HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



241 



A GOSSIP ABOUT NEW BOOKS. 



WING to the pres- 

 sure of other ar- 

 ticles, we have 

 been unable to 

 give attention to 

 many new books 

 and new editions 

 which have been 

 sent us for notice, 

 until quite a small 

 library has col- 

 lected on our 

 table. First among 

 them calling for 

 attention is a new 

 edition of that well 

 known and most 

 readable of books, 

 Professor John- 

 ston's " Chemistry 

 of Common Life " 

 (London : W. Blackwood & Sons). It is edited by 

 a chemist upon whose shoulders in a great measure 

 Professor Johnston's mantle has descended, Professor 

 Church, who has caught up the spirit of the original 

 author in his revisions and eliminations, no less than 

 in the additional new knowledge which has brought 

 the book abreast of modern discoveries. To revise 

 and edit a book like this is no thankful task, and we 

 know of nobody who durst have adventured it with 

 any chance of success, except Professor Church. As 

 now given to the world," The Chemistry of Common 

 Life " is a most valuable work. 



Dr. Noad's "Student's Text-Book of Electricity " 

 (London : Crosby, Lockwood, & Co.) is the other 

 widely known book which now appears in a revised 

 and enlarged form. It is a work which needs no 

 criticism, for its character as a text-book has long 

 been gained. But no modern science has been such 

 an enormous gainer, either in its facts or the philo- 

 sophical explanation of them, as electricity. To 

 refurbish an excellent but old established manual, 

 with all the new matter and new views, is both a 

 delicate and an important task. But the work has 

 been entrusted to Mr. W. H. Preece, and it is un- 

 No. 179. 



necessaiy to add that it is admirably done. The 

 student now possesses a compendious and clearly 

 drawn up manual of modern electricity. "The 

 Manual of Bee-keeping," by John Hunter (London : 

 D. Bogue), has gained a third edition, which sufficiently 

 proves that the public have taken it under their 

 protection. This new edition is thoroughly revised 

 and greatly enlarged, and, both as regards type and 

 general appearance, has gained in its attraction. 

 The same may be said of an older and even more 

 general favourite, Mrs. Lankester's "Wild Flowers 

 worth Notice " (London : D. Bogue), which never 

 before appeared in such a glory of coloured plates and 

 gold as it does in this new edition just issued. This 

 book is also revised throughout, and the coloured 

 plates have been greatly improved, both from 

 artistic and botanical points of view. 



Two volumes which have caused great discussion 

 among philosophical naturalists during the past twelve 

 months are "Life and Habit" (London : D. Bogue), 

 and " Evolution, Old and New " (London : D. Bogue), 

 both by the same author, Samuel Butler, whose 

 " Erewhon " has its authorship now acknowledged. 

 Those who have read the latter most delightful and 

 cleverly written book, in which picturesque de- 

 scriptions worthy of Defoe, humour resembling that 

 of Swift, and trenchant satire not excelled by any 

 author in our language, are blended in the most 

 surprising fashion, will naturally turn towards these 

 two volumes from the same author with high ex- 

 pectations. We therefore think it savoured of the 

 greatest temerity for Mr. Butler to enter into a dis- 

 cussion for which he had not been prepared by any 

 scientific training. All that can make a book lively 

 in point of style is present in both the works under 

 notice, and particularly in " Life and Habit," which 

 we like by far the better of the two. It is often 

 pregnant with large and novel suggestions, and will 

 always be a valuable contribution to speculative 

 literature. Mr. Butler's freedom from restraints of 

 any kind gives his books a breeziness which is very 

 enjoyable. In his " Evolution, Old and New," there 

 are many capital ' ' hits " at the weaker places in 

 Darwinism ; but the author seems to us never to have 

 quite risen to the position of thoroughly acquiring 



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