWARD 
Vininc. New York, Appleton & Co. 
