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[Annotation by Darwin:] Edinb Daily Review

ERASMUS DARWIN. By Ernst Krause. With a preliminary Notice by Charles Darwin. London: John Murray.

"In the February number, 1879, of a well-known German scientific journal Kosmos, Dr. Ernst Krause published a sketch of Erasmus Darwin, the author of 'Zoonomia,' 'Botanic Garden,' and other works. This article bears the title of a contribution to the history of the descent theory, and Dr Krause has kindly allowed my brother Erasmus and myself to have a translation made of it for publication in this country." The sketch of the grandfather's scientific labours, of which the grandson thus writes, is in every respect admirably done; but, read along with the preliminary notice by Charles Darwin, we have the "philanthropist, physician, naturalist, philosopher, and poet" of last century before us in a way which leaves nothing to be desired. While Dr Krause treats of the scientific side of Erasmus Darwin's career, we have in the grandson's notice filling up which makes us marvel not only at the many-sidedness of the distinguished Doctor of a hundred years ago, and the wonderful "perceptivity, amounting almost to divination, that he displayed in the domain of biology," we are struck with the wondrous likeness, in several respects, between him and the illustrious biologist of the present day. Looked at in the light of Dr Krause's sketch and Charles Darwin's notice, old Erasmus stand head and shoulders over the scientific men of his time.

We are not surprised that, when a distinguished German endeavoured to make his countrymen acquainted with one of England's great men of a bygone age, his grandsons, availing themselves of that sketch, and supplementing it from materials at their disposal, desired that his own countrymen of the present day should also be reminded of him and his works. We doubt not the reading public will fully appreciate the service done by the German scholar and Charles Darwin in the volume under notice, for it the Darwin of the present day has made his mark, the Darwin of last century made his also in a not less conspicuous and remarkable way. We commend the volume heartily.