Early Chapters in Science. By Mrs. Awdry. (John Murray. Gs.)
—Mrs. Awdry's "Table of Contents" reminds us of the variety of subjects on which the Professors of Natural Philosophy in a past age were expected to lecture. "The World of Life," for Part I., and "The World of Experiment," for Part II., cover a wide extent of ground, much more than in this specialising age we expect to find between the two covers of a book. But she has had the help of quite a little army of specialists. One has revised the chapter on zoology, another has corrected the botany, a third has brought the chapter on physiology up to line, a fourth has taken charge of the chemistry, and Professor Barrett, who is general sponsor for the book, has "revised and in some parts rewritten the section on physics." We can quite believe that the volume is worth all this pains. It is written in a very pleasant and lively manner, and is excellently illustrated ; for here, again, this most fortunate, and doubtless most deserving, of authors has found abundance of assistance. We feel a certain jealousy of all rivals of literary education. Putting this aside, we can speak highly of Early Chapters.in Science. But young people who may master it must not think that they know every- thing.
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