amorphism has received no stronger con- sent ocean in temperate latitudes. Whence firmation than from the artificial production he infers, that the term Eocene cannot be of simple minerals by processes of long- justly applied to tertiary formations, since continued heat. Humboldt distinguishes the dawn of existing species is already to those found accidentally in the slaggy pro- be found much lower. duce of furnaces and those which have been The development of fossil geology is directly prepared by art from the known necessarily brief:* in p. 291 we have a ingredients. The following enumeration condensed enumeration of strata in the contains crystallized products:- of the order of superposition. The vexed quesfirst class or accidental-felspar, mica, tion of diluvial phenomena and transported augite, olivine, blende, specular iron-ore, blocks is left almost untouched; our aumagnetic iron-ore, and metallic titanium; thor merely intimates in one place (p. 299) of the second, or synthetically formed, his preference of the old theory of Von garnet, idocrase, ruby (as hard as Oriental,) Buch, that they are due to currents of olivine, and augite. To the latter class we water caused by the sudden elevation of might add the very remarkable case of lapis mountain chains, rather than to icebergs or lazuli, which is a volcanic (or at least met- any other cause. amorphic) product, and which has lately been produced from its elements by heat in the synthetic way; but not, we believe, crystallized.

After mentioning with deserved praise. Elie de Beaumont's maps of the comparative extent of land and sea at different geological epochs, Humboldt thus sums up:

'The result of the researches on the relative

The fourth class of rocks is the conglomerate, including those sand-stones which contain the débris of old formations and the 'Reibung's Conglomerate' of Von Buch, areas of the dry land is this ;--that in the earliest times (the Silurian and Devonian Tranwhich are igneous rocks, including pebbles sition Epochs) and in the oldest secondaries, of the same nature with the basis (p. 282). the dry land, the surface covered with plants, The consideration of the arrangement was confined to detached islands; that at later of the kinds of formations now described, epochs these islands were united, and the leads to the notice of fossils as distinguish- deeply indented bays became inclosed in ing types of geological equivalents, as the lakes; that at last when the mountain chains of the Pyrenees, Apennines, and Carpathians chronometrical indices of the age of strata arose, about the period of the older tertiary -a discovery commonly thought to be mo- rocks, great continents appeared, having aldern, but which our author unequivocally most their present dimensions. In the Silurian attributes to Robert Hooke in 1668. (Kos- period, as well as that when Cycadeæ and gimos, p. 284 and 466.) Of the exquisite pre-gantic Saurians abounded, there might be less servation of fossil animals our author gives this elegant illustration, borrowed from the Dean of Westminster

'In the lower Jura formation (lias of Lyme Regis,) the preservation of the ink bag of the cuttlefish is so perfect that the same material which myriads of years ago served to defend the animal by concealing it from its enemies, yields an excellent color (sepia) with which its portrait may be drawn.-p. 285.

land between one pole and the other than we now see in the South Sea and Indian Ocean. How this excess of water, together with other causes, acted to produce a higher and more We must however remark here, with reference uniform temperature, will be shown hereafter. to the gradual growth by agglutination of the newly elevated spaces of dry land, that shortly before the revolutions which after longer or shorter pauses occasioned the sudden destruction in the diluvial period of so many vertebra

ted animals, portions of the present continental masses were still completely separated from Our author seems disposed to adopt one another. There prevails in South AmerAgassiz' opinion, that with one single ex-ica and in Australia a great resemblance beception no fossil fish has been found in any tween the living and extinct animals. In New part of the transition, secondary, or tertiary Holland we find fossil remains of the kangaseries, which is specifically identical with roo; in New Zealand, half-fossil bones of a any living specimen; and below the chalk huge ostrich-like bird, Owen's Dinornis, which the genera are all extinct (p. 288).

But in contrast with the statement (not in contradiction to it) he places the discovery of Ehrenberg, that whole masses of the chalk formation are actually composed of microscopic shells identical with those of our pre

* The precise geological limit of the great classes of fossils is always interesting. It at present stands thus: Fish begin with the Silurian rocks and ascend uninterruptedly to the tertiary formations inclusive. Saurians commence in the magnesian limestone (zechstein); Mammalia in the Jura formation; Birds in the older chalk.

is nearly related to the living Apteryx, but | little so to the recently extinct Dodo of the island of Rodriguez.'--Kosmos, p. 303.

Passing from pure geology, our author next contributes some interesting information on the forms of continents, and on the struggle between the sea and land to which they are due. Relative changes of level are discussed (p. 312, &c.), particularly those in Sweden and of the Bay of Naples, which he considers may be due to great internal pressure or to the irregularity of expansion of great masses by central heat -an idea due to Breislak, though lately revived by Babbage and Bischoff.* The anomalous levels of the Dead Sea and Caspian are discussed, and the leading phenomena of the ocean, such as its temperature, saltness, tides and currents, very summarily enumerated, (pp. 301–329).

The next topic is meteorology, or the phenomena of the atmosphere, including climate, which has always been, we should say, the subject of predilection with Humboldt, nor perhaps has he done any thing so likely to perpetuate his fame as the construction of isothermal lines, and his sub

sequent researches on their modifications and inflections, including the influence of season and of height. In such processes of first generalization of isolated facts, so as to obtain empirical laws, we find the undoubted forte of this distinguished traveller; and the patience and the skill with which he has endeavored to raise meteorology to the position of an exact science are deserving of all praise. There is, however, little in this part of the volume (pp. 332-362) not already well known to readers of his former writings.

Finally, the picture of the physical world, is completed by a glance at the wonders of organic life. Animal life, says Humboldt, characterizes the ocean; vegetables, the land; nor could he better illustrate this fact than by a curious extract from Ehrenberg, giving the latest results of his successful and brilliant career of discovery :

There not only exists an invisibly minute microscopic life in the vicinity of either Pole, far beyond where larger animals have ceased to exist; but the microscopic creatures of the, Southern Sea collected in the Antarctic Voyage of Sir James Ross, include an unsuspected abundance of hitherto perfectly unknown and often most beautiful structures. Even in the residuum of the melted ice which floats in rounded fragments in latitude 78° 10, were discovered above fifty species of siliceous shelled Polygastria and Coscino disks, with their green ovaries, therefore undoubtedly living and successfully contending with the extreme cold. In Erebus bay there were of from 1242 to 1620 feet not less than 68 silidrawn up with the sounding-lead from a depth ceous shelled Polygastria and Phytolitharia, and amongst them a single calcareous-shelled Polythalamia.'--Kosmos, pp. 369, 370.

The discoveries of the German micros

copist are amongst the most striking of our of even the Polar seas with myriads of liv time. Not content with peopling the depths ing beings, he traces their remains amidst not only characterize but constitute whole the solid rocks of our globe, where they formations. We know not whether the elecopic phoenixes to our astonished gaze, but ment of fire may not one day reveal microsthe air at least is peopled with its legions, in the open ocean, Ehrenberg has discovered and in the dusty rain which sometimes falls remains of eighteen polygastric animalcula (p. 373).

before us, Baron Humboldt treats of the In the few remaining pages of the volume geographical distribution of plants and anthe vexed question of generation and the imals; he touches with caution (p. 378) on origin of animal organization; and sums up with a brief notice of the natural history of man, whom he (like Dr. Pritchard) pronounces to belong (p. 379) to a single species.

In closing this volume, sufficiently complete in itself, although intended as a precursor to others, we cannot but repeat our expression of unfeigned admiration at the perseverance and research which it dis* With reference to the rise of the coast of plays,-the generally happy selection of Sweden, it seems to us that our author's too facts and skill in their combination, togethmarked partiality for every thing done by an emi-er with the ample and learned references to nent friend, has led him in Note 20, p. 473, to authorities in the notes. All this would be treat Playfair's prior and admirable expositions of the phenomena (in the Huttonian Theory, Art. admirable from a person of any age, but 391 &c) as being no real anticipation. He so in the work of a more than Septuagenarian treats them because they were entirely unknown it is really astonishing. It is not a musty to our great geognost (Von Buch), and have exer- collection of the gleanings of a life of hard cised no influence on the progress of Physical reading, but bears within itself ample eviGeography.' The first of these assertions may be correct, but we respectfully demur to the second dence of the freshness and even rapidity of

A vast majority of the

its composition. Neither France nor Germany has any references are to works and memoirs of the right to complain of the share which Humlast ten years, and even less. It was only boldt has assigned to them in the great in February, 1843, that our author dismiss-struggle for physical discovery. But we ed from his hands his three volumes on cannot rise from the careful perusal of this Central Asia, and this work appears to have been chiefly written since.

elaborate work without feeling that our own country has come off second, or rather third, best. The physics have (it seems to us) been written for the longitude of Paris, and the geology for that of Berlin; and no one, we think, who is conversant with the scientific circles of those capitals, can fail to see that the selection of topics and of authors is tinged with the unconscious prejudices of local opinion.

Possibly the struggle for novelty has been carried a little too far. A picture of the (so-called) natural sciences as they are, cannot be constructed solely from the annals of contemporary discovery. The book of nature is a roll extended from year to year, but of which the earlier part, though blotted and altered, is not expunged or useless. The facts of science form a di- In saying so much (and we could not verging series, of which each term is larger feel ourselves justified in saying less), we than its predecessor, yet not so immeasur- are far from imputing to Baron Humboldt ably so as to allow all that precede to be any motive less amiable than a desire to neglected in comparison of it. Baron gratify distinguished contemporaries whom Humboldt, indeed, promises a history of a less noble-minded person might have rescience in a future volume; but he seems garded rather with jealousy than with deto us to have anticipated a great deal of it ference. To his ancient ally, Von Buch, in the present one. The notes contain especially this deference seems to surpass much curious, perhaps rather too elaborate what could reasonably be expected or wishlearning, on the acquirements of the an-ed. The whole of the geological, and cients, and also (what is more germane to some other relative parts of the work, are the matter) on the discoveries of the six-not merely filled with citations in flattering teenth and seventeenth centuries. But the terms from the writings of the greatest eighteenth century seems to have been for- geologist of our time,' but whether in matgotten, and the uninformed reader would,ters of fact or in great theories, in trivial or we fear, form an undue estimate of the important coincidences of opinion, nay, relative importance of contemporary discoveries, distinguished as they undoubtedly

are.

*

even in what is pointedly omitted or gently allowed to subside into neglect, the geological reader traces so exact a transcript of But we have yet another remark, which the well-known and stereotyped opinions of justice requires us to make, without mean- Von Buch, that he feels as if our author ing at all to detract from the cordial ex- had forgotten his individuality of opinion pression of approbation which we have pro- in the anxious desire to applaud and flatter nounced. Though our author disclaims his friend. Agreeing as we do entirely in the intention (Preface, p. xiv.) of deciding a great many of these views, and entertainclaims of priority in scientific discoveries, ing indeed an exalted opinion of the sagait would be quite impossible to avoid them city acquired by the great Prussian geoloin a work like the present. Now on ques- gist during a life spent with nature, and tions of individual or of national claims, now on the verge of fourscore, we are far Baron Humboldt will be tried by a severer from wishing Humboldt's doctrines to have standard of impartiality than most writers. been different; we only wish that we had His European reputation, his European had a more impartial picture of his own correspondence, his extensive knowledge convictions, and that a little more notice of languages, his liberal principles, his had been taken of contemporary, even if generous temper, even the fact of his having less distinguished laborers. If we recolbeen almost equally domiciled in two countries, speaking and writing in French and * We have been disagreeably struck with the German with equal facility;-on all these complimentary epithets which Baron Humboldt accounts, more perhaps than is reasonable lavishes so indiscriminately upon the authors will be and is expected from the author of whom he cites, especially upon his countrymen. Kosmos, a work, the greatness of whose These possibly regard them in no other light than they would the conventional hochwohlgeboren' scheme seems to address indifferently all of German correspondents. But the thing concivilized nations, and students in all depart-veys to an Englishman a different impression.

ments.

lect what has been done in England for able to Baron Humboldt. We perceive modern geology-what is imperishably in- no trace of personal ill-will or jealousy in scribed in the history of the science by its any part of the book or its citations. In nomenclature-the members, deceased and the part where our author has allowed most alive, of the Geological Society of London scope to his unbiassed and best informed might have reasonably expected to fill a judgment, there it is most impartial and more prominent place in the scientific his- most comprehensive. Distinguished as a tory of the last forty years. Why is it that traveller, he might have had some temptauneuphonious local names attached to cer- tion to withhold or attenuate the praises tain rocky beds by an obscure mineral sur- which our British scientific navigators and veyor in England, and by his more culti-explorers have so peculiarly merited. But vated suecessors, have become household it is exactly the reverse; the praises of words in every language of Europe?- Burnes, of Darwin, of Franklin, Beechey, Clunch clay and Kimmeridge clay, Port- and Ross, are amongst the most cordial in land stone and Coral Rag, and more lately the book. Where our author could draw Silurian and Devonian rocks--are termis most on his own stores of knowledge, and known from the banks of the Wolga to was least subjected to the influence of less those of the St. Lawrence, from Newfound-high-minded friends, there his native genland to Patagonia, from Norway to New erosity is best shown.

Holland; and even our fastidious neighbors in Europe have been constrained to Gallicise these barbarous terms. It is all well to signalize Hooke (as we have seen, page 185 of this article) as having been the first

From Fraser's Magzine.

TERS.

OUR literary men have not yet assumed,

to perceive the possibility of the chronolo- PUBLIC PATRONAGE OF MEN OF LETgical identification of strata by fossils, but it cannot justify the defect of impartiality in the recent history. We have even remarked that throughout this volume our author it is said, that position in society so preis curious in his researches into the early history of English science-witness his allusion to Hooke (Kosmos, p. 466)—to Gilbert's proposal to determine latitude by magnetic dip (p. 429)-to Bacon on the form of continents (p. 307)-Childrey's first description of the zodiacal light (p. 409)—and Halley on the Cosmical origin of aerolites (p. 125); but this does not at all console us-but the reverse-for the sparing allusions to the great steps made in Great Britain in the modern branches of science. It is not enough that English books are cited as mere authorities for a fact, as Dr. Buckland's Bridgewater Treatise' is not unfrequently. We miss the recognition of the place which our geologists are entitled to hold in the history of science, which was never so conspicuous as within the recollection of those now alive.

eminently due to them. Mr. Cobden, in the spirit we hope of a true prophet, foretells their future advancement. The destinies of the French nation are directed by literary men-by Guizot, who is in place, and by Thiers, who is out of it. Our literary men have no such rank in England. In short they have no rank or position at all. They are a scattered race, working in knots, or cliques, or single-handed, and exist as a body by name alone. The onehalf are unknown, except by reputation, to the other half; and while other classes combine and at times cabal to extend their reputations, the most influential race of men, the directors of the minds and passions, and even prejudices of the people, are scattered throughout the three kingdoms, often at war with and too often unknown to one another.

This should not be! Literary men We have alluded to geology in particu- should no longer live aloof; they should lar, because the defect is striking, and be- combine in one common cause, the adcause the subject is generally understood in vance of their own respectability and standthis country. Perhaps in some othering in society, the growth of good letters, branches of science the deficiency is even and the interchange of ideas. The sea of more striking; but we do not choose to politics keeps too many apart. The editor dwell upon a topic at once disagreeable of the Quarterly holds no communication and invidious; and we are very willing to with the critics of the Edinburgh, or the conclude with an admission highly credit-editor of The Times with the writers of the

The critics we have said are a prolific people, and we are, perhaps, to impute their number, and in some respects their existence, as a class, more to a want of combination among literary men than any tions. Literary resentments are not, thereparticular appetite on the part of the public fore, so lasting as they would seem. But, for the sour produce of the "ungentle then, there is this obstacle to the formation craft." The forty artists who are Royal of a society of literary men. Criticism, as Academicians stand firm to one another, a profession, must necessarily cease. This, through good and through evil report. An however, is not, let us hope, so formidable ill-natured or even severe criticism upon an obstacle as it at first would seem. A an individual member is viewed as an as-society of authors must have a limitation of persion upon the whole body. This is in numbers. The Royal Academy is honorasome degree the secret of the extraordinary bly efficient on this account, and the Royal influence of that well-organized association. Society is notoriously defective because it