BEVIEWS. 
513 
immediate contact of hostile countries, and almost unbiassed by the influ- 
ence of peoples of foreign blood, during the long course of years in which 
our country has never seen the foot of an invader, we have been enabled 
so to develope our own ideas of right and wrong, of political freedom and 
of political morality, that we now stand here, the freest country on the 
face of the globe, enjoying our privileges under the strongest and freest 
Government in the living world.” 
From the extracts we have given, it will be seen that the volume is 
replete with information and sound science. To the beginner it will be 
invaluable, to the adept it cannot but be of the utmost interest. It is, 
without exception, the most complete, accurate, and interesting little work 
on British geology that has come under our notice. 
THE APE-ORIGIN OF MAN AND THE NEW PHILOSOPHY* 
0 any of our readers desire to become versed in the natural history 
of the man-like apes, from one or the other of which they are 
supposed by Professor Huxley and his school to be descended ? to know what 
features in their human organization, or what phases in their development, 
have led transmutationists to proclaim their simian descent ; or, generally, 
to become conversant with the phenomena of animal development, and 
with the evidences of man’s great antiquity ? Then we would recommend 
them to seek this information in the work under review, where they will 
find all these matters ably and concisely treated, and from which they 
cannot fail to learn much that will be new and interesting to them. 
Are there any, again, to whom such knowledge would be rendered more 
acceptable by the accompaniment of a “ slashing ” attack upon our 
leading English naturalist, Professor Owen, whose opinions on some of 
the matters referred to are at variance with those of the author and his 
disciples ; an attack made with weapons tipped, now and then, with a 
little sharp personality : have they a leaning towards extreme view’s in 
philosophy ; or would they hail with pleasure the introduction of “ sensa- 
tion ” w’riting into matters of dry scientific inquiry ? Then we know of 
no better source from whence they may take a long deep draught than 
from the volume before us. 
The object of the work appears to be twofold ; first, to show that the 
differences between man and the higher apes are not sufficiently great to 
entitle the former to a distinct sub-class in the animal kingdom, but that he 
constitutes the highest family of the order Primates, in which the apes, 
&c. are included ; and secondly, to enunciate the author’s reasons for 
holding that man is a modification, by “natural selection,” of some 
lower animal, probably a species of ape; and generally to expound 
the new philosophy which the author believes to be inaugurated through 
the publication of the Darwinian version of the transmutation theory. 
* “ Evidence as to Man’s Place in Nature.” By T. H. Huxley, F.R.S. 
Williams & Norgate. 
