The Portland daily press., 1877-02-17
Recent Publications.

iiiE uEOGRAPHICAL D1STRIBUTlON uf ANIMALS.
By Alfred Russell Wallace. In two volumes. New
York: Harper Bros. Portland; Loring, Short d
Harmon.
The author who is a co-laborer with Darwin,
has given close study of the relations OF liv-
ing and extinct Fauna for the purpose of eluci-
dating the past changes of the earths surface.
The book is full of statistics, of fine maps and
plates, and admirably indexed The important
points made are the evidences of the existence
OF land in former ages where now the ocean
sweeps. He finds, for instance, that Britain
was connected with the Continent during, and
probably before, the glacial epoch; Gibraltar,
Sicily and Malta were united with Africa; the
desert of Sahara was under water at a recent
epoch, so that North Africa actually belonged
to Europe, as is proved by remains OF the Afri-
can elephant being found in Sicilian caves
During the miocene epoch a broad channel
separated North and South America. Then
there is that submerged continent of Lemuria,
of which only Madagascar remains TO US and
where future philosophers may be locating the
garden of Eden. His list of animals whose
remains are found in fossil state is startling
to the opponents of evolution, and interesting
w sAoSO WIZ AihO w 6Op @ ACHaoiO PCOP ihtV tuC
genuine old times. In the Mississippi Valley
aud the West are found remains of gigantic
sloths as big as elephants which had come up
from South America, and of panthers as big as
lions, who probably gave them warm well
come. The rhnoceros was an iuhabitant of
Utah, while in Colorado there was an animal
something like hppopotamus with three
pairs of horns, the first on the top of the head,
the second above the eyes and the third on the
snout He argues that weases, bears, true
horses, swine, oxen, sheep and antelopes came
from the Old World to America during the
miocene period, while camels originated in
America and about the same time passed over
to Europe He thinks the land connection by
which they passed was in the North Pacific,
below Behring'S Straits, where there is large
expanse of shallow water which was once dry
land in a temperate latitude. He suggests
that it is fortunate for US that we live in an
age which is impoverished by the disappear
ance of the hugest and fiercest forms of ami
mails, and that it was the glacial period which
did the job for us. He finds that the turkey
inhabited America in the post-pliocene age.
Therefore Franklins idea that it should be the
typical American bird was good one. Those
who delight in Arabian tales will be glad to
know that there was once bird in that sunken
land about Madagascar, which laid an egg
eight times as big as that of an ostrich. What
else it did does not appear, but as it had no
wings it could not have flown away with Sim
bad; yet 1t is suggested that its great-grand-
fathers may have had wings, in which case
that veracous chrohicler would be vindicsted.
The reader will regret to find that the West
India islands are only the remains of lovely
Continent extending to what is now ths main-
land, which would have been an admirable
country for Uncle Samuel to have annexed, if
it had not disappeared beneath the waves
The result of the author labor is the conclusion
that in the good old tropical days before the
general freezing out occasloned by the glacial
period, all kinds of the fercer animals were
much more plenty in Europe and America than
at the present time in the tropics; that they
spread from pole to pole, save the limitations
effected by the gradual sinking and upheaving
of continents, an operation which, having plenty
of leisure, the continents seem to largely have
devoted themselves to; and finally, that the
study of the distribution of animals best illus
trates and determines these facts. Part ",
containing nearly 400 pages, gives au admirable
description of all the animals that ever were,
with their occu upation and residence
SELECTIONS FROM THE WRITINGS oB LORD MA
CAULAY. Edited by George Otto Trevelyan.
New York: Harper g. Brothers. For sale by
Loring, Short s. Harmon.
This volume is designed as a companion to
the volumes given to the life of Macaulay,
written by his nephew, Mr.. Trevelyar, and re-
published in this country by the Harpers last
year. 1t has been thought that the perusal of
that work might lead many to wish an ac-
quaintance with the writings Of the great
rhetorcian, many who have not leisure nor IN
clination to read the History or the Essays
As Mr.. Trevalgan remarks the character of
Macaulay's work is such that his productions
lend themselves with unusual facility to the
labors of the seector; for Macaulay took care
that any one who opens his volumes shall be
able to read forward, with pleasure and UNDER
standing, at whatever page or paragraph he
may begin his studies. In the History every
scene is a story, finished, continuous, self-sus-
tanned. In the Essays, though from the ma
ture of that species of composition picturesque
episodes are less frequent than iu the History,
not few narratives may be easily found
which are perfect and complete in all their
parts.
The selections are admirably made. Three
of the best battle pieces, the Boyne La Hogue,
and Killecrankie, some of the finest portraits,
as johnson, Temple, Jeffreys, Walpole, bril-
liant historical scenes, like the impeachment
of Hastings, and the Black Hole of Calcutta.
and The cream of the Essays, the Church of
Rome, the Puritans, the Pilgrims Progress,
the Spectator are given. at the close are to
be found the balla ls of Rome, of the Hugue-
nots and of the Roundheads which the critics
have agreed are not poetry, but which approach
it closely enough to satisfy most of us. The
notes by Mr. Trevelyan are not frequent, and
are merely designed to explain obscure histori-
cal or literary illusions. They are brief, to
the point, and great help TO the comprehen-
sion of the text. The work will be received
with favor as desirable volume to have