LTKES AND DISLIKES. 



3G3 



No scientific problem would be the better for being grinned at tlirougli 

 a horae-collar ; and the constant joking about matters of grave im- 

 port forcibly corroborates the truth of the celebrated aphorism of 

 Lord Bacon, — " Homines derisores civitatem perdunt." 



The facile pen of our author, glib in finding that anything in 

 science is like anything else, runs smoothly and superficially over the 

 whole animal and vegetable kingdom. We are told that an Ento- 

 mostracan, — 



" Sida crystallina, is easily transformed into a costermongcr by giving 

 the creature legs, a pipe, and a basket of grecus," 



We were not previously aware that legs, pipes, and cabbages, were 

 the only predicable characters dividing the human race from water- 

 fleas. It is, however, but too evident that the waiter is unacquainted 

 even with the most elementary scientific facts. Thus, in the first 

 paper, Tarsius Bancanus is spoken of as being man's progenitor. 

 Compare the gorilla's brain with Tarsius's brain ! lias the author 

 of " Likes " ever read Burmeister's monograph ? has he ever seen 

 tlie paltry little lemur ? Again, in the second paper, he writes — 



" The Acida.spis Keyserlingii, a Silurian Trilobite figured by Barrande 

 (Syst. Sil. do Bohome, pi. 36), bears a remarkable likeness, when / give 

 Jiiin feet and arm him with a spear, to a Polynesian savage." 



We are too slow to see the likeness, but we are far from wishing 

 to tempt the author of "Likes and Similitudes" to ofler us any of 

 those artistic examples of his dementia with which his manuscript 

 was probably suitably illustrated ; but he is evidently possessed with a 

 pungent idea that tlicre is some occasional connection between some 

 individuals of the human race and the family of crabs, for he adds — 



" Pem2ylis Snessii, a crustacean of higher class, met Avitli in the New 

 Hod rocks of Germany, figured by Von Meyer, may be claimed by Mr. 

 Layard as an Assyrian king in an eruptive state." 



The meaning of this sentence fiiirly baflles our limited powers of 

 comprehension. A\''liy ]Mr. Layard should feel anxious to possess an 

 Assyrian king whose skin may be unhealthy, or who is in the process 

 of volcanic excitement, we avow ourselves unable to fatliom. 



W'e all know the unfortunate mistake a certain lady is reputed to 

 have made by looking at iier dictionary ; tlie author of " Likes " li::s 

 achieved an equally nnforiunato result by not looking at his before 

 lie wrote — 



"The curious ^^ ing-fiinu'd fisli(>s foiDul in tlu' OKI \lcd Sandsiom^ of 

 Scotland, bi'longing to the gt-nns JUi rich! Iiijs, ha\ e hvcn so ck'Vcrly 



