HARD WICKE ' S S CIE NCE- G O SSIP. 



From Paris to Pekin over Siberian Snows, by Victor 

 Mignan. Edited from the French by William Conu 

 (London : W. Swan Sonnenschein & Co.). This is a 

 delightful work of travel, so well translated that not 

 the slightest flavour of French humour is lost. The 

 author is a genuine traveller, not a mere " globe- 

 trotter." He has an observant eye — for scenery, 

 politics, men and women (especially the latter). And 

 then the ground traversed is so little known to the 

 general reader — Lake Baikal, the deserts of Gobi, 

 North China, &c. The work cannot fail to be 

 popular. 



Natural History and Sport, by the Rev. G. C. 

 Green (London : L. Reeve & Co. ). At first thought 

 we felt there was more sport than natural history, 

 more killing than observation, in this charming little 

 book. We mention the feeling because others may 

 think so too, and we hasten to say how sorry we 

 afterwards felt for having unconsciously libelled a 

 genuine and enthusiastic naturalist and true sports- 

 man. Mr. Green sets down the delightful experiences, 

 wanderings, and observations of such a happy and 

 contented life, that we wish more people could live 

 it. We feel, whilst reading Mr. Green's book, 

 how much a knowledge of natural history can sweeten 

 a human life. 



A Manual of Health Science, by Dr. Andrew 

 Wilson (London : Longmans). People, as they 

 increase in intelligence, feel they have as much right 

 to look after their bodies as their souls, and not to be 

 content merely with entrusting them to the doctor 

 and the parson. In what may be called the revival 

 of public interest in Health matters, Dr. Andrew 

 Wilson has taken a prominent part. The little book 

 before us is a valuable one, and it sets forth clearly 

 and plainly a comprehensive statement of the leading 

 facts and features of sanitary laws. 



British Zoophytes, by A. S. Pennington, F.L.S. , Sec. 

 (London : L. Reeve & Co.). This is a valuable and 

 neatly got up manual on the hydroida, actinozoa, 

 and polyzoa, illustrated with abundant lithographs. 

 Mr. Pennington has aimed to do for the present 

 generation of students what Dr. Landsborough did 

 so well for the last. Since Landsborough's time the 

 microscope has become a working tool, and histology 

 has grown up. Mr. Pennington has abundantly 

 utilised all the materials at his service, and has laid 

 Hincks, Busk, Allman and others under contribution ; 

 all of which he honestly and frankly admits. In 

 consequence he has produced a valuable and handy 

 student's manual. 



Myths and Dreams, by Edward Clodd (London : 

 Chatto & Windus). A more delightfully written 

 book than this we have not read for many a day. 

 It steers clear alike of the Baconian method of 

 mythological explanation and the Solar. Although 

 evolutionistic Mr. Clodd does not even accept Herbert 

 Spencer's ideas. For clear and clever and attractive 

 treatment of subjects usually deemed dry and useless, 



we know of none which can compare with the little 

 volume under notice. 



Moon-Lore, by the Rev. Timothy Harley (London : 

 Swan Sonnenschein & Co.). Our earth's " solitary 

 companion, the' moon," has left its mark on human 

 character and literature. In mythology, legend, 

 folk-lore, theology even — poetry, superstition — it 

 would be difficult to find another natural object to 

 excel the moon. It is a wonder nobody has collected 

 all this varied matter together in a handy and read- 

 able form. At length it has been done, and, from 

 what we have read, done well ! 



Proceedings of the Literary and Philosophical Society 

 of Liverpool, vol. xxxviii. (London : Longmans). 

 We are always pleased to receive the neatly got up 

 annual volume of this well-known society. It is sure 

 to contain papers full of original matter as well as 

 original research. Among those of exceeding interest 

 in vol. xxxviii., are the following : " Descriptions of 

 recent additions to the Liverpool Museum," by Mr. 

 T. J. Moore; "Mind in Man and the Lower 

 Animals," by R. Steel; "Museums of Natural 

 History," by H. H. Higgins ; " The Flora and 

 Fauna of Oceanic Isles," by R. J. H. Gibson ; " The 

 Introduction of Peruvian Bark into India," by Dr. 

 J. B. Nevini, &c. 



Recherches Anatomiques snr les Organes Vegetatifs 

 de FUrtica Dioica, par A. Gravis (Bruxelles : Librairie 

 Scientifique de A. Manceaux). In this original work 

 Dr. Gravis has really prepared a kind of botanical 

 typical basis for the study of the natural order 

 Urticaceie. Every detail, histological, physiological, 

 and morphological, of the type-plant is elaborately 

 dwelt upon ; and outsiders would little imagine 

 that any botanist could devote 260 quarto pages, 

 and 23 beautifully got up plates, full of structural 

 details, to so ordinary a plant as the common 

 nettle ! 



The World's Lumler-Room, by Selina Gaye (Lon- 

 don : Cassell & Co). This is an unfortunate and 

 unattractive, as well as an inexpressive title for the 

 nicely got up book before us. It deals with every- 

 thing it is possible to find in a "lumber room,"— 

 dust, beetles, fossils, corals, &c. &c. 



Short Studies from Nature, by various authors 

 (London: Cassell & Co.). A very attractive and 

 readable volume on natural history subjects ; the 

 "various authors "are all men of mark, and skilful 

 writers withal, such as Dallas, Buchanan White, 

 Robert Brown, &c. 



Where to find Ferns, by F. G. Heath (London : 

 The Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge). 

 Mr. Heath is the Apostle of the Gospel of Ferns, 

 and a very taking one too. But we hope he won't 

 tell too much about them — at least not about the 

 rarest and prettiest— or they will be certainly stolen. 

 In that case Mr. Heath would reap his reward, for 

 by the process of natural selection, there would be no 

 ferns for him to write about so agreeably. In the . 



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