Notices of Books. 
\ 1876.] 
4x1 
, Geology for Students and General Readers. Part I., Physical 
Geology. By A. H. Green, F.G.S., Professor of Geology 
in the Yorkshire College of Science, Leeds. London : 
Daldy, Isbister, and Co. 
We have here the first part of a treatise on geology, designed 
for the student and the general reader, and embracing that 
portion of the science distinguished as physical geology. The 
author declares his purpose to have been the compilation of “ a 
manual which would serve the purpose of those students who, 
without going very deeply into the subject, desire to know as 
much of the science as any man of culture may be reasonably 
expected to possess.” We devoutly wish that every man of 
culture, so-called, had half the acquaintance with geology which 
might be gathered from this work. But unfortunately gross 
ignorance of geology, and, indeed, of every branch of physical 
science, is tolerated not merely in private men of culture, but 
even in literary characters, — the teachers and guides of the 
public. Arago well observes : “ Under the brilliant and super- 
ficial varnish with which the purely literary studies of our 
colleges almost necessarily invest all classes of society, we 
generally find — let us be brief — a complete ignorance of those 
beautiful phenomena, of those grand laws of nature which are 
our best guard against prejudice.” We scarcely think that 
Mr. Green takes a sufficiently high ground in maintaining the 
value of natural science “as an instrument for training the mind 
to reflect and reason.” Natural science alone can teach us to 
deal with things, and to draw right conclusions from fadts 
rightly observed. The mere mathematician — strange as the 
assertion may sound — is a wretched reasoner, because he 
invariably begs the question in a series of baseless initial 
assumptions. His arguments bristle with “ if we only suppose,” 
“ let us assume,” “ let it be granted,” &c. Upon these assump- 
tions and suppositions, sometimes false and still more often 
doubtful, he builds a superstructure which, however correct in 
itself, is of necessity worthless. That the study of the classics 
should ever be considered superior to that of natural science as 
“an engine for developing the reasoning powers,” is an old 
superstition whose origin it is not difficult to perceive, and which 
must ultimately fade away. 
As a matter of course, in a work like this, intended for the 
use of the general public, originality of speculation is not to be 
demanded. The author declares that he has “ borrowed right 
and left,” and that he doubts “ whether there is in the book, 
from beginning to end, that can be said to be new.” But though 
avowedly a compilation, it is one which only a master of the 
subject could have produced. If it contains little that is new, 
it contains less that is not true, and the student may find here a 
solid foundation. The best authorities have been followed as 
