78 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



niggardliness with which the equally valuable 

 memoirs of our own Geological Survey are sent out 

 (or rather not sent out) for press notices. These 

 American volumes are aided by the best of illustra- 

 tions and maps. The paper is good and hotpressed ; 

 the type large, clear, and bold ; so that it is a 

 pleasure to turn over the pages. 



T/ie Mtitk Annual Report of the U.S. Geol. Survey 

 for 1887-88 is a large volume of over 700 pp., and 

 contains lengthy papers, abundantly illustrated, on 

 " The,Earthquake at Charleston," by Carl McKinley ; 

 " The Geology of Cape Ann, Massachusetts," by 

 N. S. Shaler ; and on the " Formation of Travertine 

 and Siliceous Sinter by the Vegetation of Hot 

 Springs," by Walter H. Weed. We have also 

 received a splendidly got up monograph of over 400 

 pp., crowded with maps and woodcuts, on " Lake 

 Bonneville," by Jerome K. Gilbert. The annual 

 vol., dealing with the " Mineral Products of the 

 United States," is, for the year 188S, by David T. 

 Day. It deals with the working of numerous natural 

 productions, including, besides all the metals, coal, 

 petroleum, natural gas, asphalte, ozokerite, ferti- 

 lisers, salt, mineral paint, and almost every kind of 

 material put to use, which the rocks of the earth's 

 crust naturally contain. These vols, are highly use- 

 ful. In addition to the vols, we have received 

 "Bulletins," Nos. 58-66, each devoted to a special 

 geological or paleontological subject. 



An Explanation of the Phonopore, by G. Langdon- 

 Davis (London : Kegan, Paul& Co.). This work is 

 printed in double columns, French and English, and 

 deals in a very clear manner with the details and 

 structure of the phonopore. There are numerous 

 illustrations. 



Electricity ; the Science of the Nineteenth ■ Century, 

 by E. M. Caillard (London : John Murray). We 

 have previously noticed favourably a book by Miss 

 Caillard on "The Invisible Power of Nature." In 

 the present work she gives a clear, readable, and 

 easily-understood outline of modern electricity, 

 chiefly for the benefit of general readers. With such 

 a book as this at their service, no intelligent person 

 need be ignorant of the most important and pregnant 

 of the physical sciences. It comprises four parts, 

 each having a series of chapters, devoted respectively 

 to " Static Electricity " (or Electricity at Rest), 

 *' Magnetism," " Current Electricity," and the 

 "Practical [Appliances of Electricity." There are 

 numerous illustrations. 



A Class Book on Light, by R. E. Steel (London : 

 Methuen & Co.), with 123 illustrations. This is not 

 only one of the best little treatises we have lately 

 seen on "Light," but on the elementary principles 

 of optics and optical instruments as well. The 

 contents contain eleven chapters as follows : — " The 

 Nature, Source, Intensity, and Velocity of Light," 

 " Reflexion from Plane Surfaces," " Ditto from 

 Curved Surfaces," " Single Refraction at Plane 



Surfaces," " Refraction at Curved Surface-Lenses," 

 "Dispersion," "Optical Instruments," "The Eye," 

 " Interference-Diffraction," "Double Refraction and 

 Polarisation," and on " Interference of Polarized 

 Light." 



The Foundations of Geometjy, by Edward T. Dixon 

 (Cambridge : Deighton, Bell & Co.) This is practi- 

 cally a new system of geometry based more or less 

 on psychological data. It| is a work calculated to 

 stimulate criticism, and the author boldly invites it. 



The Naturalist of Cumhrae. Being the Life of 

 David Robertson, by his friend, the Rev. Thomas R. 

 R. Stebbing (London: Kegan Paul «S: Co.) It is 

 not every man who has such a " Life " of himself as 

 this written whilst he is still living. Dr. Smiles set 

 the example of raising literary statues to living 

 heroes. Nevertheless, this book is altogether a de- 

 lightsome one, relating the early and brave struggles 

 of a worthy man, who stuck to business with such 

 perseverance that for years past he has been able to 

 devote himself wholly to natural history pursuits. 

 David Robertson is one of the most amiable and 

 modest of men ; a quiet, unassuming, but indefatig- 

 able worker, who will, we sincerely hope, live for 

 many years to come. Our readers should not fail to 

 procure this entertaining and instructive book. 



The Book of Aquaria, by the Rev. Gregory C. 

 Bateman, and Reginald A. R. Bennett (London: L. 

 Upcott Gill). We have already noticed Mr. Bate- 

 man's book on Fresh-water Aquaria. It is here 

 reproduced^ with Mr. Bennett's treatise on Marine 

 Aquaria added, so that the two make up a handy 

 book of reference for all aquarium keepers. 



Pasteur and Rabies, hy T. M. Dolan (London: 

 G. Bell & Sons). Dr. Dolan herein goes a " crusher " 

 against Pasteur's experiments connected with hy- 

 drophobia, which he not only disbelieves but 

 absolutely condemns. He heartily declaims against 

 what he calls " Vaccinomania." Readers of Pasteur 

 and other similar experimenters will here find all 

 that can be strongly stated on the other side. 



The Honey Bee : Its Natural History, Anatomy, 

 and Physiology, by T. W. Cowan (London : Houl- 

 ston & Son). The lauthor is a well-known writer 

 and authority on the subject which this prettily got 

 up book deals with. The part devoted to the 

 anatomy of the bee will interest all naturalists. 

 There is an abundance of original illustrations ; and 

 although Mr. Cowan has found himself obliged to 

 deal with the subject in a very concise manner, it is 

 not the less clear and highly readable on that account. 

 We are pleased to draw the special attention of all 

 bee-keepers to this excellent little manual. 



The Natural Food of Man, by Dr. Emmet Dens- 

 more (London : Pewtress & Co.), is a brief but clever 

 statement of opinion against the use of bread, cereals, 

 pulses, and all kinds of starch foods. We cordially 

 recommend the book to all our vegetarian readers, 

 many of whom will find new arguments therein. 



