The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-12-13
LITERATURE.



Isrk: ID. Appleton Co.
Although It il only Ave years since Mr.. Proctor APP
peared In the scientific world the author OF as
trsnomical works he has already attained to prom
inencs in his special field or inquiry His work on
saturn and its system, and his admirable ''Star
Mama admitted 70 be the best we have at the pre-
sent time as we'll as his Sun Views OF the Earth"
&C. nave established his reputation close stu
dent OF the most beautiful or all the sciences
The subject chosen ny Mr. Proctor for his present
work is by means new. 1t is one which has
attracted attention OF astronomers from remote
historical periods 20 the present day Six hundred
and ten years before the birth Of Christ Anaxlman-
der formally declared his belief In the plurality OF
worlds, and there is evidence that before his time
| this belief was held In rae, centuries before
Thales (64o D. C.l-before the Greeks had given a
scientific form to astronomy the popular mind bad
peoPcd the planets and stars with living animals
| Even the names OF the celestial bodies are proof
thar intuition had taught the ancients that other
| worlds existed besides our own
| SLOW Is has been the progress OF astronomy its
results have been marvellous. IL IL not now more
daring to assert the nabability Of Mars, OF Venus
or Of Mercury than II was In Calico, 23y
years age, assert that ''the world moves.n
1t is, OF course impossible TO prove beyond doubt
that they habltable but reasoning from analogy
we find much to strengthen the opinion that not
creatures similar In form to these on Earth, but
that. unless nature, contrary to her unvarying
tom on our globe, wastes her energies in profit
less creations. they mast actually be inhabited
There Is nothing new In tins opinion. IL has been
held by come ei the most distinguished astrono-
mers and has produced wealth Of literature. True
enough, other and also eminent astronomers have
denied the possibility OF the Availability or the
celestial bodies but the discoveries which have been
made since their day have reduced the question OF
possibilities TO OF probabilities, and it Is this lat
| ter which form the present bone OF contention
among astronomers.
We cannot say that Mr. Proctor has offered any
particularly new or startling theory in his book. He
has rather subjected the arguments pro and con, Of
ctAer ASTRONOMERS TO searching criticism, Mt tho
same time submitting his own ideas, many or which
are exceedingly valuable, While all are basea upon
plausible deductions We think that IN his invest
cations he has been insensioly led to look for sis,
artes between the planets and Earth upon which
to argue In favor OF their Availability. At the same
time IL Is certain that he does not mean TO imply
that Ii planet bears no resemblance our Earth it
is not habitaoIe; because In the first chapter he
reasons with great force against any sucn theory.
He holds that the existence Of such differences be-
tween, for example, Venus ard Terra would rem
der 1t impossible fer one OF the animals with
which we familiar TO i've for an hour
upon Venus cannot force upon the
conclusion that this beautiful planet Is unnhabiteo
We In our own globe thar nature creates lite
with view ~ lis snablencss TO climate An
animal Of The equatorial regions transported the
Nertn Pole may live when surro unded by an artificial
climate, but he cannot thrive. He may even produce
offspring, but the struggle between him and nature
must finally end in the extinction OF MS species at
the Pole. Thus all the planets may TEEN with ife and
ctnu .n<tng rr nhIa
between them and Terra But 1t is clear that since
the differences are radical the living animals IN.
hapiting such planets must also be radically di1-
ieren in appearance and In form OF lie from those
OF which man stands at the head in our world.
There are three planets for the probability OF whose
haptabllity Mr. Proctor argues strongly. These are
Mercury, Venus and Mars. The first he seems
regard unsuitable Ter form OF lifc unless the
theories which he puts forward for temperng its
climate correct. The polar regions OF Mercury
would indeed, ne haoitabe by man; but the regions
which correspond to our temperate and tropical
zones would scarcely be, unless Nature has provided
atmosphere which tempers the great heat poured
down upon them by the SUM- We OF the Earth are
thus protected, Inconvenience, IL the term be
applicable. There are some parts OF the globe on
which 1t would be impossible to i've If escaping
heat not "intercepted by clouds by The
parent aqueous vapors in the AIR." Again,
We KNOW Lhal, aitHough III luula ''tuc
lun heat OF a tropical sun is poured
day after day upon the snowy sum
mits OF the Hnnalayas yet the air continues
colder than in the pitteres mid-wintcr weather ex-
periencea by u.s." In the absence, then, OF proof
against Mercury being provided With an atmosphere
possessed Of the characteristics ours may
INA some ground Tor believing In lis probable ha5a
biiity by such creatures ourselves. But at the
most II there even be not such atmospheric protec
Afforded the Mercuiials, still have nature 10
tall back upon.
The evidence In favor OF the habitablty of Venus
by such creatures familiar with il much
stronger ana more convincing Dr.. Whewell peo-
pied this planet with microscopic creatures with
siliceous coverings but his conclusions have not
been generally accepted. II the question regarding
the inclination OF Venus were concusivey settled Ii
would be comparatively easy matter to decide upon
her habitabity. The contest over her axial pccn-
arty Is one which astronomers stu wage.
MIR. Proctor, however, incnes to the opinion that
cher axis efrotaten is inclined at about the same an
gle TO the plane IN which she traves,r which would
give her seasons resembling in character"
The argument IN support OF the probability OF this
opinion Is forcble ana should open new field for
investigation. II It be once proven correct, we not
only learn that Venus Is habable but we are gwen
strong reasons Tor believing that She is inhabited by
living creatures not dssimilar from those on Earth
But 1t IS Mars with which are best acquainted.
The chapter devoted 10 this planet is one OF the most
interesting IN the book Its resemblance TO the Earth
In almost every particular is pointed cut and ex-
planned at length It's snow-covered poles, its
oceans, seas, continents and islands, It's physical
processes Of change and its atmosphere are de.
scrlbed and interest is added TO the de-
scriptlon 10y charts OF this splendid planet
SO strongly Is Mr.. Proctor impressed by the
beefthat Mars is not only habitable but that he ls
actually inbabted-that he asks at the close Of the
chapter, "Shaii we recognize in Mars all that makes
cur own world SO we'll fitted to our wants-land and
water, mountain and valley, cloud and sunsr inc,
ram, and Ice, and snow, rivers and lakes ocean
currents and wind currents-wlthout believing mr.