LITERARY AXD BIOGRAPHICAL. 



179 



were swallowed whole and alive. In 

 their descent through the frogs' dark 

 gastro-intestinal tract, they would illum- 

 inate the frogs at short intervals. While 

 still in the frogs' heads the latters' large 

 ears (tympanic membranes) would look 

 like miniature lanterns ; and then began 

 the descent into the frogs' stomach. 

 Again and again the insect would try to 

 see whither it was bound and shed its 

 ray of light, and the frog, fat, squat, and 

 contented, would glow internally with 

 satisfaction ; the white abdomen and 

 green sides looked most fantastic and pic- 

 turesque. 



Repeatedly I watched to see how long 

 the fire-fly would live and light up its 

 dreary abode, and a few figures may be 

 of interest. One fly turned on its phos- 

 phorescent lamp but two times within five 

 seconds ; another sixteen times in forty- 

 five seconds, and a third one eighteen 



times in one minute. The next observa- 

 tion recorded twenty-six illuminations 

 within a space of one hundred and twen- 

 ty seconds, or two minutejs ; another 

 twenty-nine illuminations in one minute 

 and fifty seconds; and the longest rec- 

 ord consisted of forty illuminations in 

 two minutes and fortv-five seconds. 



Appreciations. 



I enclose my subscription to "The Guide 

 to Nature" and welcome the child to my 

 family circle. I hope it will be strong and 

 healthy and a worthy relative of its prede- 

 cessor, "The Observer." — Henry M. Brown. 



Are we to have anything like "The Ob- 

 server?" If so, I am sure "The Guide" will 

 prove a success. I will speak of "The 

 Guide" to my students and will place my 

 copy in the Laboratory for them to use and 

 create a love for it. Meanwhile I wish you 

 all success. — Professor Alexander M. Kirsch. 



ITE 



AND 



BIOGRAPHICAL 



Lichenology for Beginners: By Frederick 

 Leroy Sargent. Cambridge, Massachu- 

 setts: Harvard Co-operative Society. 



This is an excellent book not only for 

 the beginner, but for anyone as a convenient 

 handbook. And more interesting to me 

 than the mere fact of the lichens is the 

 spirit of the author. 



Methods in Moss Study in Twelve Lessons: 



By Charles J. Maynard, West Newton, 

 Massachusetts: C. J. Maynard. 



This book has grown out of practical les- 

 sons given by the author in moss study. 

 While the author herein endeavors to teach 

 his pupils the close observation of specific 

 and other characters necessary for the iden- 

 tification of species, his aims reach higher 

 than this, and, as will be seen, the mere 

 identification of species is considered subor- 

 dinate to the study of the life history of 

 each moss, its habits and its relation to its 

 environment. 



Directory to the Birds of Eastern North 

 America: Illustrated with many wood 

 cuts and twenty plates drawn and en- 

 graved by the author. By Charles J. 

 Maynard. West Newton, Massachusetts: 

 C. J. Maynard. 



This manual is intended to aid students 

 in identifying birds in the field; hence ex- 

 ternal characters are chiefly used, and, as 

 far as possible, those only which are con- 

 spicuous enough to be seen by the aid of a 

 bird glass at a reasonable distance; while 

 the author has endeavored to avoid using 

 any characters not absolutely necessary for 

 identification. 



Characteristic habits and the manner of 

 flight are mentioned; the song, and other 

 notes and cries are also given. 



Afield with the Seasons: By James Buck- 

 ham. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell 

 & Co. 1907. 



A straightforward account of experiences 

 such as are likely to occur to any pains- 

 taking observer who explores pretty thor- 

 oughly a somewhat restricted area. The 

 field is one in which it is difficult for any 

 writer to attain distinction. 



Enlarged Edition of Webster's Internation- 

 al Dictionary. 25,000 added words and 

 phrases. "Revised Gazetteer of the 

 World. Revised Biographical Diction- 

 ary. Editor in Chief, W. T. Harris. Ph. 

 D., LL. D. G. & C. Merriam Co., Pub- 

 lishers, Springfield, Mass. 



