VIEWS AND REVIEWS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2109, 28 March 1914, Page 9

VIEWS AND REVIEWS.

AUSTRALASIAN FOSSILS. •„ Australasian scientific research is 110 longer to bo considered a negligible quantity by tho scientists of the Old M'ol'ld, ami of America. Owing, 110 doubt, to the lack of suliicient liberal endowment, scientific work of any a'dvanced and distinctly original order has been, and must still be, for many years to come, confined to instruction upon old, accepted lines, and upon the basis of facts and principles ascertained, and authoritatively laid down outside Australasia. Nevertheless, there is amplo scope, especially in the fields of geology and biology; for work to bo done locally which may bo of far from despisable value in tho older centres of scientific learning. In proof of this, one heed only turn to a book entitled "Australasian Fossils," a Students' Manual of- Palaeontology,

written by Frederick Chapman, palaeontologist to the' National Museum, Melbourne, and published by Messrs. George . Robertson and Co., of Melbourne.' In the course of an interesting introduction by Professor Ernest W. Skeats,- a warm welcome is due to this book of Mr. Chapman's, in which, says Professor Skeat, the "Australian evidence is .brought- together and summarised by one whose training, long experience, and personal research qualify him to undertake the task. Europfian and American' workers in tho field of palaeontology havo long beon provided

with excellent books treating generally of fossils, but tho illustrations have been quite naturally taken, mainly from forms o'edurring in tho Northern Hemisphere." Australia seems •to afford special opportunities for the study of palaeontology, it being one of tho "biological asylums," which, by means of land or other barriers, may be for. & long period separated from tho main stream of evolution. "We know," says ■Professor Skeat, "that the . present fauna and flora of Australia is largely of;'archaic aspect, as it includes a number of types which elsewhere have long ago extinct, or were never developed." _ This' appears to be duo to the long isolation of Australia, and as. Professor Gregory happily puts it, "its development in a biological backwater." Part I of Mr. Chapman's book deals with general principles, the nature and uses of fossils, tho classification of fossil .'animals and plants; the geological .epochs and time-range of fossils; and witli the' methods of finding fossils and the rocks they form. The second part of the book is headed "Systematic Palaeontology." Tho various classes of fossils to be found in Australasia aro described separately, and in detail. . In ail appendix are given some useful notes on. the collection . and preservation of fossils. No fewer than a hundred, and fifty separate illustrations enhance tho interest of the' text, and an excellent feature at the end of each chapter is a full list of the common or characteristic fossils alluded to in the section,' and a guide to the literature wherein detailed reference to each cWss of fossil may .be'found. An index of the names of the fossils, and a| second index to i;he localities mentioned in tho various chapters, add much to tho ease -with which references may be mado by students; The references to New Zealand

fossils are very numerous, the assistance, given ill: this direction by Professor Skeat. being cordially acknowledged by the author. Liber's Note Book. Some of my readers may! know that strange story, ;■ "Mehnoth . the Wanderer,' 1 Written close -upon a.century ago by Charles .Robert Maturin. "Mel-: moth" is. a novel something in the stylo of ; .tho-;Weird romiincgs- fpfj whiphvJMjsi-j Radclifte,-of - of i'.-Udolpho'S fame,, .arid'the notorious "Monk" Lewis, i were ' responsible. Our grandfathers' -considered '• them', lutfst . fyscihatingj 'but' 1 I am afraid that'the. average-latter-day.-, reader• would find it . difficult -,to ; get through them. Maturin; lioWever, who was ;an Irish clergyman, was!aa interesting personage in his way, arid at last is to, be honoured by a full-length biography. "Forva -clergyman,- he - wrote some queer stuff. Coleridge describes his drama,-"Bertram, 1 , 1 which, owing to the kindly influence of Scott and Byron, were produced by lieinble at Drury Lane, as " a' superfetation 'of blasphemy' upon nonsense." Scott, on the other hand, praised it, and amongst other; admirers of Maturiii's work have been Balzac and Rossetti, Loth no moan, judges of literature. The fact may be recalled that wh'en the wretched Oscar Wilde loft Reading Gaol to live .in France he travelled .under the name of Sebastian Melmoth.

In one of the essays in his latest book. "An Englishman Looks at the World, H.' G. Wells discusses the growth of armaments and Britain's naval rivalry] with". Germany.' "Germany," writes AVells, "is like,a boxer with ; a mailed fist heavier than his body, and ivhon the time comes for the list, to be lifted, the wbolo disproportionate system will topple over." .

Many New Zealand subscribers to that excellent Loudon weekly, ."The Saturday Westminster Gazette," will have shared "Liber's" surprise at (finding their old friend appear in an unwonted format. The size is now more akin to that of "the other weeklies, but the columns are wider than those of "The Spectator" or "Saturday Review." Instead of appearing ill Its usual colour' of' pale.greeu, the "Westminster" (the Saturday; not the usual • daily issue) is now printed on white paper. I-like the change in size, but the pale green-had become pleasantly familiar, and many subscribers will join with'me in regretting the new departure. But tho contents are- as good.as ever. Nowhere will von find saner, more iust literary criticisms than hi the "Westminster,"! which in its 42 pages, in its new form, is ii' marvellously good pennyworth.

How often do wo New Zealanclers get new books cheaper than can English readers. Yet another instance is provided by the issiio at a shilling of a colonial edition of the late J. A. Barry's "Some South Sea Shipmates." , The English edition (cloth) costs 6s. It is an axiom in tho book trado that latter-day books on Polar oxploration 'rarely run into a second edition, and too 'often even the first edition" has to be remaindered. It says much foy the special fascination of "Scott's Last Expedition" that it is now in its fifth edition. William Do Morgah's new story, "When Ghost Meets Ghost," is a threedecker, indeed, for it runs into no fewor than 820 odd pages.. English reviews are, on the whole, distinctly favourable, tho "Athenaeum" declaring it- to bo tho best thing Do Morgan has done sinco "Alice for Short" ("Liber's" special favourite). As-before, tho stylo is reminiscent pf both Dickons and ! Thackiray. Considering the author is now past three-score, and ten, his new story is clearly a great achievement. I shall give as early a review as possible, but tho book, is not likely to be on sale in New Zealand for another three weeks or so. [ Constables announce a complete ediI tion of Tolstoy's "Plays" in one volume. The whole of the translations liavo been made by those dovoted Tolsto'yans, Mr. and Mrs. Aylmer Maude, whoso versions of three of the plays are now published i for tho first time.

"Brewery By-Products" is -the title of a now book I see announced in a Homo paper. Sume . people might unkindly add such chapter headings as "Broken Lives," "Ruined Homes," "Suicides," "Murders," or if, in jocular inotul, might suggest "Itfid Noses," or "Ten Shillings'or Twenty-Four Hours."