HARDWICKE' S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



55 



poetical references and descriptions are not only 

 seldom true, but as a rule the very reverse of truth. 

 All this Mr. Phil. Robinson (to use his own pen- 

 name) shows up in the raciest of English, and with the 

 driest of humour and satire. Nothing like this book 

 has appeared since Butler's Erewhon. There is 

 hardly a paragraph which does not force a laugh or 

 an exclamation. 



The Parallel Roads of Glen Roy, by James Mac- 

 fadyean (Edinburgh : John Menzies & Co.). The 

 old geological bone of contention, which is regarded 

 by most geologists as finally settled, is brought up 

 again by Mr. Macfadyean in connection with the 

 Deluge. A good deal of geographical research is 

 displayed by the author, particularly in the chapter 

 on "The Cosmical Change of Level that followed 

 the Deluge," and he evidently connects the events of 

 the glacial period with that fact in the Hebrew 

 Cosmogony. 



Sola7- Physics, by A. H, Swinton (London : W. H. 

 Allen & Co.). The writer of this work is well 

 known to the readers of Science-Gossip, as a 

 frequent and welcome contributor. His scheme in 

 .this little book is to present a handy epitome of the 

 years, or universal almanack, that may be consulted 

 by every one. It is in reality an almanack of the 

 Christian Era, and contains a prediction of the 

 weather, disasters by sea and rain, shipwrecks and 

 river floods, prognostications of the harvest, havoc by 

 vermin and infection, famines and panics, electrical 

 disturbances, calamities by earthquakes and volcanic 

 eruptions — a record of the past, and glimpse into the 

 future, — based on solar physics. Mr. Swinton has 

 expended a vast amount of industry on his book, and 

 the pages devoted to "The Sun Cycles," wherein 

 are arranged, in tabular form, the occurrences of 

 earthquakes and volcanic outbursts, &c., with observed 

 sun-spot years, is both interesting and suggestive. 

 Altogether this is a remarkable work, in which 

 both zoological and physiographical students will find 

 much to ponder over. 



The Chemical Effect of the Spectrum, by Dr. J. M. 

 Eder (London : Harrison & Sons). This little book 

 is translated and edited by Captain Abney — a cir- 

 cumstance that will be quite sufficient to lovers of 

 photography and physics to recommend it to their 

 notice. It has been reprinted from the " Photographic 

 Journal" of 1881 and 1882. 



Where did Life Begin ? by G. Hilton Scribner 

 (New York : Charles Scribner's Sons). This short 

 monograph is a brief enquiry as to the probable place 

 of begirming, and the natural courses of migration 

 therefrom, of the flora and fauna of our planet. The 

 author sets forth his reasons for thinking that life first 

 commenced and spread from the polar regions, where 

 the earth would be first cooled. If we mistake not, 

 Professor Thistleton Dyer elaborated a similar view 

 some years ago. Mr. Scribner's short essay is written 

 in a most vigorous and fervid style, as the following 



concluding sentence will show: "Thus the Arctic 

 zone, which was earliest in cooling down to the first 

 and highest heat degree in the great life-gamut, was 

 also first to become fertile, first to bear life, and first 

 to send forth her progeny over the earth. So, too, in 

 obedience to the universal order of things, she was 

 first to reach maturity, first to pass all the sub- 

 divisions of life-bearing climate, and finally the 

 lowest heat degree in the great life-range, and so 

 the first to reach sterility, old age, degeneration and 

 death. And now, cold and lifeless, wrapped in the 

 snowy winding-sheet, the once fair mother of us all 

 rests in the frozen embrace of an ice-bound and 

 everlasting sepulchre." 



A Tour in the United States and Canada by 

 Thomas Greenwood (London : L. Upcott Gill). 

 Mr. Greenwood gives us a very lively account of a 

 run out and home again in six weeks. America is 

 becoming a recreation ground, as well as an emigra- 

 tion settlement, and to all who meditate a run across 

 the Atlantic we recommend Mr. Greenwood's little 

 book. 



Botanical Micro- Chemistry, by V. A. Poulsen 

 (London : Triibner & Co. ; Boston : S. E. Cassino 

 & Co.). This most valuable handbook to all en- 

 gaged in histological work, owes its appearance in 

 our English language to Professor W. Trelease, of 

 the University of Wisconsin, who became acquainted 

 with the German edition in 1881, and felt what a 

 valuable work required translation. Mr. Trelease 

 has accordingly translated it, and enriched it with 

 numerous notes, the result of discoveries subsequent 

 to the original publication of the book, which has 

 received the honour of translation from the Danish 

 original, into German, French, Italian ; and now, 

 thanks to Professor Trelease, into English also. 

 The first part of the contents deals with micro- 

 chemical reagents, and their application, mounting 

 media, cements, &c., whilst the second part is 

 engaged with vegetable substances, and the means of 

 recognising them. We strongly recommend the 

 little volume to all our microscopical readers. 



Energy in Nature, by W. Lant Carpenter (Lon- 

 don : Cassell & Co.). This attractive little book 

 contains the substance of a course of six lectures 

 upon the energies of Nature, and their mutual 

 relations, delivei-ed by the author under the auspices 

 of the Gilchrist Educational Trust. They deal with 

 the following subjects : Matter and Motion, Force 

 and Energy, Heat and Form of Energy, Chemical 

 Attraction (especially Combustion), Electricity and 

 Chemical Action, Magnetism and Electricity, and 

 Energy in Organic Nature. The illustrations are 

 numerous, and of a superior artistic character, the 

 style is terse but plain, [and the author's allusions 

 always felicitous. A much-needed want is admirably 

 met by this little work. The last chapter on 

 " Energy in Organic Nature " is one we recommend 

 all naturalists to read. 



