REVIEWS. 
297 
illustrated ; "but unfortunately the author, evidently unacquainted with the 
subject, has not made use of those engravings which are most uncommon. 
Indeed, on the contrary, the greatest number of the cuts have been abund- 
antly seen by anyone who has a knowledge of physiology or comparative 
anatomy. Still the subject is most interesting, and the author’s observa- 
tions are accurate in most cases, and are eloquently put forward, so that 
altogether the little volume is not an unwelcome one. 
A ZOOLOGICAL DICTIONARY.* 
A NEW edition of 11 Maunder's Treasury of Natural History ” is now 
before us, and demands a few observations at our hands. And in the 
first place we should have condemned the work if it had been in its first edi- 
tion; but as it now comes forth under the charge of a different writer from 
the author, our observations are of course of a different nature. And this 
is for the following reason : the book being published, must be sold, in order 
to defray its expenses ; and therefore we think the publishers are not so much 
to blame in giving the work to a responsible editor and asking him to bring 
out a new edition. But if we had ‘to do with Mr. Maunder himself, we 
certainly should indulge in a little anger at his expense. For what, we 
would ask him, have you produced such a volume ? It has been expen- 
sive to print, difficult to illustrate, and, above all, it cannot be well done by 
a single writer, while at the same time we may complain that its type is so 
small that even a brief reference to it is painful to the eyes; while finally, its 
figures are ridiculously small. Just, for instance, imagine an elephant which 
barely measures an inch and a-half in length, and you get some conception 
of the plan of illustration. Still, with these disadvantages, we have some- 
thing on the other side. For example, the illustrations are abundant, the 
matter extends over more than 800 pages, and the articles, though many of 
them are brief, are withal very good in point of matter. The present 
editor has done his work creditably, especially when we consider that he had 
to deal with a stereotyped volume. He has introduced a considerable 
quantity of entirely novel matter into the pages. 
THE TRANSIT OF YENUS.f 
mHE work which Mr. Proctor has just issued to the public is infinitely 
J- the most important of his numerous treatises, save and except his very 
earlier essays. We say this more especially of the second part of the present 
* “ The Treasury of Natural History; a Popular Dictionary of Zoology.” 
By S. Maunder. Revised and corrected, with an extra Supplement, bv 
E. W. H. Holdsworth, F.L.S., F.Z.S. With 900 Woodcuts. London: 
Longmans, 1874. 
t “The Universe and the Coming Transits.” By Richard A. Proctor, 
B.A., formerly Secretary to the Royal Astronomical Society. London: 
Longmans, 1874. 
