3°8 
SCIENCE. 
BOOKS RECEIVED. 
Zoology for High Schools and Colleges, by A. 
S. Packard, Jr., M.D., Ph.D. Second edition re- 
vised. Iienry Holt & Company. New York. 
1880. 
The second edition of Professor Packard’s manual of 
Zoology supplies a want that has been long felt among 
Naturalists, for a work ot convenient size and form on this 
subject, with ample illustrations judiciously selected. 
In compiling his book the author has freely used the 
larger works ot Gegenbaur, Huxley, Peters and Carus, 
Claus, Rolleston and others, and even paraphrased or 
adopted the author’s language verbatim when it suited 
his purpose. 
In order to secure a greater accuracy of statement, and 
to render the work more authoritative as a manual of 
Zoology, Professor Packard has submitted the manu- 
script of certain chapters to naturalists distinguished bv 
their special knowledge of certain groups. Thus the 
manuscript of the Sponges was read by Professor A. 
Hyatt; of the Worms and Mollusca, by Dr. Charles S. 
Minot; of the Echinoderms, by Mr. Walter Faxon; ot 
the Crustaceae, by Mr. J. S. Kingsley ; of Fishes, by Pro- 
fessor T. Gill, whose classification, as given in his “Ar- 
rangement of the Families of Fishes,” has been closely 
followed, his definition being often adopted word tor 
word. The manuscript of the Batrachians and Reptiles 
was read by Professor E. D. Cope ; of Birds and Mam- 
mals, by Dr. Elliott Coues, U. S. A. 
The work being thus the joint production of so many 
eminent naturalists, it may be considered a thoroughly 
reliable guide to the advanced student who desires a gen- 
eral review of the animal kingdom, covering the most ad- 
vanced teachings up to the date of publication. 
The illustrations to this work, five hundred and fifty in 
number, is one of its most attractive features, and the 
author acknowledges his obligations to the publisher for 
his liberal co-operation in producing them. A fair pro- 
portion are original. We notice that Dr. C. S. Minot has 
drawn the full-page illustrations of the typical vertebrates, 
and that Mr. J. S. Kingsley and Professor W. K. Brooks 
contributed drawings of the nervous system and otocyst 
of the clam, while acknowledgment is made to Professor 
F. V. Hayden, Professor S. F. Baird and others for as- 
sistance given. 
The work is presented in a handsome, large 12 mo. 
volume of over 700 pages, printed in large type and on 
excellent paper. 
In regard to the manner in which the subject is treated 
and the general scope of the book, Professor Packard 
has designed a work to be used quite as much in the lab- 
oratory, or with specimens in hand, as in the class-ioom. 
He states that if Zoology is to be studied as a mental dis- 
cipline, or even if the student desires simply to get a gen- 
uine knowledge at first hand of the structure of the lead- 
ing types of animal life, he must examine living an- 
imals, watch their movements and habits, and 
finally dissect them, as well as study their modes of 
growth before and after leaving the egg or the parent, as 
the case may be. But the young student in a few weeks’ 
study in the laboratory cannot learn all the ptinciples of 
the science. Hence he needs a teacher, a guide, or at 
least a manual of instruction. This work, which is an ex- 
pansion of a course of lectures for college students, has 
been prepared also to suit the wants of the general 
reader who would obtain some idea of the principles of 
the science as generally accepted by advanced zoologists, 
in order that he may understand the philosophical discus- 
sions and writings relating to modern doctrines of biology, 
especially the law of evolution and the relations between 
animals and their surroundings. 
Such is the programme of the author of this book, and 
! we congratulate him on the practical and exhaustive 
manner in which he has carried it out. The inductive 
method has been selected, and the student is first pre- 
sented with the facts ; is then led to a through study of a 
few typical forms, taught to compare these with others, 
and finally led to the principles or inductions growing 
out of the facts. He is not assailed with a number of 
definitions or diagnoses applicable to the entire group to 
which the type may belong before he has learned some- 
thing about the animals typical of the order or class ; 
but these are placed alter a description of one or a few 
examples of the group to which they may belong. The 
simplest, most elementary forms are first noticed, begin- 
ning with the Protozoa and ending with the Vertebrates, 
believing that this is the more logical and philosophical 
method, and that in this way the beginner in the science 
can better appreciate the gradual unfolding of the lines 
of animal forms, which converge towards his own 
species, the flower and synthesis ot organic life. 
Professor Packard concludes the above explanation of 
the general plan of the work by advising the student to 
commence with Chapter VIII., on Vertebrates, and to 
master, with specimen in hand, the description of a trog, 
in order that he may have a standard of comparison, a 
point of departure, from which to survey the lower 
forms. 
The concluding chapters of the work relate to the 
comparative anatomy of the organs, the development 
and metamorphoses of animals, the geographical dis- 
tribution and geological succession cf animals, the origin 
of species, man’s place in nature, instinct and reason in 
animals. These subjects are lightly touched on, and 
the problems involved sketched in outline only, the 
author referring the reader to the works of specialists 
who have given these matters exhaustive considera- 
tion. 
Professor Packard has been long prominently identified 
with practical scientific work covering this department 
of science, and his present work can be accepted with- 
out hesitation as an authoritative manual on the subject. 
We have read this manual of Zoology with peculiar satis- 
faction, because it is illustrated by our own more 
familiar natural objects. The first steps of the student 
of Zoology are plainly set forth, and by the aid of excellent 
wood engravings and intelligent descriptions, the various 
forms of life from the lowest to the highest are made 
clear to his understanding. 
We take pleasure in advising students of Zoology to 
make use of this work as the best guide that can be 
secured, and the general reader may study it with ad- 
vantage, for it treats of a subject of interest to us all, 
and deals with problems of the highest importance to 
mankind. 
We have received a copy of the Proceedings of the 
Iowa Academy of Sciences, which covers a report of the 
work done from its organization in 1875 up to June, 
1880. 
The President of the Academy is Professor Charles E. 
Bessey, M. Sc., Ph. D., author of the recently published 
Manual of Botany, and a Professor in the Iowa Agricul- 
tural College. 
We recognize among the list of Fellows, many names 
which are familiar to us, as specialists in various 
departments of Science, and we regard the Academy as 
being fortunate in possessing so strong an organization. 
At the annual meeting in June last, a series of val- 
uable papers were read, and we regret that the abstracts 
presented in the report are too brief to enable us to re- 
produce them with advantage. 
We hope to be able to publish later, comprehensive 
abstracts of papers read before this Academy of Sci- 
ences. 
