The Portland daily press., 1877-04-21
Recent Publications.


TIoN IN THE VEGETABLE. KINGDOM. By Charles
Darwin, M. A., F. r. S., ETC. New York: d. Ap.
pletOn & Co. For sale by Bailey & Noyes.
The object of this most recent work of its
distinguished author is to show the nature and
Importance of the advantages derived from
cross-fertilzation, for which process plants are
adapted by very diversified and effective means.
The very obvious difficulty and even impossi.
bility of many flowers fertilizing themselves
led the witty Professor Gray to speak of them
as good illustrations of how not to do it, and
the fact that crosses between them were neces.
sary to the perpetuation of their kipd has long
been well recognized. The means, too, by
which the pollen of one flower is carried to
others have been carefully studied, and the
methods by which running water, the winds
insects and birds are enlisted in the service Of
the flowers are among the most interesting phe.
nomena in the life history of vegetables. But
this book, though mentioning all these agencie:
and contributing to our knowledge of them, il
written to show the results rather than the
means of cross-fertilization. Mr.. Darwin here
gives the details of a series of most elaborate
experiments extending over many years, and
his conclusions are, as might we'll have been
expected, Of the most important character.
Many apparent anomalies in plant structure are
explained on the ground that they are con-
structed so as to gain two objects which are, to
certain extent. antagonistic, namely, the
propagation of the species, which is the chief
end of the act of fertilization and which may
be perfectly accomplished by self-fertilization
and the continuance or increase of height,
weight constitutional vigor and fertility of off
spring which comes from cross-fertilization.
The advantages which are derived from cross
fertilization throw flood Of light OF most of
the chief characteristics of flowers, and are
highly suggestive of similar benefits from the
crossing of stocks in the animal kingdom.
The work is not written in the effort to popu
larize scientific knowledge. But, although it
contains much of detail which can he appre-
ciated by those only who are already we'll
versed in botanical science, there is also large
portion which may readily be understood by
any reader of ordinary intelligence Anything
from Darwin will be eagerly seized upon by the
people. Aside from the fact that his writings
are second to known in point of learning and
the authority of great name, they possess the
charms of clsarness and simplicity of style, of
ghtforwardness of statement and of abso-
Lutte honesty of purpose which appeal to every
lover of scientific truth. 1t is delightful to note
the scrupulous care with which the author
points out the defects Of his method, the pos,
sble sources of error, and the need in some
cases of further observation. No one can be
more anxious to find out his mistakes than he
himself is; and this, like all his previous
works, is model for all who desire to make
actual contributions to our stock of knowledge,
regardless of the fate of their OWE pet theories
To all who are interested in botany or plant
cnlture we recommend this volume as one
which will greatly advance their information
in fascinating department. of science. And
the large class which values learning only for
the sake of the practical advantage which it
brings will find in the book much that will
assist them in their work of improving the
breeds of both plants and animals.
f. Fl. G
Charles Reade's new story, The Woman
Halter will be finished in June and published as
a whole.
The Golden Rule Publishing Company will
soon issue the first volume of the Rev. w. Fl.
Murray's Adirondac Tales" The contents will
besThe Story the Keg Told Ne, The Man Who
Didn't Know Much, and Humorous Sketches.
A convenient publication to keep "Munson"
familiar with Mr.. Munson's
principles in practice is his Photographic
News, twelve page pamphlet with seven
pages, more or less, of engraved matter and q
key. 1t is semi-monthy in facsimile of
Munson's handwriting.
Ernest Remains third book on Christianity is
out in Paris; it is entitled The Second Christian
Generation; The Gospels. He attributes all of
the four narratives TO the last 80 years of the LIST
century: That of Mark, first, written in Rome
by the disciple of Peter without skill, but with
a rough simplicity; that of Matthew, written in
Galilee after Marks, but with the words of
Christ faithfully recorded in the memo
ries of the primitive Christians of the
East, added thereto; that of Luke compiled
in Rome after Marks and arranged with q
certain degree of literary pretension; lastly, the
gospel of John, compiled at Ephesus by Johns
ratives as arranged, combined and interpolated
with legendary matter, points out that had it
not been for the historical parsonage of Christ
not one word contained in the gospels would
have been written. Christ's person and life
illumine the whole. He was the source of all
the creator even of all that legend ascribed to
him.
One of the rising poets of the second genera
tion from Hugo's fight of romanticsm against
classlcism is Catulle Mendes, who has not yet
risen sufficiently above the horizon to get his
name in any English dictionary of authors, but
deserves fame by much more striking work than
de Musset's Mendes is fond of myth and mys-
terry; and is a master in semi-dramatic charac-
ter sketches, such as Browning produces. One
of his poems tells the fate of the woman men
toned in the eighth chapter of st. Johns gos-
pei, who returning in the faith of Christ's &C.
quittal to her husband meets from his hand
the inexorable punishment. Another repre-.
sents a dead bishop lying in state, and his sue
cessor pronounclng ,eulogy upon his eminent
virtues and heavenly welcome, when voice
from the corpse thunders; Thou liestl I am
damnedp' His last poem, The Midnight Sun,
is In dramatic form, with descriptive interludes
The desolation of an arctic world IS the stage;
the characters seem impersOnations of the ele-
m6nGal IOrCeS, OuOrra, loving Ln6 young and
vigorous Agnar, desires the death of old Snorro,
her husband. Agnar is wrought to the pitch
of crime, when Snorra threatens: Thou shalt
no more embrace me save with bloody arms"
At the moment of the dread deed, the midnight
polar sun begins to rise on the scene, of which
it is the sole witness; its disk, growing and red
dening, covers the landscape with lurid glare
as though all nature were stained with the old
mans blood. Snorra listening, hears the old
man ask mercy, and when she knows him dead
rejoices in the thought that she now belongs
wholly to her lover. She hears steps approach,
and turns to embrace Agnar but suddenly
shrieks out, "'Tis Snorror'-in fact her hus-
bands ghost has come in full semblance of life.
She seeks Agnar to reprOach him for cowardce
in not staying Snorro, and overtakes him fleeing
from the horror of hisa When he convinces
her that he has slain the old man, Snorra is
overwhelmed with dread of the haunted future
she foresees. The execution of this weird con-
ception is described as wonderful. Mendes has
a successful drama, "Justce," OF the boards at
the Ambigu in Paris.
This variously interesting bit Of Egyptian lit
erary intelligence is from Conway's letter to
the Cincinnati Commercial: Some time ago
Mrs. d 'Orbeney acquired in Egypt papyrus,
which ultimately found its way to the British
museum. On it was written; "May the god
10th (god of literature) guard all the words
contained ia this scroll from destruction" :"
The papyrus is novel In two parts. One part
is the story of Joseph and Potiphar's wife.
under other names. The other is the story OF
Cinderella except that the nrince traoas mt