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1886.] Recent Literature. 47 
the publications of Pfeffer, Sades, Darwin and others, and in many 
cases have been reduced in size by the publishers so as to give 
them a better appearance upon the octavo pages. The printer’s 
work has been well done, and the book has an attractive appear- 
ance.—Charles E. Bessey. 
Woops Nature’s TEAcuHInGs.!'—Mr. Wood has written a good 
many books on zoological subjects, all useful, but none of them 
particularly profound or especially inspiring, but we think that 
in the present case he has produced a most readable book. The 
object of the writer is to show the close connection between the 
actions of the different organs of animals and plants and human 
inventions, and to prove that there is scarcely an invention by man 
which has not its prototype in nature. The author has placed 
side by side a great number of parallels of nature and art, with 
terse, brief descriptions, and illustrated with a great number of 
original sketches. As a result, we have just the book to put into 
the hands of a boy, not only serving to interest him but to lead 
him to observe the common objects of nature; and grown-up peo- 
ple will also, if we mistake not, relish its pages and illustrations. 
The author draws the corollary from the facts presented, “ that 
as existing human inventions have been anticipated by nature, so 
it will surely be found that in nature lie the prototypes of inven- 
tions not yet revealed to man.” 
As examples, the raft with its sail is anticipated by the Velella; 
the boat by the gnat-egg boat, the floating sea-anemone, or water- 
sail or pupa-skin of the mosquito; and the boatman in his boat 
by the “water-boatman,” or Notonecta. Examples of paddle- 
wheels are seen in those of the Ctenophores, and the movements 
of the tail of the fish anticipate those of the propeller. The 
arrangement of the ribs of a fish are like those of a vessel, while 
the form of a ship’s anchor is outlined in the spicule of the 
Synapta, and that of a grapnel in the spicules of sponges and 
Echinococcus; ice-anchors and ice-hooks are anticipated by the 
tusks of the walrus; an eagle’s claw presages a flesh-hook, and 
the grapple-plant the ordinary drag; boat-hooks are typified in 
the pushing spikes of sea worms ; Captain Boynton’s life-dress in 
the float of a Portuguese man-of-war, and Janthina’s raft in a cask- 
pontoon. Under the caption of war and hunting, pitfalls are 
shown to be but an imitation of that of the ant-lion, and poisoned 
arrows of the fangs of serpents and the stings of insects. Barbed 
Spears, harpoons and arrows have multitudes of semblances in 
nature, as do projectiles of all descriptions. Nets, traps, defences 
of all sorts, armor of varied description, forts, scaling implements, 
tunnels, as well as the houses of savages, and the porches, eaves, 
windows, thatch, slates and tiles of civilized architecture, with 
a Nature's Teachings. Human inventions anticipated by Nature. By Rev, J. G. 
0D; with upwards of 750 engravings. Boston, Roberts Brothers. 12mo, pp- 533- 
