1878.] 
Notices of Books. 
93 
Civilisation.” That it contains many interesting and suggestive 
passages cannot be denied ; but it enters too largely into political 
and theological considerations to admit of analysis in these 
pages. We regret to find the author quoting Guizot, a writer 
whose “ Histoire de la Civilisation always reminds us of the 
old “ conchological ” systems — founded on an exclusive consi- 
deration of the shell, with complete neglecft or ignorance of the 
vitals. 
Dr. J. Campbell Brown’s paper, on “ EleMricity compared 
with Heat as a Source of Mechanical Power,” will, we hope, go 
far to dispel certain semi-scientific delusions current as to the 
probability of our finding some substitute for coal. The con- 
clusion of the memoir deserves quotation : — “ There neither is 
nor will be any substitute for coal if in that term we include 
petroleum, oils, peat, and wood, — in short, carbon and hydro- 
carbons. Force cannot be created ; it must be obtained from 
previously existing stores of force, and when it has been equally 
distributed there is no collecting it again. We must economise 
our carbon, and when it becomes exhausted we may utilise the 
force of the sun, growing wood by its light, producing evapora- 
tion or obtaining mechanical power in the shape of wind from 
its heat, and obtaining mechanical motion from its attraction and 
that of the moon by means of the tides; but in the earth itself, 
apart from other worlds, we can expect to find no store of force, 
either in the form of chemical force, heat, light, or electricity, 
which will take the place of our carbon deposits. We may learn 
to do without coal, but we can hope to find no substitute.” In 
all this, however, we see no justification for any increase of the 
enormous profits of the mine-owner and the coal-merchant, nor 
yet for any augmentation of the working colliers’ allowance of 
champagne and boiled pine-apples. 
Mr. T. Ward communicates an interesting statistical paper 
on “ Salt and its Export from the Ports of the Mersey.” The 
method of preparing the various commercial qualities of salt, as 
carried on in the Cheshire district, and the quantity exported to 
various parts of the world, are here given in detail. That it 
should be carried to India — where, in addition to the facilities 
for preparing salt from sea-water by solar heat, there are in the 
north-western deposits beds of rock-salt far surpassing in extent 
those of Cheshire — seems almost mysterious. But ships going 
out to India take a cargo of salt at mere nominal freight in pre- 
ference to going out empty. The duty of £5 per ton, maintained 
purely as a source of revenue, is economically indefensible, and 
must ultimately be abandoned. 
Mr. E. Nicholson’s paper on “ Indian Snakes ” is intended to 
combat certain vulgar errors concerning the serpent tribe. He 
states that out of the 260 species of snakes found in India only 
five are dangerous to human life. Of these “ Ophiophagus elaps 
is very rare ” (it has, however, been killed in Calcutta) ; and 
