LITERARY NOTICES. 



113 



Jaiires-Bericht des Naturhistorisciien 

 Vereins yon Wisconsin. 18*76 '77. 

 Milwaukee : C. Dorfliuger, printer. 



Tins Annual Report of the Natural His- 

 tory Association of Wisconsin shows a grati- 

 fying increase in the number of members, 

 and in the specimens contained in the va- 

 rious cabinets of natural history. The as- 

 sociation embraces a section for zoology, 

 one each for botany, mineralogy, geology, 

 and ethnology, and the cabinets of each of 

 these sections received during the year a 

 large number of additional specimens. The 

 list of active members embraces over 200 

 names. 



Relative Ages of the Sun and Certain of 

 the Fixed Stars. By Prof. D. Kirk- 

 wood. Pp. 4. 



From the facts considered in this essay 

 by Prof. Kirkwood, it appears to follow that 

 1. The solar system has not existed over 

 twenty or thirty million years ; 2. That our 

 solar system is more advanced in its physi- 

 cal history than the larger component of the 

 double star Alpha Centauri; 3. That 61 

 Cygni has reached a greater degree of con- 

 densation than the sun ; and, 4. The com- 

 panion of Sirius has reached a greater state 

 of maturity than the sun, while the contrary 

 seems to be true in regard to the principal 

 star. 



The Locust- Plague in the United States. 

 By C. V. Riley, M. A., Ph. D. Pp. 236. 

 With numerous Illustrations and Col- 

 ored Maps. Chicago : Rand, McNally 

 & Co. Price, $1.25. 



We have here the fruit of the author's 

 long-continued studies of the haunts and 

 habits of the Rocky Mountain locust, as 

 published from time to time in the " Ento- 

 mological Reports of Missouri " and in sun- 

 dry periodicals. The subject of the book is 

 one that possesses a lively interest for farm- 

 ers over a wide area of our Western States 

 and Territories. Prof. Riley's object in pub- 

 lishing in a separate volume all the infor- 

 mation he has been able to acquire with 

 regard to the Rocky Mountain locust is a 

 practical one namely, to acquaint the 

 farmer with the means of counteracting 

 this plague hence he, as far as possible, 

 avoids technicalities, and writes in a style 

 easily intelligible to the popular mind. 

 vol. xii. 8 



Compendium of Facts and Events. Com- 

 piled by E. Emery. Pp. 490. Peoria, 

 111. : Transcript print. Price, $3. 



This very convenient volume represents 

 an enormous expenditure of labor in collect- 

 ing statistical information in regard to " al- 

 most everything of interest to man." The 

 matter is gathered in every instance from 

 the most authentic sources, and is presented 

 to the reader in the smallest possible com- 

 pass. The work is one of permanent value. 

 It is full of useful information for men in 

 every walk of life, as the farmer, the me- 

 chanic, the merchant, the publicist, the 

 schoolmaster, the man of letters, etc. 



Peters's General History of Connecticut. 

 Edited by Samuel Jarvis McCormick. 

 Pp. 285. New York : D. Appleton & Co. 

 Price, $1.50. 



It was in this volume that publication 

 was first made to the outside world of the 

 so-called " Blue-Laws " of Connecticut. Of 

 these laws the author says that they were 

 "never suffered to be printed." He does 

 not profess to do more than to give " a 

 sketch " of some of them, so as to exhibit 

 the spirit which pervades the whole. What 

 that spirit was can be seen from a few of 

 the prohibitions of the code, for instance : 

 " No one shall run on the Sabbath-day, or 

 walk in his garden or elsewhere, except rev- 

 erently to and from meeting. No woman 

 shall kiss her child on the Sabbath or fast- 

 ing-day. No one shall read common-prayer, 

 keep Christmas or Saints-days, make minced- 

 pies, dance, play cards, or play on any in- 

 strument of music, except the drum, trum- 

 pet, and Jew's-harp. No food or lodging 

 shall be afforded to a Quaker, Adamite, or 

 other heretic." The authenticity of these 

 laws has been called in question, and re- 

 cently Mr. J. H. Trumbull published a work 

 designed to show that the "False Blue- 

 Laws " were invented by Dr. Peters. The 

 object of the editor in republishing the work 

 is to make the public acquainted with the 

 side of the question opposed to that of Mr. 

 Trumbull, and to confirm, as far as possible, 

 by contemporary testimony, the truthfulness 

 of Dr. Peters's summary of the Puritanic 

 legislation of Connecticut and New Haven. 

 But, quite apart from this question, the 

 work is one of real value, and well worthy 

 the honor of republication. 



