15^ 



HARDIVICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



have received a highly useful volume prepared by 

 Samuel Henshaw, on the " Bibliography of the More 

 Important Contributions to American Economic 

 Entomology." It is a very useful book of reference 

 to all those whom the subject concerns. 



From Sacramento we have received the " ninth 

 annual report" of the State mineralogist, Mr. 

 Irelan, Jun., beautifully illustrated, and containing 

 papers by different geologists and others on the 

 geology and mineral productions of California. 



The Colours of Animals, by E. B. Poulton 

 (London : Kegan Paul). This is the latest issued 

 volume of the now famous " International Scientific 

 Series." The subject is a highly important and 

 deeply interesting one ; and, as the present volume 

 relates more especially to insects, no other man could 

 have been so fitly chosen to write it as Mr. Poulton. 

 His experiments and papers on the colours of chrysa- 

 lids are already well and widely known. The author 

 devotes himself chiefly to the lepidoptera, but enters 

 into the general physical causes and use of animal 

 colours. There are two highly interesting chapters on 

 protective resemblance in lepidoptera, and several 

 others on the same subject as bearing on the vertebrata. 

 The two chapters en variable protective resemblance 

 in insects, and the two following on warning colours, 

 will be read with keen interest by all naturalists. 

 The book is well illustrated and clearly printed, and 

 in stating that there is not a single dull page in it we 

 are only making a trite and very ordinary remark. 



Stray Feathers from Many Birds, by Charles 

 Dixon (London : W. H. Allen and Co.). An 

 exceedingly handsomely got-up volume, well-printed 

 and beautifully illustrated. The author is an old 

 contributor to our columns, which were enriched by 

 his articles many years ago. He is well known as an 

 enthusiastic ornithologist, and as an able and 

 pleasant writer on ornithological subjects. The 

 present volume fully sustains his reputation. It 

 contains fifteen chapters on separate subjects, every 

 one of which is interesting to an extreme degree. 



Half Hours in the Green Lanes, by J. E. Taylor 

 (London : W. H. Allen & Co.). Our position with 

 regard to this well-illustrated book forbids us to do 

 more than to state that this is the seventh edition, 

 which pretty clearly shows that the public have 

 taken it under their patronage, whether wisely so or 

 not. This seventh edition has been thoroughly 

 revised, and brought up to date. 



Mungo Park and the Niger, by Joseph Thomson 

 (London : Geo. Philip and Son). This is another of 

 the welcome and handsome volumes of the " World's 

 Great Explorers " Series. The old world travels of 

 Mungo Park and the quiet and brave simplicity of 

 the man make this work read like a novel. It ou"ht 

 to have a very wide circulation now that all things 

 relating to African geography are being so much 

 discussed. No better or more sympathetic author 

 for such a book could have been found than Mr. 



Joseph Thomson, himself a distinguished African* 

 traveller. 



Days and Hours in a Garden, by E. V. B. 

 (London : Elliot Stock). The present is the seventh 

 edition of this delightfully written little book, which 

 we cordially recommend to all those who love 

 gardens and flowers and things appertaining thereto- 

 It is divided into twelve chapters, one for each month 

 in the year. 



Rambles and Reveries of a Naturalist, by the Rev. 

 Wm. Spiers (London : Ch. H. Kelly). A very 

 pleasantly written volume. Many of the chapters 

 occurred in the Wesley Naturalist, of which the 

 author was co-editor. The range of subjects is 

 enormous, and varies from " Star-gazing " to " Sea- 

 weeds," but Mr. Spiers is a highly intelligent and 

 exceedingly well-read guide, and the reader may 

 fairly trust him. Many of the illustrations are old 

 acquaintances. They are none the worse for that, 

 only they would have had a better effect if many of 

 them had been printed right side up. 



Plant Organisation, by R. Halstead Ward 

 (Boston, U.S.A. : Ginn & Co.). This is the second 

 edition of Prof. Ward's exceedingly useful and 

 easily understood review of the structure and mor- 

 phology of plants. It consists of a written method 

 adapted to the use of students which can be used ia 

 connection with any text-book of botany, and either 

 with or without the employment of technical terms. 

 The illustrations are numerous and simple, but highly 

 effective and useful. 



Pond Life: Alga: and Allied Forms, by T. Spencer 

 Smithson (London : Swan Sonnenschein). This is 

 one of the shilling volumes of the " Young Collector 

 Series," and we are doing no injustice to the other 

 writers in saying that it is by far the best. We are 

 frequently asked to recommend a book on freshwater 

 algae, and take the opportunity to strongly re- 

 commend that now under notice. The illustrations- 

 are numerous and unusually good. 



British Sporting Fishes, by John Watson (London :. 

 Chapman & Hall). Of Mr. Watson's previous books 

 on popular natural history, such as his " Sylvan 

 Folk," etc., we have already had the pleasure of 

 speaking favourably. The same bright and attractive 

 style of writing pervades the present volume, which 

 describes the life and habits of such sporting fishes as- 

 the salmon, trout, grayling, pike, perch, roach, rudd, 

 carp, bream, barbel, dace, gudgeon, and various 

 small fry, in addition to papers on " Fish Poacher," 

 " Fish Stews," etc. 



Practical Observations of Agricultural Grasses and 

 other Pasture Plants, by Wm. Wilson, Jun. (London : 

 Simkin, Marshall, & Co.). The second edition of 

 this highly useful little work. The author is well 

 known as a practical experimenter on the sub- 

 ject, and as it relates to the most important 

 matters with which scientific agriculture has to deal, 

 every young agriculturist who intends to rise in the 



