New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-05-04

oo- THE E4RTH BY Sir j. William Dawson; PIP
XII 4s9 With Forty-six Illustrations. harper
& Brothers
SirJ w. Dawson looks upon his present WORK
as the completion in a formal way OF MS idooiS
IN geology and paleontology 1t IS paruE
book of memories. Each chapter Is separately
dedicated to some living worker in science OF 10
the memory of one departed. He desires 10 IT,
mind younger Investigators that the heights from
which they observe phenomena were plleu up
by the giants Of other days 1t IS almost need
less 10 say that he is opposed TO many 'heoIleS
Of recent science. He has never been ilehuIy 10
evolution as formulated by those who MADE IL
doctrine Not that he questions the mutabiity
Of things But the progress that he sees Is not
one Of constant development. He is very stern
with those who in behalf of a preconceived
theory. complain of imperfectons in the geo
logical record He observes. not without trace
~ sarcasm that these breaks often occur just
whore Il IS most essential for certain general
conclusions that they should be filed up After
remarking that in the case Of many groups OF
marine animals. as for example, the sheiiiS"
and corals and bivave crustaceans. the series
is very complete. he points to the laho sii"iiS az
in altogether different condition The strange
thing about these creatures. as he says IS 'ii't
while few species Of them occurred IN inc
paleozoc age. they are not iouhd AFTER"
until the investigator arrives at the tertiary
period Now there may be in ihls instance
permanent lapse due TO the fact tnGt me ch@HVeS
of the preservation Of land snaiis IN dePoSi'S
made nv water mus, be vastly less than those IN
favor Of the preservation or aquatic specl'S'
Ru+ he also shows that the most patient at
1ention and labor long continued are requisite Tor
'NlinC any serious gap in geological history He
has had a world Of experience himself In the
search for fossil land snas, and his testimony Is
+bat ~ WAS no accident when he and Sir Charles
IveII found a specimen in the stump OF sigll-
',ar,a In the South Jogglns coal measures. Ihey
wore not after the snail but they were deter
mined to find out why the SlSillaria stood up
right instead of having fallen PROSTATE ana "hat
the soil was in which IL stood. Ihe process OIL
Investigation was not a hasty one. lie notes
other examples Of the kind. and adds that many
icroud unon his memory as coming within his
own experience and observation II conthn-
ous series cannot be found between the snaliS
Of the coal formation and those or the present
day. vet among those known can De observer
,dent,tv Of plan and structure and the differ
ence in detail which fitted the one series 1or a
Mace in the ancient world and the other for the
world Of today Besides. naturalsts have no
right to expect that facts shall adapt them
seIvee N theory Ii Is not unsCientihc 10 sup
nose that there may have been complete inter
runtion in the life of land snails. and that they
were reintroduced after they had become eX-
tinct The main point is that the record cannot
be transcribed. Pointing to the swarmlng He
OF the early Cambrian system. he says that
Darwnians must maintain that this life presup-
posed a vast array Of predecessors. represented
to science only by Eozoon. In the face OF this
vast blank the geolOgist confesses his ignorance,
but he may turn upon the biologist WIN the
question whether any such blank really eNlS's'
and whether this teeming Cambrian life may
not have appeared without any prcmonition
This indicates clearly enough where the
autbor stands in the dispute between the
theory Of evolution and the tradition Of creation.
He finds nowhere a point where he can say that
INV sbecies originated. On the contrary, the
studv Of the geographical distribution of ami
mails and plants instead Of helping to solve the
question Of the origin Of specific types. points
only TO marvellous capacities for migration and
a wonderful tenacity Of life in species
In accordance with these views he MAINTAINS
that a flood Of which tradition is retained by so
many nations is practically the starting point IL
the history Of the modern race OF men lie holds
that modern man is racially distinct from those
whom he calls palaeocosnic men. though they
showed features universally which have since
been exhibited here and there in an individual
man The earliest men were fully developed
and Of high type. The remains that have been
found. Of course bear out this statement But
there are those who think that inferior men
must have existed before them. The author
replies that It IS not a mode Of reasoning In
accordance with the methods of science to say
without evidence that man in some lower stage
OF development must have existed az a far
earlier period The word must merely i'm
niles that certain theories assumed as true
respectng mans evolution from the lower ami
mails Taking what he calls the theistic view OF
nature he looks forward to "a kind Of unity
and Of evolution for future age in connection
with the law OF progress and development de-
ducible from the geological history. In which an
ascending series Of lower animals eliminates
in man himself. Why should there not be
new and higher plane Of existence to be at
tained to by humanity-a new geological period.
so 10 speak in which present anomalies shall
be corrected and the grand unity Of the universe
end its harmony with its Maker fully rostoredY
To many this book will give the face 10 science
which they prefer But it will be useful to all.
inasmuch as It puts in compact form the views
of a school Of scientists who have nearly all
nassed away These views may recur in force
at any time Those who think that any scien-
tifc theory can be permanent unless 1t is DEM
onstrated mathematically are not as deeply read
as they ought TO be in the history Of philosophy.
Dr. r G.. Bonney's story Of the planet be-
trays less Of the specialist than Sir j. w.
Dawson's work On the other hand. he had no
purpose Of compiling a textbook His book is
meant for the people who care nothing for
technicalies or minute details. They are re-
PEELED by the increasing complexity Of science.
AS investigation proceeds the field to be viewed
becomes larger. but at the same time IL is filled
with so many discoveries that the amateur is
bewdered. He cannot decide among those
which are significant and those which he can
safely neglect. New facts and ideas have
produced a new language This new language