42 



HA RD WICKE' S SCIENCE- G OSSIP. 



by beginners to recommend them an elementary 

 manual on this important and fascinating subject. 

 Now we are able to do so by noting the cheap, 

 well-written, and well-illustrated little book above- 

 named. 



Electric Bells and all about Them, by S. R. 

 Bottone (London : Whittaker & Co.). The author 

 of this useful little work is well known to all practical 

 electricians ; and those who desire to know the 

 theory and practice of electric bells (and their 

 number must be legion, considering the immense 

 quantity of such bells in use) cannot do better than 

 procure and read this book. 



We are pleased to see that the following useful 

 books (which were duly noticed in our columns when 

 they appeared) have gained public approval by the 

 demand for extra editions — Elements of Mineralogy, 

 by r. Rutley (London : Murby). Third edition. 

 Nature''s Fairy-Land, by H. Worsley-Benison 

 (London : Eliot Stock). Second edition. 



The Playtime Naturalist, by Dr. J. E. Taylor, 

 F.L.S., &c., editor of Science-Gossip (London : 

 Chatto & Windus). Our relation with regard to 

 this book does not allow of any comment upon it, 

 except to say that it is well bound and printed, 

 that the 366 illustrations come out very well, and 

 that the price is 5^'. Perhaps the editor of Science- 

 Gossip would not mind the author of "The Play- 

 time Naturalist" quoting the following from the 

 preface, as showing the scope of the work : — -"The 

 writer has a liking for intelligent English lads, just 

 as some people have for blue china and etchings. 

 He even ventures to think the former are more 

 interesting objects. And, as the writer was once a 

 boy himself, and vividly remembers the never-to-be- 

 forgotten rambles and observations of the objects 

 surrounding us in the country ; and, moreover, as he 

 treasures up such reminiscences as the most pleasant 

 and innocent of an active man's life, he thought he 

 could not do better than enlist this younger genera- 

 tion in the same loves and pleasures. He has 

 endeavoured to do his best for his human hobbies, 

 that their lives may be richer and sweeter and more 

 manly, for what he has introduced them to in the 

 following pages." 



OUR SCIENTIFIC DIRECTORY. 



[The Editor will be obliged, if, for the benefit of his numerous 

 readers, secretaries of scientific societies will send notices like 

 the following, also place and time of meeting.] 



RISTOL Microscopical Society : Hon. Secretary, 

 H. A. Francis. 



B 



Chichester and West Sussex Natural History and 

 Microscopical Society : President, J. Anderson, jun. ; 

 Hon. Secretaries, A.Lloyd, F.C.S., F.E.S., Freeman 

 W. Hunt. 



City of London College Science Society: President, 

 Sir John Lubbock, Bart., M.P., F.R.S., etc. ; Hon. 



Secretaries, Mr. W. L. Fulcher, Mr. A. C. Young, 

 F.C.S. 



Geologists' Association : President, F. W. Rudler, 

 F.G.S. (Hon. Sec. Anth. Inst.) ; Secretaries, John 

 Fullerton, M.D., F.G.S., B. B. Woodward, F.G.S., 

 F.R.M.S. 



LLackney Microscopical and Natural LListory Society : 

 President, M. C. Cooke, M.A., LL.D., A.L.S. ; 

 Hon. Secretaries, Collis Willmott, F.R.M.S., J. T. 

 Powell. 



LTarrogate and District Naturalist and Scientific 

 Society : President, John Naughton ; Hon. Secretary, 

 F. R. Fitzgerald. 



LLertfordshire Natural LListory Society and Field 

 Club: President, F. Maule Campbell, F.L.S., F.Z.S., 

 F.R.M.S., F.E.S. ; Hon. Secretaries, F. G. Lloyd, 

 C. E. Shelly, B.A., M.B. 



L^eds Geological Association : President, C. D. 

 Hardcastle ; Hon. Secretary, Samuel A. Adamson, 

 F.G.S. 



Liverpool Geological Society: President, Henry C. 

 Beasley ; Hon. Secretary, William Hewitt, B.Sc. 



Penzance Natural Llistory and Antiquarian Society : 

 President, Thomas Cornish, Esq. ; Secretary, George 

 Fox Tregelles, Esq. 



Wolverha7npton Literary and Scientific Society : 

 President, The Ven. F. W. Farrar, D.D. (Archdeacon 

 of Westminster) ; Hon. Secretaries, Chas. R. Smith, 

 Horace Percy Smith. 



SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



Mr. Mattieu Williams has an interesting paper 

 in " Scientific News " on the origin of petroleum and 

 anthracite. He shows how, by slowly and moderately 

 heating certain kinds of coal in an iron or brick retort, 

 we shall obtain real petroleum and a porous coke 

 which, on the application of pressure, becomes true 

 anthracite. This, he shows, is the way in which it is 

 formed in the coal-beds. Above and below the coal- 

 seams are porous strata, through which the petroleum 

 percolates and eventually rises to the surface like 

 a water-spring. This accounts for its occurrence 

 in Silurian, Devonian, and other non-coal-bearing 

 regions. 



During November and December, Dr. J. E. 

 Taylor, Editor of Science-Gossip, delivered popular 

 extemporaneous lectures (illustrated both with 

 diagrams and lime-light views) on " Carnivorous 

 Plants," "The Great Ice Age," "The Natural 

 History of Fish," "The Natural History of the 

 Amphibia and Reptiles," " Earthquakes and 

 Volcanoes," and a " Naturalist's Holiday in Aus- 

 tralia," to large audiences at Beccles, Hadleigh, the 



