The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1863-04-15
New Publications.


OK THE ORIGIN or SPECIES; or, the Causes of
the Phenomena of Organic Nature A Course
of Six Lectures to Working Men. By Thomas
II. Huxley, f. r. S. etc. New York: Ap-
pleton s. Co. IL mo. PIP. $50. For sale in
this city by II. L. Davis.
partial answer TO the primary and no less
the ultimate question of philosophy, What is
Life, has been evolved, almost under the eyes of
the present generation. The difficult problem,
which afforded no substantial data for metaphy-
steal speculation, has been partially solved by
scientific enquiry. Life, whatever else it is, is
One. The life of the plant and of the animal is
structuraly IDENTICAL and still further, the for
ces of organic and inorganic, of living aad dead
matter are convertible. equivalent. mainly iden-
teal. Mainly, for there is the vital power of
assimilation at least, still to be accounted for
Mr. Darwin's treatise son the Origin of Spe-
''ces by means of Natural Selection" seems des-
tined to prove waymark in the history of bio
logical science. 1t resumes in the completest
manner, not only the speculations but the scen-
tifc achievements Of the age, and thus acquires
a positive value quite independent of its signif-
canoe in pointing out the course of future bio
logical discussions. II is the last word of mod
ern science in this field.
Professor Huxley's six lectures were delivered
before the London Working MEMS College
where genial Thomas Hughes presides at the tea
drinkings and MIR. Ruskin lectures on Paint
ing, and designed TO make Mr.. Darwin methods
and results tolerably clear to an audience with
out scientific training. The printed lectures,
reported in short hand and published without
revision as they came from the lecturers lips,
will be of use to many readers, who might find
Darwin's pages forbidding.
Professor Huxley does not shun the formida-
BILE consequences of Mr. Darwin IS theory. Lam
guage, he says, is the only ground of distinc-
ton betw man and brute-a distinction prac-
tically infinite, but depending, he more than
hints, upon the perfection of the vocal appara-
tus. There is an old-fashioned distinction be-
tween reason and understanding, which never
theless still seems valid. 1t may not appear in
the course of a purely physical enquiry; but it
remains, fact not to be passed by, that reason
is an attribute forever separating mankind from
the brutes and wholly independent of the acct
dents of bodily structure.
The New AND COMPLETE TAXPAYERS MANUAL.
containing the Direct and Excise Taxes, with
the Recent Amendments by Congress, and the
Decisions of the Commissioners; also Com
plete Marginal References, and an Analytical
Index showing all the Items of Taxation. the
Mode of Procedure and the Duties of the Of
fccrs, With an Explanatory Preface. New
York: ID. Appleton 4 Co. For sale in this
city by II. l.. DAVIS.
This new edition of the "Tax- Payers Manual''
gives a full account of the action of the Ma
tional government respecting internal taxation,
down to March 3, 1853
MADGE; or, Night and Morning. By II. b. G.
New York: u. Appleton & Co. IL mo. DID.
4O7. For sale in this city by IL. L. Davis.
novel of a certain sort-in the first chapter
funeral in the last, courtship. The funeral
is workhouse affair; "Madge's' mother leaves
her an orphan and a pauper. She is taken from
the workhouse by certain shrewish Mrs Har-
dy, from whose ungentle clutches our heroine
breaks loose, runs away, finds more congenial
sphere in factory, reads good books, and
after many perturbatons makes matrimonial
hit and becomes engaged" to-guess now
Mrs. Hardys son Maurice, Professor Hardy, of
all men in the world! Msdge's name, we had al
most forgotten to say, was Foster, 'before she
was married." The book is brilliantly bound
in red with yellow lining.
THE NATIONAL TAX LAW, as amended embody
ing all the Official Decisions, Official List of
Assessors and Collectors, Alphabetical Sched-
ule of Taxable Articles, ETC., with Complete
Compendium of Stamp Duties, and an Expla-
DatOry Preface comniied and arr.puaa h..
Edward II. Hall. New York: Carleton. For
sale in this city by Sanborn & Co.
The peculiar merit of this government edi-
ton of the Tax law will be funnd in its sys-
tematic arrangement Mr.. Hall belongs to the
Internal Revenue Department