368 SOME NE W BOOKS [November 



The Halifax Naturalist for October has the following contents : — " Scraps 

 of the Life-History of Insects," by Miss Theodora Smith ; "The Life-History of 

 the Autumn Crocus," by C. E. Moss ; " Moorland Moths," by E. Halliday ; 

 " Haugh End," by J. Longbottom ; "The Flora of Halifax," by W. B. Crump ; 

 Field work in winter ; and Notes. 



The Naturalist for October has papers on "Air Blasts below Ground," by 

 H. Preston ; on " Botanical Finds in Cumberland," by W. Hodgson ; on 

 " Nottinghamshire Diptera," by Rev. A. Thornley, and on the " Florula of Bare, 

 West Lancaster," by F. Arnold Lees. 



The Canadian Record of Science, after eight months' delay, brought out the 

 first number of its eighth volume on 1st September. The publication com- 

 mittee of the Natural History Society of Montreal hopes in future to present 

 the Record regularly each quarter. The number before us contains a paper 

 by Professor E. W. M'Bride on "Zoological Problems for the Natural History 

 Society of Montreal," much of which is applicable to other societies of the kind. 

 The main contention is that, when once the local society has compiled complete 

 lists of the local fauna and flora, the attention of the naturalists should be 

 directed to the study of each species in relation to its environment. How 

 far are the distinctive characters of a species concordant with its special habits 1 

 What prevents two species living side by side from intermingling 1 How far 

 have the species of the systematists a physiological validity 1 



Other papers are a list of " The Gramineae, Cyperaceae and Juncaceae of 

 Montreal Island," by Harold B. Cushing and Robert Campbell, and " Dimor- 

 phism and Polymorphism in Butterflies," by H. H. Lyman. 



The study of small mammals has, as many other studies in zoology, arrived 

 at a stage where the chief desideratum is enormous quantities of individuals 

 for purposes of minute comparison. At the same time the study is so refined 

 that the specimens, to be of service, must all be prepared in a similar manner. 

 Those who are willing to help specialists by collecting for them will be glad to 

 have instructions clearly and compactly placed before them ; and this they can 

 now find in a pamphlet entitled " Directions for Preparing Study Specimens of 

 Small Mammals," issued by Gerrit S. Miller, Jun., as Part IV. of Bulletin of the 

 U. S. National Museum, No. 39 (10 pp. Washington, 1899). Special hints 

 for tropical climates are furnished by E. W. Nelson, the well-known collector. 



Knowledge for October is a strong number, — Professor Arthur Thomson of 

 Oxford discusses " Cranial form " ; Sir Michael Foster's presidential address at 

 Dover is expounded ; H. F. Witherby continues his account of two months' 

 natural history on the Guadalquiver ; Mr. Stebbing continues his wonderful 

 story of the Karkinokosm ; Mr. W. S. Bruce, lately returned from a cruise with 

 the Prince of Monaco, deals graphically with a haunt of his— the top of Ben 

 Nevis ; Mr. J. E. Gore still discourses with interest on some suspected variable 

 stars, and Prof. Cole introduces the reader to the secret of the Great Earth-mill, 

 and there is more besides. 



The Quarterly Review, No. 380, published on the 18th October, has an 

 illustrated article on " The Penycuik Experiments," which were discussed in 

 our last volume. 



The Journal of School Geography for September has the following articles : 

 — " Equipment of a Meteorological Laboratory," by R. De C.Ward; the Earth's 

 Interior," by J. A. Bownocker, " Niagara Falls, and the Commerce of the Great 

 Lakes," by C. A. M'Murry, and " the Caroline Islands." 



We have received a number of agricultural papers of interest, though dealing 

 with matters somewhat beyond our scope. From the Department of Agricul- 

 ture in the University of Aberdeen comes a report on an investigation with 



