1897] SOME NEW BOOKS 275 



Saws and Sickles," in which is giveu an excellenl general account of 

 these implements, together with views on such controversial matters 

 as, for instance, the use of the wooden-handled Hint "saws" from 

 Polada, which Mr Spurrell regards as sickles allied to those found 

 by Mr Petrie at Kahnn. 



The illustrations are numerous, and for the most part good ; the 

 text is not always free from blemish, in the shape of curious printer's 

 errors, which have survived the proof-reading ordeal ; there are also 

 sundry awkwardly turned sentences. These, however, do not in any 

 way affect the value of the work, nor do the unimportant, if inartistic 

 slips, impair our indebtedness to the author. H. B. 



Some Elementary Text- Books. 



First Stack Physiography (The Organised Science Series). By A. M. Davies. 8vo, 



pp. viii. 238, with 110 illustrations. London: W. B. Olive & Co., 1897. Price, 2s. 

 Elements of Physical Geography. ByS. 15. J. Skertchly. 28th Edition ; revised 



by J. H. Howell. 8vo, pp. viii. 224. London : F. Murby, 1896. Price, 2s. 

 A Text-Book of Geology. By W. J. Harrison. 8vo, pp. viii. 343, with 140 



illustrations. London : Blaekie & Son, 1897. Price, 3s. (3d. 

 First Stage Mechanics of Fluids (The Organised Science Series). By G. H. Bryan 



and F. Rosenberg. Svo, pp. viii. 208, with 77 illustrations. London : W. B. 



Olive & Co., 1S97. Price, 2s. 

 First Principles of Natural Philosophy. By A. E. Dolbear. Svo, pp. x. 318, 



illustrated. Boston, U.S.A., and London : Oinn & Co., 1897. Price, 4s. 6d. 



The constant alterations in the syllabus for Physiography in the 

 .Science and Art Department's examination render necessary a 

 continual series of new or greatly revised text-books. Mr A. M. 

 Davies' " First Stage Physiography " will, therefore, no doubt be 

 extremely useful. It has all the merits of a good elementary text- 

 book ; it is concisely and clearly expressed, it is thoroughly reliable 

 and up to date ; it is illustrated by a series of well-selected diagram- 

 matic figures of which many are new ; and the definitions are ex- 

 plained by homely illustrations which are so chosen as to be very 

 suggestive to an intelligent student. The only point in the book we 

 regret is the use of the metric system for all dimensions, an inno- 

 vation in an elementary book on this subject which we think hardly 

 likely to lead to accurate perception among students. It was perhaps 

 a pity to refer to a lustre in the explanation of the form of a prism ; 

 for as the point in which students most often go wrong is by regard- 

 ing a prism as a triangular pyramid, an error for which comparison 

 with a lustre, which has a pointed end, is apparently generally 

 responsible. It is not cpuite correct to say that the snow-line reaches the 

 sea-level in Greenland. But except for one or two trivial points like 

 these, there is nothing in the book with which we can find fault. 

 AVe can only wish the bock the circulation it deserves. 



Opportunity has been taken of the issue of a 28th edition of 

 Skertchly's small " Physical Geography " to subject it to extensive 

 revision, which might, however, have been made even more thorough. 

 The book, as it now stands, has many good points, the chapter on 

 " Astronomical Relations " being probably the best ; subjects such as 

 the precession of the equinoxes, and the method of finding latitudes 

 are generally stumbling blocks to the beginner, but they are here 

 clearly explained. The main points to which the editor might attend 



