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HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



there are no Suffolk mountains, except those buried 

 more than a thousand feet beneath the Secondary and 

 Tertiary strata, and therefore no modern mountain 

 or Alpine plants, the flora is by no means a limited 

 one. Nearly forty years ago Professor Henslow and 

 Mr. Skepper published their well-known and accurate 

 " Suffolk Flora." It is a small, unpretentious, but 

 wonderfully reliable hand-book. Suffolk has wild 

 heath and common, a large fringe-land of coast, sea- 

 marsh and fresh-water marsh, and lovely green lanes 

 — than which latter there is nothing better in 

 England out of Devonshire. Henslow's and Skepper's 

 •' Flora " gradually grew out of date. The most 

 careful and painstaking botanist in this country for 

 many years past is the Rev. Dr. Hind, of Honington 

 Rectory. Only those who have had to correspond 

 with him on the subject for years past can be aware 

 of the scrupulosity with which he has investigated 

 the occurrence of any wild plant in any locality before 

 he would set it down in his list. The Suffolk wild 

 flowers require 500 pages of descriptidn as to their 

 localities alone. Dr. Hind's "Suffolk Flora" will 

 make its mark in the botanical world. It is very 

 carefully compiled. It will perhaps never have a 

 successor, for few men will ever be able to revise 

 this work. Therefore, as a , book-speculation, its 

 purchase is a good venture. The late Professor 

 Babington, of Cockfield (one of the most delightfully 

 genial of Suffolk naturalists), assisted Dr. Hind in the 

 production of this volume all he could, and Dr. Hind 

 generously acknowledges the help. Dr. Wheelton 

 Hind (son of the author) has contributed a very 

 clever and concise account of the geology, &c., of the 

 district. Dr. "Wheelton Hind has displayed his 

 ability to simply and clearly grasp a complex 

 geological subject, and also to make it auxiliary to 

 his father's work. Dr. Hind's " Flora of Suffolk " 

 should be purchased immediately by every book- 

 buyer who values county works. It is a volume of 

 which genuine Suffolk botanists will be proud. 



Mount Vesuvius, by J. Logan Lobley, F.G.S., 

 &c. (London : Roper & Drowley). Geologists 

 throughout the world would be glad to hear of the 

 publication of Professor Lobley's work. He has 

 been a diligent student of this historic volcano for a 

 quarter of a century, during which time he has 

 personally explored every available nook and comer, 

 collected its minerals, and studied its geological 

 structure. The results of these labours are now 

 presented in this handsomely got-up and well-printed 

 volume. No other volcano in the world has such a 

 crowning interest as Vesuvius. It is a sort of type 

 volcano, if we may use the expression, to which all 

 others are more or less compared. It has a written 

 history of more than eighteen hundred years of the 

 greatest interest ; but Professor Lobley begins with 

 Vesuvius when it was a pre-historic volcano, and 

 traces it down to its action in modern times. As a 

 literary work, this book deserves honourable mention. 



Professor Lobley's style ]is clear and animated, and 

 many parts of this book read like a novel. There 

 are two chapters devoted to the Neapolitan volcanic 

 region and the surroundings of Vesuvius. A third 

 gives a detailed description of the mountain itself. 

 Three chapters are devoted to its history : one to its 

 geology ; another to the discussion of volcanic action 

 generally ; as well as one to volcanic products. 

 Besides the above, there is a chapter on the minerals 

 of Vesuvius, and another on its flora. The appendix 

 contains some valuable references to the various 

 branches of the subject discussed, and there is a 

 good index. Professor Lobley's work is a decided 

 gain to our English geological literature. 



The Rotifera or Wheel- Animalcules, by Dr. C. T. 

 Hudson, assisted by P. H. Gosse (London : 

 Longmans). The above is the supplement to this 

 remarkable and valuable work, whose preciousness 

 must increase as the years roll on. During its 

 progress one of its distinguished authors, Mr. P. H. 

 Gosse, has died ; but Mr. Hudson has been fortunate 

 enough to live and see the completion of their joint 

 work. The present supplement contains nearly one 

 hundred and eighty exquisite figures and details of 

 Rotifera. This happily completed work is a credit 

 alike to private research and private enterprise. 



The British Moss-Flora, by Dr. R. Braithwaite. 

 Part XII. The present part of this notable work 

 (which can be had of the author, 303, Clapham Road) 

 completes the first volume. It is devoted to the 

 families Grimmiacea: and Schistostegacecz, and contains 

 seven exquisite plates, drawn by the author, setting 

 forth structural and other details of the members of 

 these two great groups. Dr. Braithwaite is one of 

 the chief of hving authorities on the subj ect of Mosses ; 

 and the preparation of this first volume must have 

 been to him a labour of love. That he may equally 

 enjoy the production and completion of his second 

 volume is the strong wish of his numerous friends. 



Mineral Resources of the United States (Washington : 

 Government Printing-OfiSces). This is the fifth 

 volume of this series. It gives details of the yields of 

 iron, copper, zinc, lead, tin, manganese, quicksilver, 

 nickel, gold, silver, &c., among the metals, each of 

 which has a special chapter devoted to it, signed by 

 the author's name. The chief part of the volume is 

 naturally given to coal. There are chapters on 

 the manufacture of coke, and others on petroleum 

 and natural gas. Precious stones are separately 

 discussed, as well as the mineral fertilizers which 

 have been raised. 



Electricity in our Homes and Workshops, by Sydney 

 F. Walker (London : Whittaker). This is just the 

 very book required as a popular and yet scientific 

 treatise on the subject of electricity in our homes 

 and workshops. Electricity has now become so 

 familiar to all sorts and conditions of men, that a 

 knowledge of its application is essential. Mr. 

 Walker's nicely got-up book contains seven chapters, 



