REVIEWS. 
309 
tl There is nothing, however, in this view of the progress of man which 
shows that he has descended from an ape-like ancestor ; in fact, the general 
diffusion of man over the earth (and many evolutionists suppose that this 
diffusion took place before man had acquired language) is quite inconsistent 
with a development from an ape-like creature, as all existing man-like apes 
are, as we have seen, extremely local, capable of existing in a few spots 
only.” 
The other arguments are like the above, and may be left to the reader’s 
judgment for their annihilation. But we would ask the author one ques- 
tion on the subject he has written on. Suppose a man, with no particular 
religious belief, who admits the possibility of there being a Creator, were to 
ask, “ How has man come on the globe P There is much evidence of his 
kinship with the lower animals ; whence, then, comes he ? ” What would 
be his reply ? We suppose we shall have to wait his next volume for an 
answer. 
think that Herr Julius Bernstein is to be congratulated upon the style 
of this book. We are much pleased with the manner in which he 
introduces us to the various subjects he has undertaken to describe, and 
indeed altogether his language is clear and to the point. He has taken the 
five senses, i.e. sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell, to describe, and with 
each of them he has dealt fairly — more especially with the senses of sight 
and hearing. Of course it must not be imagined that he has told us any- 
thing new ; that would be a great mistake. On the contrary, there are many 
points unnoticed in this book which Dr. Tyndall has expatiated at length upon 
in his various writings. Still he has stated the main points in an admirably 
lucid style. He gives more than 100 pages to the sense of sight alone, and he 
supplies numerous illustrations — some of them too familiar, perhaps — of the 
different experiments that are to be made on the subject of vision. In one of 
these, however, we note that a series of figures which are intended to look of 
different sizes though actually of the same size, are slightly misplaced, so 
that people view them at considerable disadvantage. There is absolutely 
nothing new in the entire volume, but still it will prove, we do not doubt, 
a very useful addition to our popular natural philosophy libraries. 
Bulletin of the United States National Museum. Washington: 1875. — In 
this number Professor E. Cope has published a check-list of North Ameri- 
can Batrachia and Beptilia, with a systematic list of the higher groups, and 
an essay on their geographical distribution. 
* “ The Five Senses of Man.” By Julius Bernstein, Professor of Physi- 
ology at the University of Halle. London : Henry S. King & Co. 1876. 
OUR FIVE SENSES.* 
SHORT NOTICES. 
