The Green Bag
540
considerations
stead of leaving it to others whom he
cover both the method of disposition and the selection of beneficiaries. The author leaves very much to the legal
modestly deemed more competent. On the whole, we heartily commend
legal
adviser.
Those
adviser and to the wealth owner, for
this small volume to all who are con sidering the disposal of the property
obviously the best methods of disposi
that they cannot take with them to the
tion and the best selection of bene
ficiaries will hardly be the same in any
next world. This means that we com mend it to practically everyone for it is
two cases. If one wishes to be told exactly what he should do with his
our experience that there are very few people indeed but have at least a little
property upon his death, and precisely how he should do it, this book will not
of ment this they world's desire goods to continue whoseeven manage‘ after
satisfy him.
they have left for heavenly realms be yond.
It assumes, correctly, we
think, that practically all men are seri ously interested in the use to which
their property, whether great or little, is to be put after their death. Whether
ANT COMMUNITIES Ant Communities and How They Are Governed;
one leaves everything to his widow, or
A Study in Natural Civics. McCook.
divides his property between his several
London. (1909.)
children, or establishes
and index 7.
some
chari
table foundation, he does it only after serious and mature consideration. And to all those who are seriously consider ing such problems the present volume will furnish excellent food for thought. On the ethical side of the question the book is rather slight. The author has left that part to eminent divines of various beliefs, but as we read what they have to say we are forced to conclude
By Henry Christopher
Harper 8: Brothers, New ‘York and
P .xvii, 304 +bibnogmphy9
($2 nets
ROM Dr. McCook's popular 86 count of the habits and social life of ants, the mind not learned in natural history will discover that these beings’ in their subdivision of labor, their com
plete devotion to the collective welfare of the community, their engineering Skiu' their tender care of their own dependents, and their peaceable communal existence
unrufiled by dissensions or violence of
that perhaps less eminent personages
any sort, come as near to dwelling in a
might have given us a deeper and a more
state of civilization, in the human sense,
thoughtful treatment. The reason for asking these men to write about the
as we can conceive it possible for any of
ethical side of disposition of wealth after death, doubtless was that their profession and habits of thought fitted them especially to give us helpful ideas in that direction.
Unfortunately, how
ever, the minister of the gospel probably is so concerned with the post-mortem disposition of the immortal soul that he devotes comparatively little attention to
the post-mortem use of wealth. We wish that Mr. Remsen with his large experience and deep understanding had written on the ethical side himself in
the lower forms of animal life to attain From the author's interpretation of
those characteristics of ant life whit)I are not so clearly defined objectivelyv and which may be a matter of opinion: one is led to infer that ants must have some degree, at least, of the power to
reason, that they communicate with one another by some means analogous ernment to language, in which that they crime liveand under outlaWTY a gov‘
never arise and force is never exerted to enforce any custom or regulation, that the authority of the state seems to be
