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THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



God and the State. By Michael Bakou- 

 nine, Founder of Nihilism and Apostle 

 of Anarchy. Translated by Benjamin R. 

 Tucker. Boston : Benjamin R. Tucker. 

 Pp. 52. 15 cts. 



The name of the author of this pam- 

 phlet ought to give a sufficient indication of 

 its character. His apostleship of anarchy 

 appears to have been as active in a reli- 

 gious as in a social and political aspect. We 

 are informed that the work "contains an 

 attack upon the theistic idea from a new 

 stand-point, which, if successful, will result 

 in tremendous consequences." It is certainly 

 of interest to the student of mental phenom- 

 ena, and of the order of social movements 

 of which the author is a most conspicuous 

 representative. A preface is furnished by 

 Carlo Cafiero and Elisee Reclus. 



Popular Essays on the Movements of the 

 Atmosphere. By Professor William Fer- 

 rel. Washington: Government Print- 

 ing-Office. Pp. 59. 



The papers that make up this volume 

 were originally published in the " Nashville 

 Journal of Medicine and Surgery," "The 

 American Journal of Science," and "Na- 

 ture." They relate to the winds and cur- 

 rents of the ocean; the motions of fluids 

 and solids relative to the earth's surface ; 

 the cause of low barometer in the polar re- 

 gions and in the central part of cyclones ; 

 the relation between the barometric gra- 

 dient and the velocity of the wind ; and re- 

 searches on cyclones, tornadoes, and water- 

 spouts. 



Elementary Botany, with Student's Guide 

 to the Examination and Description of 

 Plants. By George Macloskie, D. Sc, 

 LL. D., Professor of Natural History in 

 the J. C. Green School of Science, Prince- 

 ton, N. J., and Medalist of Queen's and 

 London Universities. New York : Henry 

 Holt & Co. 1883. 



Macloskie's " Botany " is a marked de- 

 parture from our cherished models of botan- 

 ical text-books, and we confess that it has 

 taken considerable time for us to get accus- 

 tomed to its novelty. It is a wholly modern 

 work, and conforms to the revolution of 

 method that followed the translation of 

 " Sachs's Botany," from the German. The 

 body of the book, which is devoted to the 

 general principles of the science, is unusu- 



ally free from the technicalities of text- 

 books. The treatment is very fresh and 

 interesting, and in his aim to supply a read- 

 able sketch of botany the author has well 

 succeeded. 



As a "guide to work in the field and 

 laboratory," if supplemented by the further 

 guidance of the master, the work will no 

 doubt prove a success ; but as a manual for 

 private study it strikes us as unattractive 

 and unsatisfactory. But such a use of it 

 was probably not in the author's mind in its 

 preparation. 



Many people will object to Macloskie's 

 innovations in descriptive botany. If any- 

 thing in science is firmly settled it is thought 

 that botanical technology might make the 

 claim. But our author has not scrupled to 

 alter and amend its time-honored usages; 

 yet, if improvement be a sufficient war- 

 rant for change, we suspect that he can jus- 

 tify himself. He has certainly gained in 

 brevity, if not in greater precision of state- 

 ment, by which beginners in the study will 

 be gainers. Old botanists, however, will be 

 slow to adopt the new terms. We cordially 

 commend the volume to that large class of 

 readers who wish to know something of the 

 fundamental principles and philosophical 

 bearings of this important science. 



The Sun changes its Position in Space, 

 therefore it can not be regarded as 

 being " in a Condition of Rest." By 

 August Tischner. Leipsic: Gustav 

 Fock. Pp. 37. 



The obvious truth expressed in the title 

 is used as a basis of attack upon the ade- 

 quacy of the received theories of astrono- 

 my. " The smallest movement of the sun," 

 says the author, "overthrows the entire 

 fabric of Copernicus." If the sun is mov- 

 ing, the orbits traversed by the planets can 

 not be closed ; and the astronomical dictum 

 that, with reference to the planets, we may 

 regard the sun as being in a state of rest, 

 involves absurdity, for it assumes a motion 

 which is at rest. 



A Dictionary of Music and Musicians. 

 Edited by George Grove, D. C. L. Parts 

 XVII and XVIII. London and New 

 York : Macmillan & Co. Pp. 240. $2. 

 The present double part of the " Diction- 

 ary " contains the titles from "Sketches" 

 to " Sumer is icumen in," with the title-page 



