LITERARY NOTICES. 



631 



in eight months and see through every thing, 

 and sum up the philosophy of governments, 

 races, and civilization, within the limits of a 

 single portable volume. Baron de Hiibner 

 does not attempt this, but he has the faculty 

 of seizing the most important features of 

 the subjects considered, and his reflections 

 are always sensible and suggestive, and often 

 acute and valuable. His work is divided 

 into three parts : I. America ; II. Japan ; 

 III. China. To the first part he devotes 

 twelve chapters, and to Parts II. and III. 

 each eight chapters. 



The author tells us that the objects of 

 his journey were "to behold, beyond the 

 Rocky Mountains, in the virgin forests of 

 the Sierra Nevada, civilization in its strug- 

 gle with savage Nature ; to behold, in the 

 Empire of the Rising Sun, the efforts of cer- 

 tain remarkable men to launch their country 

 abruptly in the path of progress ; to behold, 

 in the Celestial Empire, the silent, constant, 

 and generally passive, but always obstinate, 

 resistance which the spirit of the Chinese 

 opposes to the moral, political, and commer- 

 cial invasions of Europe."' 



The Voice in Singing. Pp. 192. The 

 Voice in Speaking. Pp. 164. Trans- 

 lated from the German of Emma Seiler. 

 Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott & Co. 

 Price, $1.50 each. 



The author of these volumes, a trained 

 artist in vocal music, attempted to give in- 

 struction in that art, but found that the 

 usual methods consist simply of empirical 

 formulas, without any thing like scientific 

 coordination. Accordingly, she undertook 

 to discover for herself a rational method of 

 instructing pupils. While Helmholtz was 

 accumulating material for his great work, 

 " Tonempfindungen," she became his pupil, 

 and, to some extent, his collaborator. The 

 result is these two volumes, which, in the 

 words of Du Bois-Reymond, show an " ac- 

 quaintance with all the facts and theories 

 concerning the production of the human 

 voice." 



On the Habits of Some American Species 

 of Birds. By Thomas G. Gentry/. Oc- 

 tober, 1874. 



These observations extend through four 

 seasons, and are limited to Pennsylvania. 

 The explanation why the cow-bird's egg 



hatches first in the nest of smaller esjrs 

 where it is clandestinely placed by the 

 parent, is ingenious. The egg being larger 

 than the others, is pressed upon by the 

 incubating bird, hence it gets the most heat 

 from the bird's breast. In descriptive or- 

 nithology science abounds, but, in recording 

 the life-traits of birds, too little has been 

 done, hence the peculiar value of this con- 

 tribution. 



Nomenclature of Diseases, prepared for 

 the Use of the Medical Officers of the 

 United States Marine-Hospital Service. 

 By the Supervising Surgeon, John M. 

 Woodworth, M. D. Washington: Gov- 

 ernment Printing-Office. Pp. 210. 



This is a reprint of the "Nomenclature 

 of Diseases " drawn up by a joint committee 

 appointed by the Royal College of Physi- 

 cians, London. Its republication is in- 

 tended to aid in promoting the acceptance 

 of a common nomenclature among the med- 

 ical profession in all English-speaking coun- 

 tries. 



The Foes of the Farmers : an Address 

 delivered at Omaha, October 1, 1874, 

 during the Nebraska State Fair, by Pref. 

 A. L. Perry. 



The foes herein discussed are " paper 

 money, protective tariffs, and party spirit." 

 Though approving the object of the Grange 

 movement, the professor dislikes its secrecy. 

 With a good deal in it that is somewhat ad 

 captandum, such as " greenback-grasshop- 

 pers are worse than any other kind of 

 grasshoppers," the address is an able tract 

 on political economy as affecting the farm- 

 er's interest. 



An Elementary Treatise on Steam. By 

 John Perry, B. E. New York: Mac- 

 millan. Pp. 424. Price, $1.50. 



This work is adapted to the use of stu- 

 dents acquainted with algebra and familiar 

 with at least the simple definitions of trigo- 

 nometry and the elements of physics. It is 

 published as one of a series of " School Class 

 Books ; " but who expects to receive theo- 

 retic or practical knowledge of steam at 

 any " school " whatever ? As a manual for 

 the earnest student, who has access to 

 steam-engines and steam-driven machinery, 

 the work is valuable. It is divided into 



