380 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. IV., No. 89. 



frequent appearance in the tattoo marks and 

 religious customs of the Haida and other In- 

 dians of the north-west coast of America. 



The author, not confining himself to the group 

 of the Samoan islands in his forty years' expe- 

 rience, made notes upon the cults and customs 

 of twenty- three other islands in the Pacific 

 Ocean, which are published in this volume. 

 Among these, with reference to the island Nu- 

 kufetau, is found a singular reversal of the 

 premium on families given by Roman law, and 

 the merit generally attributed, in communities 

 untaught by Mai thus, to the production of nu- 

 merous offspring. Infanticide there was the 

 law of the land. Only one child was allowed 

 to a family. Under special circumstances, 

 and by paying a fine, a second might be al- 

 lowed to live. 



On the whole, and in general terms, without 

 further attempt at quotation, the volume can 

 be strongly recommended as being illustrative 

 of the stage of ethnic life comprehended in it, 

 and as almost above criticism. 



THE HOME RAMBLES OF AN AMERICAN 

 NATURALIST. 



A naturalise 's rambles about home. By C. C. Abbott. 

 New York, Appleton, 1884. 485 p. 12°. 



It is not often that one can sit clown and 

 become so absorbed in a book that he ceases to 

 be critical. It is in this condition that we lay 

 down Dr. Abbott's charming volume. We do 

 not know whether some of his statements need 

 qualifying or not. We do know, however, that 

 the author is an accurate observer, and, further- 

 more, that he lives amid the scenes and expe- 

 riences so graphically described. The three 

 beeches, woodshed, fences, etc., do exist, and 

 belong to Dr. Abbott's homestead. The author 

 has been known to the reading public for many 

 years by his articles in the Popular science 

 monthly, American naturalist, and Science. 

 He is more widely known b}' his being the first 

 to discover paleolithic implements in North 

 America, and as the author of the work entitled 

 ' Primitive industry.' 



The present book is, as the title indicates, 

 the rambles of a naturalist about home. The 

 sights and scenes are so well depicted with pen 

 that illustrations are not needed, and the 

 author has had the good sense not to attempt 

 them. Nothing but a sensitive-plate, timed to 

 the fraction of a second, would be of any use in 

 such service. Speaking of a white weasel, he 

 says, ' It fell into the hands of a taxidermist, 

 and was lost to science.' Such a fate often 



awaits the exploits he describes when they fall 

 into the hands of an artist. 



Many new and interesting facts are given 

 concerning the habits of wild animals, and at 

 the same time he corrects a host of erroneous 

 observations that have gone unchallenged for 

 many years, because no one competent for the 

 work has given the time and patience neces- 

 sary to the study. His glimpses of wildcats, 

 and the fight between a turtle and mink, are 

 curious experiences, and his observations of 

 the skunk are extremely interesting. He al- 

 ludes to the peculiar power of the skunk as 

 causing an ' atmospheric disturbance ' ! The 

 rapidity with which a skunk burrows in the 

 ground is quite a new fact. He shows how 

 untrustworthy most weather-lore is, as based 

 on the habits of animals, though he admits that 

 chipmunks appear to foresee the occurrence of 

 a cold rain twent}~-four hours in advance. He 

 also shows — it seems to us conclusively — 

 that the opossum does not ' play possum,' and 

 that its supposed power of feigning death is 

 the result of paralysis from fear. 



He believes that the gambols and antics and 

 various curious behaviors of animals are evi- 

 dences of play and fun, as in children, and that 

 in no other way can such behavior be ex- 

 plained. Even among fishes has he observed 

 movements that must be referable to the same 

 desire. We can commend the book most hear- 

 tily to all lovers of nature. It is a book to 

 be put into the hands of every boy, and we 

 should like to see it adopted in our schools as 

 an occasional reading-book. 



THE LIFE OF ELLEN WATSON. 



A record of Ellen Watson. Arranged and edited 

 by Anna Buckland. London, Macmillan, 

 1884. 6 + 279 p. 8°. 



Ellen Watson's claim to remembrance does 

 not rest upon what she did, but upon the 

 promise she gave of what she might have done 

 had her life been longer. At the age of twenty 

 she entered Universit}^ college as the first 

 woman-student in mathematics and physics. 

 Professor Clifford soon formed a very high 

 opinion of her mathematical ability, and be- 

 lieved that she possessed a rare faculty for 

 original work. In the examination which was 

 held at the end of the year, he was careful 

 not to allow his judgment to be influenced by 

 the fact of her youth and sex ; and the most 

 strict examination of her papers gave her the 

 highest number of marks gained by any of the 

 class, and placed her in the position of first 



