thor's mind, in the use of such a word. Jelly would seem a more appropriate word, as conveying the idea of the consistency requisite for life, and would have the sanction of use. Thus the Noctilucæ, called in this volume "tiny bags of slime," were described, if we mistake not, by their discoverer as "tiny spherical gelatinous bodies," and Professor Huxley says, "Noctiluca may be described as 'a gelatinous transparent body about the one sixtieth of an inch in diameter.'"
The chapter on "How Starfish walk and Sea-Urchins grow" is excellent. The story of how the five curious little oval jelly bodies, swimming about by their jelly lashes in the depths of the smooth water in some English bay ended in becoming respectively a lily-star, a brittle-star, a starfish, a sea urchin, and a sea-cucumber, is well told, and woodcuts, though they make one see as in a glass darkly, help in their own way to make the meaning plain. In the "Outcasts of Animal Life" a difficult problem is treated of. It need not surprise one that it is not solved. The last four chapters tell of "the Snare-Weavers and their Hunting Relations (spiders)"; the insects which change their coats but not their bodies, and those which remodel their bodies within cover of their coats; "the Intelligent Insects with Helpless Children, as illustrated by the Ants." This volume thus tells of the greater part of the living invertebrate animals as they are spread over the earth to fight the battle of life. "Though in many places the battle is fierce and each one must fight remorselessly for himself and his little ones, yet the struggle consists chiefly in all the members of the various brigades doing their work in life to the best of their power, so that all while they live may lead a healthy, active existence. The little bird is fighting his battle when he builds his nest and seeks food for his mate and his little ones; and though in doing this he must kill the worm, and may perhaps by and by fall a victim himself to the hungry hawk, yet the worm heeds nothing of its danger till its life comes to an end; and the bird trills his merry song after his breakfast, and enjoys his life without thinking of perils to come. So Life sends her Children forth; and it remains for us to learn something of their history. If we could but know it all, and the thousands of different ways in which the beings around us struggle and live, we should be overwhelmed with wonder. Even as it is, we may perhaps hope to gain such a glimpse of the labors of this great multitude as may lead us to wish to fight our own battle bravely and to work and strive and bear patiently, if only that we may be worthy to stand at the head of the vast family of Life's Children."
The work forms a charming introduction to the study of zoölogy—the science of living things—which we trust will find its way into many hands.—Nature.
Transcendental Physics: An Account of Experimental Investigations from the Scientific Treatises of Johann Carl Friedrich Zöllner, Professor of Physical Astronomy at the University of Leipsic. Translated from the German, with a Preface and Appendices, by Charles Carleton Massey. With Illustrations. Boston: Colby & Rich. Pp. 217. Price, $1.50.
There was considerable excitement a year or two since over the spiritualistic demonstrations at Leipsic, Germany, in which the professors took up the claims of Henry Slade, the eminent American "medium." Zöllner was prominent in the inquiry, and published his results, which arrested attention chiefly from the novelty of some of the doctrines which he connected with the experiments. He published a book of views and results under the title of "Transcendental Physics," which was the third volume of a course of scientific criticism. The substance of that work is reproduced in the present translation, together with numerous well-executed illustrations of the appliances used and the operations performed.
The book is a contribution to spiritualism, and treats of a portion of the experiences of Mr. Slade in his great mission over the world to establish, by slate-manipulations, etc., the immortality of the human soul. Poor old senile Dr. Hare, when captured by the Philadelphia spiritualist several years ago, undertook to prove that the soul is immortal by inventing a wooden spiritoscope for public exhibitions. Believing that this great question has been left in
