LITERARY NOTICES. 



131 



three folded plates illustrating the relation 

 of diphtheria to geology and topography. 



Direct Legislation by the Citizenship 

 through the initiative and referen- 

 DUM. By J. W. Sullivan. New York : 

 Twentieth Century Co. Pp. 120. Price, 

 cloth, 75 cents ; paper, 25 cents. 



When an American learns that Switzer- 

 land is far in the lead of her sister republics 

 in the practice of democratic government, 

 many questions arise in his mind. This lit- 

 tle book is designed to answer them. Mr. 

 Sullivan concisely recounts the progress of 

 Switzerland in direct legislation during the 

 past sixty years, and shows the remarkable 

 influence of this legislation on the institu- 

 tions of the country. The statistics he cites 

 prove a very notable diffusion of prosperity. 

 He next shows that to a considerable length 

 direct legislation is practiced in the United 

 States in township, county, and State gov- 

 ernments, as well as in the national trades 

 and labor organizations. In his concluding 

 chapter Mr. Sullivan, although a strenuous 

 individualist, argues that in direct legislation 

 lies an open way to a peaceful political and 

 economic revolution. To the Swiss referen- 

 dum it is often objected that many legisla- 

 tive questions are above the ordinary voter's 

 comprehension, and demand the specially 

 trained mind of his representative. But 

 would not this check of comprehensibility 

 keep law-making within legitimate bounds, 

 and abolish the antagonism which so often 

 exists between the interests of the people 

 and those of their legislators ? 



Elementary Text-Book of Zoology. By 

 Dr. C. Claus. Translated and edited by 

 Prof. Adam Sedgwick. Second edition. 

 London and New York : Macmillan & Co. 

 Two vols. Price, $8. 



Among the German scientific text-books 

 that have won high favor among American 

 instructors is this work on zoology by 

 Dr. Claus. It is in two volumes, the first 

 comprising the General Part and the first 

 Special Part Protozoa to Insecta ; the sec- 

 ond volume containing the other Special 

 Part Mollusca to Man. In the General 

 Part a bird's-eye view of the organization 

 and development of animals in general is 

 given, and this is followed by a brief histori- 

 cal review of the science of zoology, an ex- 



planation of the classification of the present 

 day, and a statement of the evidence in favor 

 of Darwin's theory of descent. In the spe- 

 cial chapters which constitute the rest of the 

 work, types of the several families are de- 

 scribed with considerable detail. The text 

 is illustrated with seven hundred and six 

 woodcuts in Volume I and two hundred and 

 five in the smaller Volume II. 



Besides the list of towns and cities hav- 

 ing water- works, and accounts of their works, 

 The Manual of American Water - Works con- 

 tains summaries and statistical information 

 of great value to persons who are concerned 

 in this subject. From it we learn that there 

 were 2,037 water-works in operation on July 

 1, 1891, supplying 2,187 cities, towns, and 

 villages ; while in Canada there are 95 

 works, supplying 102 towns. Tables are 

 given showing the distribution of this supply 

 in the several States and provinces and 

 groups of the same; towns having more 

 than one plant; summaries of populations 

 supplied ; miles of mains, etc., also by States 

 and groups. The last tables show that 22,- 

 814,061, or about 36 per cent of the inhab- 

 itants of the United States, live in towns 

 having public water-works, and that only a 

 few towns having 8,000 or more inhabitants 

 are without works. The reported cost of 

 1,802 of the water-works in the United 

 States and Canada aggregates $504,035,492. 

 Other tables represent growth by number of 

 works and populations supplied ; dates of 

 construction by groups of States and half 

 decades ; like summaries of works com- 

 pleted or under construction since 1880, and 

 of works projected ; information respecting 

 the management of public water-works and 

 tenure of office of governing bodies; con- 

 sumption of water and use of metres ; own- 

 ership, whether by the public or by private 

 companies; franchises of water-works com- 

 panies ; and other facts of related character. 

 The main part of the book comprises the list 

 of water-works, given by States according to 

 their geographical arrangement and by towns 

 alphabetically, and comprising the items of 

 history, source of supply, mechanism, finan- 

 cial condition, and managing boards. 



A Preliminary Report on the Coal De- 

 posits of Missouri has been prepared by the 

 State Geologist, Arthur Winslow, in order 



