244 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



revoltiBg account of the mode of burial of 

 the poor in Pfere-Lachaise, the statement 

 follows that " the Americans are the only 

 people who bury their dead decently and 

 beautifully — that is, so far as the present 

 mode of sepulture will allow them. For 

 beauty, extent, careful planting, picturesque 

 views and keeping, the garden cemeteries 

 formed within the past generation near all 

 the principal American cities are a great 

 advance upon anything of the kind in Eu- 

 rope." 



In horticulture the questions discussed 

 are such as the skillful cultivation of hardy 

 fruit-trees, which has made fruit so good 

 and plentiful in France, and has led to its 

 large exportation ; the remarkable culture of 

 asparagus, by which it is grown so abundant- 

 ly that for many weeks in the spring it is an 

 article of popular consumption ; Parisian 

 mushroom-culture; lettuce-growing in win- 

 ter and spring in the suburbs of Paris, by 

 a method so successful that they are able 

 to supply their own market and that of 

 many other cities. When these tender let- 

 tuces are eaten in winter, in England, they 

 are supposed to come from some soft south- 

 ern climate, while in fact they grow in a 

 climate as harsh as that of England. The 

 various processes by which these results 

 are gained are minutely described, and 

 every page of the volume is full of interest 

 and instruction. There are 538 superb il- 

 lustrations, many of which, in the chapters 

 upon the parks and gardens, are full-page 

 views of scenery and architecture. 



Tribes op California. By Stephen Pow- 

 er. Washington : Government Priuting- 

 Office. Pp. 635. 18'7'7. 



The aborigines of California differ from 

 the Atlantic tribes in sundry essential pai"- 

 ticulars, but most of all, perhaps, in their 

 unwarlike temper. They are a humble and 

 lowly race, one of the fowest on earth ; 

 yet the story of their lives might convey to 

 more favored races many a lesson of thrift, 

 contentment, and even of manly virtue. The 

 author has lived among these Indians for 

 three years, studying their manners and 

 customs with intelligent sympathy, and his 

 book is full of most curious information 

 concerning their social, political, and relig- 

 ious usages. We must not omit to add that 



the work evinces in Mr. Power no mean 

 degree of literary skill ; hence it is " as in- 

 teresting as a romance." It is illustrated 

 with a number of excellent plates. There 

 is an appendix on " Linguistics," by Major 

 Powell (of whose " Contributions to North 

 American Ethnology " this work forms Vol. 

 III.), containing comparative vocabularies 

 of the various dialects spoken by the native 

 races of California. The large map which 

 accompanies the volume shows the distribu- 

 tion of the different tribes throughout the 

 State. 



American Colleges : Their Students and 

 Work. By Charles H. Thwing. G. P. 

 Putnam's Sons. Pp. 169. Price, $1. 



This is a carefully-digested and useful 

 little volume, giving a great deal of informa- 

 tion in relation to American collegiate insti- 

 tutions. It treats of " Expenses," " Morals," 

 " Religion," "Societies," "Athletics," "Col- 

 lege Journalism," "Fellowships," " Chairs of 

 a College," and " Rank in College as a Test 

 of Distinction." 



A Dictionary of Music and Musicians. 

 Edited by George Grove. Part IV. 

 Macmillan & Co. Price, $1.25. 



This number runs from " Concert-Spi- 

 rituel" to " Ferrara," and, like the former 

 numbers, is full of musical science, art, eru- 

 dition, and biography. The work improves 

 with every number. 



PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED. 



Sanitary Examination of Water, Air, and 

 Food. By Dr. Cornelius B. Fox. Philadelphia : 

 Lindsay & Biakiston. 1878. Pp. 528. 



Life in other Worlds. By Dr. Adam Miller. 

 Chicago : Fox, Cole & Co. 1878. Pp. 283. $1.50. 



The Old House altered. By George C. Ma- 

 son. Nc'w York : Putnam's Sons. 1878. Pp. 

 179. $2.50. 



The Proportions of the Steam-Engine. By 

 William D. Marks. Philadelphia : J. B. Lip- 

 pincott & Co. 1879. Pp. 161. 



How to parse. Bv Rev. Edwin A. Abbott. 

 Boston : Pvoberts Brothers. 1878. Pp. 374. $1. 



Introductory Chemical Practice. By G. C. 

 Caldwell and A. A. Breneman. New York : Van 

 Nostrand. 1878. Pp. 170. $1-50. 



ZoOlosry of the Vertebrate Animals. By Dr. 

 Alexander Macalister. New York : Holt & Co. 

 1878. Pp. 146. 60 cents. 



Outline? of Ontological Science. By H. N. 

 Day. New York : Putnam's Sons. 1878. Pp. 

 452. $1.75. 



The Blessed Bees. By J. Allen. Pp.169. $1. 



