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each scientific name had at the time when it was first applied ; and as it is his 
first attempt, of course every allowance must he made. At the same time, 
we think that many of his explanations are very far-fetched. Let us take, 
for example, Bartsia odontites ; in this case he says that Pliny asserts that a 
portion of the stem was used for curing tooth-ache, hence the specific title. 
Again, Borago he attributes to the words Cor and ago : also Camel ina, 
which he derives from chamai, the ground, and linon flax, which we think 
few who know the plant will agree to. Finally, the word Euphorbia , the 
derivation of which is attributed to Euphorbus, a physician to the King of 
Mauritania ; and why, save for the resemblance of the names, remains a 
perfect mystery. 
We have chosen these few examples, but we might have added very 
largely to the list had we chosen to do so. It seems to us that the author 
has not been very learned on the subject, and that he has overlooked many 
valuable sources of information in the botanical writings of the past couple of 
centuries. Still we must own that he has done a good work which we wish 
every success to, and we trust that when it comes to a new edition the author 
will enlarge and otherwise improve it. The history of botany, which pre- 
cedes the dictionary, is most excellently given. 
ANTI-DARWINISM*. 
W E are somewhat amused, but not at all surprised, at a lawyer’s coming 
forward in the ranks of Mr. Darwin’s assailants. And, what we 
might have very naturally anticipated, viz. that the effort would be of a kind 
to resemble the mode of argument that is termed “special pleading,” is 
clearly the sort of thing which we have to deal with. The arguments in 
the book before us are those which we have often heard urged against 
Mr. Darwin, which are almost universally of one class. We use the 
word “ almost ” because we wish to exclude one work, which is certainly a 
clever one, but which is opposed to the Darwinian theory. It might be 
fairly asked, how could a gentleman whose legal practice admits of his 
writing a book on the “ History of the Currency ” have had the opportunity 
of fairly considering the arguments in favour of Mr. Darwin’s doctrines P 
He might, to be sure, have taken some half-dozen works, and skimmed 
them through in his chambers. But what a preparation would this be for 
the consideration of the grandest problem that has ever presented itself to 
the mind of man ! Mr. James Maclaren presumes, we suppose, that Mr. 
Mivart has not made the most formidable onslaught on the Darwinian 
theory, and he therefore merely uses a few of his arguments. But indeed 
it is not worth while treating at length of this book, which, however 
fairly it may pretend to have been written, is the weakest and most one- 
sided argument in existence. Let us take one example of the author’s 
powerful mode of argument as to the ape-origin of man : — 
* “ A Critical Examination of some of the principal Arguments for and 
against Darwinism.” By James Maclaren, M.A., Barrister-at-law. London; 
E. Bumpus. 1876. 
