74 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



which flowers (like conscious agents) are enabled to 

 repel and refuse admission to insects, such as ants, 

 which would rob the nectaries whilst rendering no 

 useful services in return. The hairs and glands on 

 stems and calyx, the fibrils on petals like those of 

 the bog-bean [Menyanthes trifoliata), &c, are all 

 intended against " forbidden guests." No one could 

 have been better intrusted with the editing of an 

 English edition of this remarkably original work than 

 Dr. Ogle. It is illustrated by lithographed details of 

 flowers whose structures are intended to repel insect 

 pests, and we have thus rather too closely packed to- 

 gether no fewer than one hundred and eighteen figures. 

 The Physical Geology and Geography of Great 

 Britain, by Professor Ramsay (London : Edward 

 Stanford), is a good illustrative book of the doctrine 

 of evolution, and "The Survival of the Fittest." 

 This is the fifth edition, and it has gradually grown 

 to its present remarkable bulk from a thin revised 

 copy of " reporter's notes " of certain lectures on the 

 subject. It has now attained the dignity of a book, 

 after additions to each edition of new matter and 

 fresh illustrations ; and it warrants us in saying that 

 it is the best and most readable book on the subject 

 in the English language. When a work has reached 

 its fifth edition, it has proved its amenity to ordinary 

 criticism. But the numerous additions to, and the 

 general revision of the present work have virtually 

 made it a new book. We have read it through from 

 back to back with fresh pleasure, although we had 

 experienced much delight with the perusal of the 

 more meagre third edition. We take it as a good 

 sign when men of Professor Ramsay's position, as 

 head of the geological survey, and also examiner-in- 

 chief in geology at South Kensington, write books of 

 this broad and understandable character for geological 

 readers. We hardly need say, after the above remarks, 

 that we cordially and earnestly recommend the work 

 to all students. 



IVildSports and Natural History of the Highlands, 

 by Charles St. John. (London : John Murray.) This 

 is a new and illustrated edition of a work which 

 sportsmen - naturalists have long placed on their 

 shelves, side by side with Gilbert White's " Selborne." 

 We are thankful that the publisher has issued such 

 an attractive edition as is likely to make this most 

 enjoyable book known to readers, who perhaps are 

 not aware of the treat in store for them on perusing 

 it. It is one of the "classics" of our zoological 

 works, full of mountain air, out-door adventures, and 

 observations, and in full sympathy with life of all kinds. 

 This edition is de luxe. Apart from the excellency 

 of the clear type, the woodcut illustrations are gems 

 of art, for among the artists are Harrison Weir, 

 Charles Whymper, A. C. Corbould, A. H. Collins, 

 A. T. Elwes, and J. W. Whymper. The reperusal 

 of this most delightsome book, under these advan- 

 tageous circumstances, has been as refreshingly 

 interesting as lovers' quarrels. 



Six Months in Ascension, by Mrs. Gill (London : 

 John Murray), gives a popular and very readable 

 description of the islands of that name, and of the 

 expedition thither to determine the correct distance 

 of the earth to the sun. There is a capital preface by 

 the husband of the authoress, Mr. David Gill, giving 

 the history of solar measurements. Some people 

 have complained that astronomers should differ to the 

 extent of a million or two of miles as to the correct 

 distance of the sun from us, but Mr. Gill well puts 

 this, when he tells us that if any one desires to form 

 an adequate idea of the difficulties of measuring the 

 sun's distance to a million of miles, he can best do it 

 by trying to measure the thickness of a florin-piece 

 looked at, edge on, a mile off. We may regard Mrs. 

 Gill's book as the best account of the history of, and 

 the reason for, the recent Venus' Transit Expedition 

 yet published. 



Geological students and others ought to be thankful 

 that the best man in England for such a task has 

 been selected to write an elementary text-book of 

 Petrology, a subject too [little studied by English 

 mineralogists. The Study of Rocks, by Frank Rutley, 

 F.G.S. (London : Longmans, Green, & Co.), is the 

 name of this new and cheap little manual. It supplies 

 a great want ; one attempted very successfully in 

 Mr. G. H. Kinahan's " Handy Book of Rock Names," 

 but still not properly met before. Petrology has been 

 gaining ground in England, and this text-book comes 

 in the very nick of time. In it the student will find 

 full instructions as to how to collect and arrange rock 

 specimens, and to cut and prepare sections for micro- 

 scopical examination. 



Practical Geology, by W. Jerome Harrison, F.G.S. 

 (London : W. Stewart & Co.), is a cheap little manual, 

 admirably adapted to teacher's classes, and to young 

 and earnest students. The author is a well-known 

 geologist, who has had sufficient experience in 

 geological teaching to know exactly what a student 

 wants, and how those wants are to be supplied. 

 This little book deals a good deal with field geology, 

 and thus enables the reader to sally forth and intel- 

 ligibly understand what he sees.;] Once a lad has 

 done this, he is a geologist henceforth. There are 

 few of the numerous elementary text - books of 

 geology, that we can commend more than this of 

 Mr. Harrison's. 



Baths and Bathing, and Personal Appearance in 

 Health and Disease (London : Hardwicke & Bogue), 

 are two additional little volumes of the now well- 

 known " Health Primers." No family library ought 

 to be without these cheap, attractive, and well- 

 printed little volumes. Each is an authority on the 

 subject it treats upon, for the authors are among the 

 most eminent. We cannot wonder, therefore, at the 

 great success of this speculation. The price of each 

 " Primer " is only one shilling, and as they deal with 

 almost every subject affecting health and disease, and 

 are written in a plain and intelligible manner, there 



