1 885.3 
Analyses of Books. • jyi 
But surely now we begin to see that in the organic world species 
melts gradually into species, we might apply this great truth to 
our classifications of men. 
“ An Exposition of Herbert Spencer’s Philosophy,” by Ignotus 
has the very valuable feature of presenting in parallel columns 
the leading propositions of the Synthetic Philosophy, and of 
Positivism.. How the latter can in these days find any accept- 
ance at all is to us a most painful riddle. 
Dr. W. B. Carpenter, in a reply to Captain W. B. McTaggart 
sets forth the intellectual basis of his own (peculiar) Theistic 
belief, and seems greatly scandalised at the gallant Captain’s 
slightly irreverent rejoinder. 
The two papers, by Julian, on “ The Popular Religious Faith ” 
he most distinctly outside our competence. 
“ Man : Whence and Whither ?” is considered in two papers 
by Dr. H. J. Hardwicke. The learned doctor is most emphati- 
cally right in denying that the faculty of speech in man forms an 
absolute boundary line between him and the lower animals. 
How could the dog possibly understand human language unless 
capable of receiving from his companions very definite infor- 
mation through the medium of sound ? 
We may, however, raise a doubt when we are told of the 
chimpanzee and gorilla families of Africa “ walking on their 
hind-legs only.” 
The submerged continent of “ Lemuria ” has, indeed, been 
denied by high authorities, but almost in the same breath is ad- 
mitted the probable existence of several large islands, stretchinn- 
north-eastwards towards Ceylon and Sumatra. 
The ability manifest in most of the articles which have hitherto 
appeared in the “ Agnostic ” is indisputable. The question may, 
however, arise, how far will it be possible to prolong the discus- 
sion of Agnosticism and its applications ? 
Magneto- and Dynamo-Electric Machines, with a Decription of 
Electric Accumulators. From the German of Glaser de Cew. 
By F. Krohn, and especially edited, with many additions, 
by Paget Higgs, LL.D., D.Sc. London: Symons and Co. 
Works relating to electricity and its practical applications 
appear to be increasing at a rate similar to that which has until 
lately been the case with chemical manuals. The difficulty will 
soon be to decide what special advantage or superiority one work 
of this kind presents as compared with another. 
The author, — or authors, — of the present treatise set out with 
a history of the development of magneto- and dynamo-elecftric 
