520 SCIENCE PROGRESS 



products. Part II, entitled Aliphatic Compounds, commences with an account 

 of the paraffins, and passes on to their halogen derivatives. A few pages are then 

 devoted in successive chapters to a description of the higher members of the series 

 of alcohols, ethers, aldehydes, and esters ; next follow the unsaturated hydro- 

 carbons, carbohydrates, hydroxy-, dibasic, and unsaturated acids, nitrogen com- 

 pounds, ureides and proteins. The two latter groups are treated in a somewhat 

 stepmotherly fashion, for it seems rather a pity that in a book written for medical 

 students the term " purine " should not even be mentioned, while it is likewise to 

 be regretted that no indication whatever is given of the modern conception of the 

 constitution of the proteins. Part III is devoted to aromatic compounds. The 

 systematic way in which the author refrains from introducing any subject without 

 a practical illustration is well exemplified by the fact that the last subject dealt with 

 in the book is the molecular weight determination of bases by means of their 

 platinum salts, which, instead of being introduced early in the book with the other 

 methods, is here described in connection with the alkaloids. The book throughout 

 is attractively written, and, being printed in clear type on good paper, deserves to 

 be largely read by those commencing the study of organic chemistry. 



P. H. 



ZOOLOGY 



A Bibliography of British Ornithology from the Earliest Times to the End 

 of 1912, including Biographical Accounts of the Principal Writers 

 and Bibliographies of their Published Works. By W. H. Mullens, 

 M.A., L.L.M., F.L.S., M.B.O.U., and H. Kirke Swann. In Six Parts. 

 (London : Macmillan & Co., 1916 and 191 7. Price 6s. net each Part.) 



The last part of this useful work has now reached us, and we can but congratulate 

 the authors on the successful completion of their laborious task. It is difficult to 

 review such a work in the ordinary way, for one feels that one's own knowledge 

 on the subject — so vast in its scope — is wholly inadequate to enable one to write a 

 comprehensive criticism. 



The general arrangement is good, and the idea of printing the list of Addenda 

 and Corrigenda on one side of the paper only in order that each item may be cut 

 out and inserted in its correct place is sound and useful. That there are omissions 

 which have not appeared even on this list is not a matter of surprise ; but as far 

 as our personal knowledge extends, they are very limited in number. 



One would expect the biographical sketches to be short, involving a selection 

 of incidents and facts. Better judgment would have enhanced the value of some 

 of these. For instance, in the paragraph on Dr. R. Bowdler Sharpe, no mention 

 is made of the fact that he was President of the International Ornithological Con- 

 gress in London in 1910. Yet this was probably the greatest event in his 

 ornithological career. 



We look forward with pleasure to the production of the projected Geographical 

 Bibliography. It should prove extremely useful to the many students of county 

 ornithology, and will supply a long-felt want. 



W. R. 



The Biology of Dragon-flies (Odonata or Paraneuroptera). By R. J. Tillyard, 

 M.A., B.Sc, F.L.S., F.E.S. [Pp. xii + 396, with 4 plates and 188 figures.] 

 (Cambridge : University Press, 191 7. Price 15J. net.) 



For some reason or other the dragon-flies have not been studied from the morpho- 

 logical, embryological, and bionomic points of view anything as much as one 



