New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-08-22
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY.

with due proportion OF Naludoio p"PcAS Y"
purely scientific character. will be found among tno
.ontents OF the present number. One OF the most TO
sarkahle curosities in natural history is descroee
the article on &" Glass SpOnges," by g. Lockwood W."
presents the results Of recent observations on ' 80,
Get including his own. The question when n,' -
ong mooted, whether the sponge was an anime" ., tho
plant appears to have been decided ID i"'0' "
tormer supposition. -, .,o sa,ts of
the ocean In large laboratory eS 20 tbe CHEMISTS
hands Natures grand laboratory is ING sea Itrscfinc
httle economic chemists are aydous mineral sub
,ans SSia in solution Thus the coral IoyIS hfv
che carbonate of ime Win N'e ran polyp I'M this way
sn,Lds mn the delicate sea fan, WIN l'S ,S tSe
keratose hornike eio6orafors of the mineral
tresspres Of the Hence u mas peen idinS
ronn them upon considerations OF ther speeal % ~
sronenses In this way the toliespongtsi anu ~
general Of eC9meree Tn nr s a would be
sTo@ycd together the Keratosa; while those whoh
oose lime would be called Cacarea; ana those "hITu
Sn3ysy en- With sick would known the silicea We
have mcn Toned these groups in their order OF rauA'
fhe highest Is the vitreOus, or glass sponge
One speces of the glasssponge, populafy Kuo"ha Us
~yepus's Flower Basket" presents object of the
,arest beauty among productions. No artist mas
vet done Justice with ms pencil 10 the delicate fabric OF
which no description in words can convey an adequate
idea The history Of these maryels oil the deep Is OF
recent date And now, like Wrestling jewels from the
land Of Ind the naturalist has found that these
locked up in the hitherto unapproachabe Golfers OF the
deep sea- First, the Norwegian scientist invaded this
domain, and bore of amazing treasures. linen the
Americans tried these great depths, and brought up
gems that amazed the eyes Of the Naturalist 1hon
rae the English expeditions tOng the ocean treasury
Mt the astounding depth OF 1900 feet ls no" Iounu
tba, the cDceuia home OF the glasssponges the EN-
rhatiealv deep water. There precious stores OF
exquisite forms and structures, that have never been
seen by any except their Creator"
his amazing that creature simple that IL has been
called structureesS should surpass an utner Ia Tog
I'M its ranacy OF rearing exquisite fabrics Ana, hom
that we have had time 70 soDer uom d % to sneak-
raptuTes IT'S structural beauty anu, 80 ~
I'VE one that has passed rom the pleasant cOnlempa
OF alt TO the sayer e1amons Oh we find II
rastiDg new hight upon the inquiries OF oeeuee t,S
hftinr corner Of the vail Of the covered past 30 mite;
ru,, ely did know about the glass-spOnge, tnat
we were ike the purbhnd prehistoric man MUlhI i
men for use, htc dreaming that some gassspoSSe
had peen ancient eminaor and conservatSI Oh enG
.olveut slick OF the sea- and had through subsequent
eaetion preserved its skeleton for the service OF
Ehat rndrr artisan. What freight OF precious KNOW
sSet vii, mat be- when the GOOD ship Challenger shall
nave returned from ncr four years OreugIng aIotll
The worG. amonc that nevly-opened AbysSal Fauna,
bose proylnce covers 100000 square miles beneath
the blue mantle Of " the myriad smiling seal"
"rbe Constitution Of Matter" translated from the
Freuch Of NJ Farnand Papillon, is fine transcendenta
speculation defending the claims of philosophy against
the pretensOns " scientific empires ana utihtarans
The writer takes strong position against the school OF
Comte. maintaining that there are certalnues apart
from the governmental mcthOl. Inc Ihlhu VI ma"
he af,rns exerting MS power in harmony with reason
may discover truths in sphere as far above at oil phSs
cal research as that is above the region OF the coarser
arts There IL a temple Of light which opens its portals
% the .ouI neither through calculation nor experiment
Deserted as high distractions for the moment they
nrc LOT So abandoned deprive study OF its ardor or
its success The spirit Descartes willy arouse some
genius OF sufficient power TO revive taste for thought
in All me druar,meus Of scientific activity. Among the
problems which are waiting for their solution Is that
which relates to the constitution OF matter. This
probeu IS handled by the writer with equal subtety
and force His conclusion is briefly summed up as fol
lows:
A first exclusively analytical view Of the world has
ned rs % first UuGouabc certainty, the existence OF
nnniyefsc. exclusively synthetic. leads u.s. have
seen 10 her certainty, which is the existence OF
pe d what is called spirit Thus spirit is not substance
but the law OF substance; Is not force gt " Is
eTsi II Is NOT thought bus it is the consciousness OF
Ell mi, 6eeisiye cearness esprit is the
sole and single Of power" In word, u Is Aot
reality, vet IN II and by it realities are aeIheg ana
differentiated, and consequently exist Instead OF saw
ing that spirit Is property or matter we suOuu s1s
mai matter is property of spirit. or all the properties
of matter in fact there Is not no, not single one
which rot bestowed on by spirit The true explain
aiiop the only philosophy OF Nature IL thus hnd OF
sn,Tituastie dynamistn very different from material
ism or nom the mechanism OF certain contemporary
schools
Rnt these conceptions OF matter have been anticipated
An the Greek philosophy ana in more recent times by
Descartes and Lebnitz and virtually, we may add by
spinoza and schellug. Is then the science of meta
physics doomed To perpetual progress around barren
ercleq Not So replies the author These renewals CON
tam continuous growth towards perfection.
The old truth has been preserved in its original sense
Int II has been constantly Illuminated ana made exact
m The lapse o. tune Oy bP ~ immense cbasm Which
DeScartes ued by the conception OF elmer, the most
marvellous Of modern creations. Arstote,s dynamlsm
WIS vague and Leibnitz gave IL precision by showing
that the type and the fountain Of force Is ana can be
Fore no the conception Of soul And what has been
done in our daysf We have computed the notion we
have detected the action OF that subtle ether we Aaye
proyed the absolute impershabeness OF force we have
shown BY instances the fundamental lGendty OF
taOgraphy with those WHICH psychology reveals ere
Seneefof6 follow in their development the very
they have held TO since the first day they nave never
Ike Penelope DESTROYED yesterdays work the day after
T6ev have pursued the same end with continuous ad
vance that IS the conception OF Invisible principles
and of the ideal essence Of things. This end
will remain the ever unattained goal OF
their ambition The further We SHAH adj
vance the more clearly and convincingy will they per
activities half guessed az from the very dawn or though
Never false 20 themselves they Will always a Whatever
on in history appeal TO them, represent the human
unchangDg III its nature ltsipOweIs ana IT'S hopes
Let them never muse over tne ulouInlui questlOn
whether the work Of the past VIII not vanish at some
time without lesyns trace Az 81 W" ~ ncreose tbe
sum Of knowledge draw their courage ana CONSOLATION
The conceptions OF matter now entertained agree IO
only with the booest deductions Oh oSt spen116 us Ih
coverfes Of cOtempOrary science a. wen as WIN tno
and The most IaltLS VI
bui also with those lOter convictions, more precious
and as solid which form moral and religious inherit
rance and the crOwuing prerOgatlye OF our nature Inc
most advanced rejects none OF the TRADITIONS
and objects 20 OF the great and lasting sentiments
81 st ages contrary, Il fixes the stamp OF Ger
tafy on truths hi hertO lacking adequate proofs ana
IescGes rom the attacks OF skepelsm al tha " coy
eted as lis prey No proof OF the SOULS immortality is
90 strong as that we have drawn from the necessary
simplcty aud eternity OF all the principles OF fOIce.
Nofhnc bears witness powerfully 20 the majestic
reality OF Sod as The spectacle Of those dverstes all
harmonious which rule the infinite range OF FORCES,
and bind IN unity the ordered pulses OF the