LITERARY NOTICES. 



275 



Ocean Wonders: A Companion for the Sea- 

 side, freely illustrated from Living Ob- 

 jects. By William E. Damon. New York: 

 D. Appleton & Co. Pp. 229. Price, $1.50. 



This is an elegant little volume, profusely 

 and beautifully illustrated, and abounding in 

 descriptions of those curious creatures of the 

 sea, most of which can be actually observed 

 by the dwellers upon the shore. It is hence 

 very properly designated as a companion for 

 the seaside. But that which is unique in 

 the volume, and gives it its peculiar value, 

 is the author's first-hand familiarity with 

 his subject, and the large amount of trust- 

 worthy, practical information it contains, 

 that will be of use to those who wish to 

 make collections for themselves. In this 

 respect the author's testimony is emphatic 

 and decisive. He says : " It is not so easy 

 as it appears at the first glance to assure 

 success in establishing a private aquarium. 

 Whatever value this volume possesses is 

 due to the fact that I give no second-hand 

 directions, but the results and deductions 

 of my own dearly bought personal experi- 

 ence, attained at a considerable outlay, not 

 only of time and trouble, but also of money, 

 in obtaining many rare and scarce speci- 

 mens of marine life, and in experiments to 

 ascertain the kind of animals which would 

 survive captivity. In the latter, I hope my 

 directions or hints will materially diminish 

 the amount of expenditure for such ama- 

 teurs as may peruse this book." 



The volume is admirably written, but of 

 this our readers may judge for themselves, 

 as some of Mr. Damon's contributions to 

 natural history have already appeared in 

 " The Popular Science Monthly." 



The Life and Letters of Frances Baroness 

 Bunsen. By Augustus J. C. Hare. Two 

 volumes in one. New York : Routledge 

 & Sons. Pp. 1,002. Price, $5. 



Frances Waddington was the daughter 

 of an English baronet, who lived in Wales. 

 When she was at the age of eighteen, the 

 family visited Rome, and she there met, 

 captivated, and married young Charles Bun- 

 Ben, a German, and afterward distinguished 

 as a diplomatist and historian. They lived 

 some twenty years in Rome, during which 

 Bunsen represented the Prussian Govern- 

 ment in an official capacity ; and he was 

 then sent to London to represent Prussia 



at the Court of St. James. He retained this 

 position, residing in London, about a dozen 

 years, when the family returned to Ger- 

 many. The Baroness was a woman of re- 

 markable character, who had a long career 

 in the most favored circles of English and 

 Continental society. She left the record of 

 her observations and experience in a great 

 number of letters, which her biographer, 

 Mr. Hare, has made free use of in editing 

 the work. She had a large family, to which 

 she was greatly devoted, and the history of 

 her life is an eminently wholesome and in- 

 structive piece of biographical work. 



The American Plant-Book, for the Conve- 

 nient Preservation and Analysis of Press- 

 ed Flowers, Ferns, Leaves, and Grasses. 

 By Harlan H. Ballard and Proctor 

 Thayer. Slote & Co., 1879. 



This book, which is neatly bound, pro- 

 vides for the fastening of about one hun- 

 dred flowers upon its pages. Opposite the 

 page which holds the plant there is printed 

 a guide to the careful description of it, with 

 blanks for the insertion of all particulars, 

 and also for its classification. The fron- 

 tispiece is an accurate engraving of poison 

 ivy and poison sumach, the only plants in 

 the northern United States which are se- 

 riously poisonous to the hand. Being bril- 

 liant and attractive, it is important that the 

 collector should be warned beforehand, that 

 he may avoid the danger. The book has 

 also an introduction, with directions how to 

 gather and press flowers. It is certainly a 

 more desirable arrangement for its purpose 

 than the home-made herbariums in com- 

 mon use. 



Lecture Notes on Chemical Physiolo- 

 gy and Pathology. By Victor C. 

 Vaughan, M. D., Ph. D., of the Uni- 

 versity of Michigan. Second edition, 

 revised and enlarged. Ann Arbor Pub- 

 lishing Company. Pp. 315. 

 The prompt sale of the first edition of 

 these notes has led the author to enlarge it. 

 Its character is expressed in its title, and it 

 claims to be, not a complete treatise, but 

 merely a practical guide to the working stu- 

 dent. This book seems to be executed with 

 care and judgment, and medical students 

 especially who desire a thorough prepara- 

 tion in the physiological applications of 

 modern chemistry will find it valuable. 



