# The Zoologist/4th series, vol 4 (1900)/Issue 707/Notices of New Books

Published in The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 4, issue 707, p. 242–246
NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS.
We have during the last few years drawn the attention of our readers to several volumes of the 'Cambridge Natural History.' We now invite their perusal of the first volume issued by the sister University. For this is really an Oxford publication; and, as the editor states in his preface, "the authors are, for the most part, graduates of the University of Oxford, though it may not be possible to maintain this limitation in future sections of the work." "The work is addressed to the serious student of zoology," and as such must be taken and appreciated. We seem to be approaching once more the high water-mark of technical zoology. These pages have distinctly the imprimatur of the editor, and may be accepted as conveying information that is full, recent, and reliable. Prof. Ray Lankester has very thoroughly identified himself with the volumes, and seems to have accepted a complete responsibility as editor. Mr. Bather has undertaken the greater part of the work; Dr. Gregory has contributed the chapter on the Stelleroidea and Echinoidea; that on the Holothurioidea is from the pen of Mr. Goodrich.
It is to be hoped that this volume will circulate beyond the arena of even the serious student, if that term is to bear a restricted significance. The purely British zoologist is a recruit from many non-academical centres: he is often a good observer, with little technical knowledge; his tastes are frequently bionomical rather than widely biological; his knowledge of the living habits of an animal are generally in an inverse ratio to that of its phylogeny and ontogeny; he is practically a field naturalist, and knows the haunts of his creatures rather than the facts of their ​evolution; he is more concerned with the appearance of the living form than with its structure; but he is, nevertheless, not seldom, a master of his craft. The value of his observations was appraised and canonized by Darwin; but that it should be less superficial, that it should be more introspective, have a wider meaning, and a more philosophical clue, is unquestionable, and a book like this supplies the one thing needful. Zoology can neither be divorced from the fields nor from the laboratory—it is part and parcel of our own history; in an evolutionary sense "our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting"; and even the Echinoderma, when thus described, and the inseparable technicalities absorbed by the ready mother wit of both student and peasant, will increase our knowledge of what they are, and our perception of what we are.
There is a most excellent bibliography attached to each branch of the subject; and the book is far more than a zoological ledger posted up to date.
Most naturalists are familiar with Darwin's theory of "Sexual Selection," a theory which perhaps met with less general acceptance than any other put forward by our great biological philosopher, being even vigorously opposed by Mr. Wallace, his fellow-enunciator of the doctrine of "Natural Selection." Mr. Cunningham not only offers another hypothesis, but altogether starts from a Lamarckian standpoint, and is quite outside the views of either Darwin or Wallace on the subject, frankly stating that his object is to point out "how remarkably the multitudinous facts all agree with the hypothesis that secondary sexual characters are due to the inheritance of acquired characters." This course leads the author to some most startling speculations. His conclusion being "that the direct effects of regularly recurrent stimulations are sooner or later developed by heredity, but only in association with the physiological conditions under which they were originally produced," we meet with the following suggestions as to the origin of the beard in males, which "it is probable ​enough was derived by ourselves from an Ape-like ancestor."
The keepers of the Zoological Gardens having informed Darwin that Monkeys attack each other by the throat, Mr. Cunningham thinks it "not impossible that the growth of the beard was originally excited by the stimulus caused by such attacks, the hair of the throat and around the mouth being regularly moved and pulled by the adversary's jaws and teeth, or perhaps by the hands." That the true cause of the loss of hair on the evolved human body "was the wearing of clothes," will perhaps require more support from anthropological facts than is certainly at present obtainable. Starting from the fact that irritation of a bone by blows will cause exostosis, the assumption is considered "probable that the growth of the antlers was caused originally by the ancestral stags butting their heads together, and so irritating the frontal bone." The comb and wattle of the Cock, Gallus bankiva, may owe its original stimulation to the "pecking by the beaks of other birds"; while the fleshy caruncle of the Turkey Cock is ascribed to a similar origin.
These extracts will suffice to show the line of argument used to support this theory; and our object being rather to "notice" new books than to criticise new views, we think we have fairly focussed attention to this return from Darwin to Lamarck. The central idea or argument is carried through the principal zoological phyla, and to support it many interesting and little-known facts are adduced, which will interest and instruct, though perhaps not always convert the reader.
If a second edition should appear, it will be well to revise some personal names. On one page we read—Mr. Roland Trimen, on the next he is Sir Roland Trimen; Mr. Cronwright Schreiner has certainly changed his name, but has not yet called himself "Conrad"; and the late Alfred Tylor did not spell his name "Tyler." These are small matters, but Mr. Cunningham will doubtless be glad to rectify them.
Zoology has long been recognized as a progressive science—and it is. In 1859 Darwin did not introduce the doctrine of ​evolution, as is so generally supposed by the "outlanders" of science, but by his own memorable enunciation of the theory of "natural selection" he cleared the speculative air which was full of fads and chimeras, and enabled the giant shadow of "organic evolution" to dominate all biological problems. But other studies besides biological ones were soon controlled by this line of thought; the argument applied to the physical development of the Ape was found to belong to the questions of the non-zoological philosopher; it guided the anthropologist, and absolutely captured the philologist. Theology at first was aghast, but by the year 1883 the late Sir William Flower was found reading a paper on evolution before a "Church Congress"; and now we have this very fair estimation of the theory in a volume which forms part of a series entitled "The Churchman's Library."
The position of the author of this book—which all who take an interest in the application of biological thought to general philosophy should read—is to be gathered by several candid statements scattered through its pages. Thus we read there are certain broad facts beyond dispute. "It is indisputable that there was a period in the history of the earth when there was no life upon it; that the elements which constitute living matter are themselves lifeless; that consciousness is correlated somehow with those organic compounds, the elements of which are inorganic. These facts constitute an irresistible presumption that ultimately mind and matter must obey the same laws." Again, we are told of those "who with us accept the continuity and uniformity between nature and man."
Here we welcome a real sympathy between science and theology, for, as Dr. Jevons clearly states, "religion is not science." He follows an argument that "faith" largely enters into both; but here we enter a dialectical arena, the tourneys in which these pages are not intended to record. The volume, however, is not outside zoology; if there is an evolution in animal life, it applies to man, and must affect all conduct and speculation. That it does so is generally recognized; how it does so is the thesis of this publication.
In perusing this very handsome volume, including Doves and Pigeons, it seems almost as difficult to define the limits of Game Birds as to give a correct description of what is meant by the term "Sportsman."
This is the second edition of a good and useful book, in which the subject is brought up to date. It possesses a very readable introduction, in which, as Mr. Dixon has his own views on migration, he propounds his own conclusions as to "the geographical history of avine life." He zoologically divides the world into three realms: first, an Intertropical or Primogæan realm, with northern and southern limits marked tentatively by the tropics; second, an Arctogæan or Northern realm, which embraces the entire world north of the Tropic of Cancer; third, a Notogæan or Southern realm, which in like manner includes the entire world south of the Tropic of Capricorn; and he looks forward to substantiate these propositions when the exploration of the Antarctic and high Southern regions shall have taken place.
Each bird is amply treated, its nomenclature being followed by its "Geographical Distribution," "Allied Forms," "Habits," "Nidification," and "Diagnostic Characters." Many species are figured, there being forty-one coloured plates, representing fifty-six coloured illustrations; while the number of species and races of Game Birds and Wild Fowl which Mr. Dixon includes in the British avifauna is 127. The literature already existing in reference to these birds seems to have been amply consulted, and little more of importance concerning the distribution and habits can probably be gleaned. This is a good book to possess, especially for those who seek to know the life-histories of these British Birds, as there has been no reason for unnecessary condensation, and ample space has resulted in liberal treatment. The plates have been drawn by Charles Whymper, and their reproduction reflects the greatest credit on the publishers.
This work was published before January 1, 1929, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.
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