LITERARY NOTICES. 



!3 l 



a fourth to the east, not far from these ; and 

 the fifth in Africa, to the southwest. Two 

 of these groups, more or less modified by 

 crossing, are still located in Asia. The Afri- 

 can groups are farther away than the tradi- 

 tions represent, but nearly in the same direc- 

 tion. All of them are fragments of two 

 human races well characterized as blacks, 

 occupying considerable areas in Africa and 

 in Asia respectively, and both including 

 tribes, distinct peoples, and subraces. The 

 name of Negritos is suggested for the dwarf 

 black populations of Asia, Malaysia, and Me- 

 lanesia, as distinguished from the larger ne- 

 groes, or Papuans, and Negrillos for the 

 dwarf African tribes, taken collectively. 

 These definitions and distinctions having 

 been made clear, the author proceeds to de- 

 tail the general history of the eastern pyg- 

 mies, of whom the Mincopies of the Anda- 

 man Islands appear a conspicuous type, their 

 physical and special characteristics, and of 

 other negroes than the Mincopies ; and next 

 of the Negrillos, or pygmies of Africa ; clos- 

 ing with a discussion of the religion of the 

 Hottentots and Bushmen. The conclusion is 

 drawn from the study of the Negritos, which 

 have been regarded as very low in the scale 

 of humanity, and by some as related to the 

 " missing link," that " this is not so ; and 

 that where they have lived most outside of 

 movement and mixture which alone elevate 

 societies the Negritos show themselves true 

 men in all things and for all things." 



Economic Geology of the United States. 

 By Ralph S. Tarr, B. S., F. G. S. A. 

 New York : Macmillan & Co. Pp. 509. 

 Price, $4. 



In the presentation of this text-book on 

 economic geology the author has extended 

 his primary plan from the issuance of printed 

 notes to accompany a series of lectures de- 

 livered before the Economic Geological Class 

 at Cornell University. Hence, a far wider 

 field is destined for a work which will neces- 

 sarily take the place of books that treat too 

 exclusively of those branches of the subject 

 having little or least importance for more 

 thorough students. 



Throughout the volume the reader's at- 

 tention is directed to the mineral products 

 of the United States, while only those of 

 special importance from foreign localities 



are dealt with. Apart from the ample re- 

 ports of State and national geologic surveys, 

 the author has consulted and employs with 

 effect special articles and data selected from 

 leading scientific journals of the day. Also 

 Ore Deposits, by Phillips, the Reports of the 

 Director of the Mint, Day's Mineral Resources 

 of the United States, the Census Reports, 

 Mineral Industries, etc. Tables and illustra- 

 tions add to the usefulness of the work. 



Arout Mushrooms. The Study of Escu- 

 lent and Poisonous Fungi. By Julius 

 A. Palmer, Jr. Boston : Lee & Shep- 

 ard. Pp. 100. Price, $2. 



This is a pleasant little book, that will 

 interest both the amateur and the trained 

 naturalist. The classification, or key to the 

 principal forms of large and fleshy fungi, is 

 original with the author, and promises to 

 facilitate the work of those commencing the 

 study of the subject. 



Systematic Survey of the Organic Color- 

 ing Matters. By Drs. G. Schultz and 

 P. Julius. Translated and edited by 

 Arthur G. Green, F. I. C, F. C. S. New 

 York : Macmillan & Co. Pp. 205. Price, 

 $5. 



A thorough knowledge of the chemis- 

 try and technology of coal-tar products has 

 within recent years become a necessity with 

 those engaged in the color industry. 



The work before us is a technical one, 

 and appears to be thoroughly well suited to 

 the needs of the analyst, the dyer, patent 

 agent, merchant, or others concerned with 

 coal-tar colors. 



The editor and translator has carried out 

 the fundamental idea of the authors, and has 

 given us, in as precise a form as possible, all 

 the essential details, including items of the 

 most recent knowledge. There have also been 

 added full tables for the analysis and identi- 

 fication of the various coloring materials. 



The Report on the Mound Explorations 

 of the Bureau of Ethnology, an extract from 

 the twelfth annual report of the bureau, by 

 Cyrus Thomas, is based almost exclusively 

 upon the results of explorations carried on 

 by the bureau since 1881. A thorough in- 

 vestigation of all the mounds could not be 

 made with the means at the disposal of the 

 bureau ; a superficial examination was not to 



