BOOKS AND PUBLICATIONS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 9823, 18 May 1895, Page 1 (Supplement)

BOOKS AND PUBLICATIONS.

A Primer op Evolution : By Edward Presidenb of the Folk Lore Society, author of "The Story of Creation," " The Childhood of the World," etc. London : Longmans, Green, and Co.—We have all been hearing very much of late about Evolution. It has been the principal subject in science, literature, and religion since Darwin issued "The Origin of Species," and "The Descent of Man." Darwin wrote many volumes to prove his case from different points of view, while A. R. Wallace, Haekel, Weissmann, and many others have elaborated his theory, and have sometimes taken it further than perhaps they ought). Herbert Spencer has carried Darwinism into social development in somewhat daring fashion. The general reader can scarcely be expected to go through all this mass of material, but he wants to know what it has all come to. The number of works against Evolution is almost as great as those written advocating the theory. Evolution has branched out in many directions, and has sometimes advanced and recoiled in differenb fields, until it is somewhat difficult to say precisely how it has affected this or that science. Mr. Clodd, who has shown by his previous writings that he is competent to point out how far the theory has carried us, and what can be said to be the legitimate boundaries, has now issued "A Primer of Evolution." Mr. Clodd does nob attempt in this little volume to prove the theory. He leaves thab to Darwin and Wullace. He simply states the results that Evolutionists contend for in the different fields of application— from the contents of the universe, the distribution of matter, and the solar system, to social evolution. From the chapter 011 " The Solar System" we quote the following passage:—

The planets, one and all, revolve in nearly circular orbits round the sun, in virtue of the energy of orbital motion which each possessed at the beginning, and which counteracts the opposing force of the sun's gravitation, whereby they would be pulled into him, and swallowed in his mass. If we include, as worthy of rank with them, the swarm of minor planets or asteroids, of which new ones are being frequently discovered, they are, perhaps, to be numbered by thousands. Like the stars, they are in different stages of progress and decay. Some, as the Earth, and Venus, at least in her polar regions, have cooled down sufficiently to be covered by a hard crust, and to befit abodes for living creatures; others, like Jupiter, and his fellow giant planets, are still in a more or less heated and partly self-luminous condition. The smaller bodies, as, for example, our moon, have long been cold and inert, and are now what the planets and the great sun himself will one day become.

This may be taken as the key-note to the theory to which the whole book leads. Enormous masses of gaseous mniter gradually become condensed ; vapour forms, and then water, and then a solid globe. Then, in due time, life appears. Evolution continues its work till Man slowly emerges in the course of development. But gradually the world will become unfit to be the abode of man, and will become cold and dead. That is the course of Evolution as taught by Mr. Clodd. He assumes that all the researches of science, guided by the theory of Evolution, lead bo this. The race of Man has come by development from the original atom of protoplasm ; Evolution has nothing to say about a soul or immortality. In the chapter on "The Growth of the Universe," Mr. Clodd thus describes the evolution of stellar systems : —

The existence of nebulous and cloud-like objects in space, which the telescope, unaided by the analysis of the spectroscope, proves to be immense masses of glowing gas, goes far to justify the assumption of a yet more discrete state of the atoms which formed the material universe at the outset. But, although we are familiar with matter in an invisible state, we can form no conception of the extreme rarefaction of the primitive atoms. Upon this Helmholtz remarks that, " if wo calculate the density of the mass of our planetary system at the time when it was a nebulous sphere which reached to the path of the outermost planet, we should find that it would require several millions of cubic miles of such matter to weigh a single grain." Given, however, the play of force and energy upon this diffused matter, the mechanics of the process which resulted in the visible universe are not difficult of explanation. The force bound up in each atom, acting as affinity, combined the atoms as molecules; acting as cohesion, it united the molecules into masses; acting as gravitation, it drew the masses towards their several centres of gravity. One of these masses, by no means the largest, became the nucleus of our solar system, which may be taken as a type of all other masses whose evolution into stellar systems is as yet complete. As the atoms rushed together, Energy, which had hitherto existed in a state of rest as passive separation, became active in molar and molecular form. As molar energy, it imparted motion to each mass—a motion of rotation on its own axis; and a motion in an orbit, as in the proper motion of double stars, and of the planets round the sun._ As molecular energy it imparted a rapid vibratory backwards and forwards motion to the molecules, which motion was forthwith converted into the radiant energy of heat and light, rendering the moss self-luminous. But from the moment of their conversion the dissipation of both forms of energy ensued. The friction of the ethereal medium slowly retards the orbital motion of every mass, the molar energy thus lost passing into that medium, until finally the orbital motion will be stopped, and the force of gravitation, no longer resisted by energy, will draw the smaller masses to the larger, as vagrant meteors are being ceaselessly drawn to planets and sun. Moons will gravitate to their planets, planets to their suns, and so on, until the matter of the universe, with intermediate outbursts of energy, becomes cold, inert, and solid, and Force will have subdued all things unto itself. Here is another passage from the same chapter :— The sun, whose mass exceeds the combined mass of all the planets more than seven hundred times, is still slowly contracting, aud, therefore, still radiating energy. For his heat is not kept up by combustion ; despite his great bulk, he would, if made of solid coal, bi.rn out in less than six thousand years. It is in a small degree increased by the meteorites which fall into him, and is chiefly maintained by the shrinkage of his mass, which causes a contraction of 220 feet yearly, or four miles a century in his diameter so that he will be as dense as the earth in a few million years, and become a non-luminous star. The cloud-laden atmospheres of the larger planets, as Jupiter and Saturn, are

torn by cyclones only second to those of the sun in their fury, and the molten centres feed volcanic outbursts to which those of Vesuvius and Krakatoa are mere squibs. But as for the smaller bodies, their turmoil is calmed and their light extinguished; the store of energy is exhausted; the forces of affinity and cohesion having gained the upper hand, and drawn the particles together into the solid form. Thus it is with the airless moon, on whose scarred surface, pitted with extinct volcanoes, crossed by barren mountain ranges, and covered with treeless plains, we may read the future of the giant planets and the sun himself. For the history of one is the history of all; each has passed, or is passing, from the indefinite nebulous state, through numberless modifications, to the definite and solid state, by decrease in volume and increase in density. What the earth is, the moon was; what the moon is, the earth will be.

Then follow chapters on " The Origin of Life," and " The Origin of Species," which are .merely brief summaries of Darwin, and the lank chapter is devoted to " Social Evolution." Mr. Clodd urges that if the phenomena of mind are not capable of the like mechanical explanation as the phenomena of stars and planets, and of vegetable and animal life, Evolution remains only a speculation to fascinate the curious. The author is quite as certain that all mental phenomena have been evolved through force and matter, as that Evolution lias produced all tho animal and vegetable forms that we see, and there we are left. The little book is really a wonderful example of condensation. Anyone who reads it will obtain an accurate knowledge of what Evolutionists contend they have established by the scientific observations of the last thirty years.

Chambers's Journal : W. and R. Chambers, Edinburgh.—There are interesting articles on "The Moors in Spain," "Sidelights on the Discipline of French-Colonial Troops," and " The Great Indian Survey." " Poisons and their Antidotes," gives some very useful information, as does also a paper on " The Sbabe and bhe Telegraphs." A capital paper is that on "Historical Phrases," " Our Oldest Colony," is the history of Newfoundland. "The Humours of the House of Commons," is a chatty article on the first assembly of gentlemen in the world. The miscellaneous articles are on "Submarine Warfare," "Snake Taming," " Easter in Russia," "Nicotiana," "Some Aspects of Sleep," "On Books Published by Subscription," etc. A new serial is started, "The Angel of the Four Corners," by Gilberb Parker. C. S. McDonald and Sons' Supplementary List.—We have to acknowledge the receipt of a copy of the Supplementary Liet issued by Messrs C. S. McDonald and Son, nurserymen, Epsom and Newmarket. The list is nob large, bub ib contains a choice collection of new stock, principally of fruit-bearing plants, including plums, pears, peaches, oranges, lemons, chestnuts, blackberries, etc. In the clasSPof flowering plants are included a new bouvardia, camellias, and azaleas. The list is illustrated by a representation of the new plum, the Clyman, which is so highly spoken of in America. The List has been well printed at; the Herald Works.

J. Mayo and Son's Descriptive Catalogue.—We have to acknowledge the receipt of a copy of Messrs. Mayo and Son's catalogue for the current year. The firm is well kr< vn to all Auckland horticulturists, as they carried on the nursery business for many years at Drury, though thoy have now removed to Palmerston North, Manawatu. The collection is well deserving of notice by those who are going to plant, as the collection is not only varied, but contains many of the newest varieties in the several classes.

Sutton's Farmers' Year Book and Graziers' Manual for 1895.—-We have to acknowledge the receipb of a copy of the above from Messrs. J. B. Gilfillan and Company, who are the local agents for the Messrs. Sutton. Like all the trade catalogues issued by the Messrs. Sutton and Sons, it is well gob up and abundantly illustrated. Besides a description of various farm seeds, and the yield therefrom in several cases, a number of useful instructions to all graziers are given, and a number of mixtures for sowing down permanent pastures which can hardly fail to be useful to all progressive farmers. A large number of illustrations of root crops are given, and a coloured one of Sutton's prize winner yellow globe mangel. One illustrations shews 64 of the cups won at the Royal by Messrs. Sutton and Sons customers, and ib is stated that in the great net competitions their customers have won more than £10,000 in prizes for swedes alone. Copies of the Manual can no doubt be obtained from the local agents.