222 



HARD WJCKE'S SCIENCE- G OS SI P. 



Located in the next cage to " Sally," are a pair of 

 quite young chimpanzees and a gibbon, and it was 

 amusing to see "Sally" slyly peeping through the 

 chinks of the wall of her apartment, and the evident 

 discontent with which she watched them devouring 

 some goodies in the form of figs which the keeper 

 had just given them. 



In conclusion, I think it speaks much for the care 

 and kindness bestowed upon their charges by their 

 keepers, that such a delicate animal as the chimpanzee 

 is in captivity should have been kept in good health 

 for six years. 



A. J. Jenkins. 



New Cross. 



NOTES ON NEW BOOKS. 



CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL STUDIES IN 

 THE METAMORPHISM OF ROCKS, by 

 Dr. A. Irving (London : Longmans). Perhaps no 

 department of modern geology has progressed more 

 than petrology — that relating to the microscopical 

 structures of rocks, and the changes they have under- 

 gone. This is largely due to Dr. Sorby, of Sheffield, 

 whose remarkable paper on the construction of 

 granites, published in the "Quarterly Journal of the 

 Geological Society " in 1S62, commenced a new era 

 in the study of rocks. Since then, in England, 

 France, Germany, and the United States, the study 

 of petrology and micro-petrology has attained a highly 

 specialised rank. In this country, men like Professor 

 Bonney, Teall, Allport, Lap worth, and others (and 

 the author of the present volume), have done good 

 service for geological students. Teall's magnificently 

 illustrated work is nearly completed. The volume 

 before us is admirably adapted for the use of advanced 

 students of geology. Its range is by no means con- 

 fined to the microscopical study of rocks. It deals 

 with their metamorphism upon their regional a'; well 

 as their microscopic characters. It discusses the 

 probable origin of the oldest metamorphic rocks, 

 goes into considerable detail respecting the chemical 

 chauges which have occurred in all rock masses, but 

 especially the most ancient ; describes the alterations 

 due to cleavage, crumbling, and foliation, as well as 

 those frequent local metamorphisms of rocks'directly 

 due to heat and pressure ; the circulation of super- 

 heated waters, and even the results that follow upon 

 cooling of these conditions. To the student, Dr. 

 Irving's appendices in the present volume will not be 

 the least valuable, and they occupy nearly one-third 

 of its bulk. We cannot too cordially recommend 

 the work (which is published at five shillings by 

 Messrs. Longmans), to all students of the stony 

 science. 



The Flora of Swilzerlattd, by A. Gremlix, trans- 

 lated from the fifth edition by L. W. Paitson 

 (London : David Nutt, 18S9). We are sorry not to 

 have been able to notice this volume before the 

 summer was over, for it is just the very work a 



tourist botanist in Switzerland should put in his 

 knapsack. It is got up after the manner of 

 Baedecker's guides, in red limp cloth, so as to suit 

 the pockets. The present is a translation from the 

 fifth edition of this well-established work. One of 

 the remarkable peculiarities is that, whilst it is 

 mainly intended for beginners in botany, it is of equal 

 use to the most advanced student of the science. It 

 includes descriptions of all the phanerogams growing 

 in Switzerland. The letter-press descriptions of each 

 species are so clear that a schoolboy familiarised with 

 a knowledge of a few botanical terms could easily 

 make it out. No illustrations are therefore required. 

 The ability to refer a plant to its natural order will 

 be quite sufficient, by the aid of this book, to identify 

 it. The letter-press is unusually clear, and the 

 arrangement agreeable to the eyes. A book which 

 has passed into the fifth edition has placed itself 

 beyond criticism, and we, therefore, notice the present 

 work in the interests of our readers, many of whom 

 have frequently asked us to recommend a good guide 

 to the Swiss Flora. 



Names ami Synonyms of British Plants, by G. 

 Egerton-Warburton, B.A. (London : George Bell 

 & Sons). This handy little book is indispensable to 

 an English botanical student. It furnishes him with 

 a collation of the nomenclature of the " London 

 Catalogue " of British plants, English Botany, 

 Babington's Manual, Bentham's Flora, and Hooker's 

 Students' Flora. Not less useful is the appendix of 

 the synonyms of British plants, which enables the 

 student to see at a glance the various names by which 

 a plant has been described. The author has certainly 

 succeeded in clearing away a good many of the per- 

 plexities and confusions of our botanical nomencla- 

 ture. For the benefits of students who have not 

 received a classical education, it may be stated that 

 the botanical names are emphasised so as to enable 

 them to pronounce names correctly. There is a long 

 list of authorities for plant names. The arrangement 

 of the work is in alphabetical order, which, of course, 

 brings plants into juxtaposition through the initial 

 letters of their names. Although this is not a 

 scientific arrangement, it is a very useful one. 



Health Troubles of City Life, by Geo. Herschell, 

 M.D. (Bristol: John Wright & Co.). This well- 

 written brochure, by one of the most eminent medical 

 men of the day, should be read by everybody engaged 

 in business life, as it deals with the health troubles 

 which are only too commonly the result of commercial 

 competition. As the author remarks, one of the most 

 ordinary expressions used amongst business men, is 

 that So-and-so "has broken down." Dr. Herscheli's 

 chief point in writing this little work has been to 

 indicate the first beginnings of the nervous exhaustion 

 which leads to such breakdowns. He gives a brief 

 description of the various symptoms which usually 

 mark its early stages, and a few rules of life for the 

 benefit of those who are willing to be warned in time. 



