380 SCIENCE PROGRESS 



Studies in Water Supply. By A. C. Houston, M.B., D.Sc, Director of 

 Water Examination, Metropolitan Water Board. [Pp. ix + 203.] (London : 

 Macmillan & Co., 1913. Price $s. net.) 



In his preface, Dr. Houston explains that he has often been urged to write a text- 

 book on Water Supply, but as he has not been able to find the time for such 

 a large task, he has here contented himself with writing a monograph dealing 

 with his own personal experiences and investigations. His monograph will 

 probably be, if anything, more valuable than a text-book, as it is full of just the 

 kind of information which is required. In order to indicate the scope of the 

 work we may note that the successive chapters deal with the Sources of Water 

 Supply, Researches justifying Rivers as Sources of Water Supply, the Question of 

 Abstraction, Supplementary Processes of Water Purification, the Sterilisation 

 Processes with Special Reference to the "Excess-Lime Method," Storage in Relation 

 to Purification, Water and Disease, the Financial Value of a Pure Water Supply, 

 Bacteriological Routine Methods, Bacteriological Special Methods, and Mis- 

 cellaneous Information dealing with the Weather of London, Statistics, and so 

 on, and some of the Chief Reports of the Metropolitan Water Supply. In addition 

 to several very interesting theoretical discussions, there is much technical informa- 

 tion based upon the practice of the Metropolitan Water Board. This excellent 

 monograph is very properly dedicated by Dr. Houston to his Staff. 



Modern Methods of Water Purification. By John Don, F.I.C., A.M.I. 

 Mech.E., and John Chisholm, A.M.I. Mech.E., Engineer and Manager 

 of the Artdree, Coatbridge, and District Waterworks. [Pp. xvii + 398, with 

 106 illustrations. Second, revised and enlarged edition.] (London : 

 Edward Arnold, 1913. Price 15s. net.) 



This work on a cognate subject is more of the nature of a definite text-book, 

 and we are glad to see a second and revised edition, called for by the necessity of 

 describing processes which have come into prominence during the two years 

 which have elapsed since the publication of the first edition. The work purports 

 to be, and is, a general account of the theory and practice of water purification, 

 that is to say of a subject which is of importance to every one, and especially 

 to our innumerable Water Authorities and Medical Officers of Health. The 

 successive chapters deal with Sources of Supply, Storage, the Construction of 

 Reservoirs and Care of Filtered Water, Sand-Filtration, the Management of 

 Sand-Filters, Mechanical Filters, Purification of Ozone, Water Softening and 

 Household Applicances, the Testing of Water, the Problems of Distribution, 

 and Recent Advances in Sterilisation, with an appendix of Useful Appliances and 

 Data relating to Water Filtration and Measurements. There is also a concise 

 and very useful bibliography of the subject of Water Purification. The description 

 of the biological contents of waters is perhaps rather short to please biologists, but 

 this is in its entirety too large a subject for text-books. There are copious 

 illustrations and diagrams of machinery and of other matters. 



Kinship and Social Organisation. By W. H. R. Rivers, M.D., F.R.S. 

 [Pp. iv + 96.] (London : Constable & Co., 1914. Price 2s. 6d. net.) 



This little book is one of the series of Studies in Economic and Political Science 

 edited by the Hon. W. Pember Reeves, Director of the London School of 

 Economics and Political Science. It consists of three lectures delivered by 



