828 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



giving particular attention to the fauna of 

 the country, taking back with him to Eng- 

 land a fine collection of birds. In February, 

 1820, he sailed a third time for Demerara, 

 and, continuing his explorations for a season, 

 returned to England at the end of a year 

 with a larger number of specimens than he 

 had before been able to obtain. But this 

 time a stinging disappointment awaited his 

 arrival. Although his specimens were in- 

 tended solely for his own museum, and were 

 none of them for sale, impudent and over- 

 zealous custom-house officials gave no end 

 of trouble when he landed by detaining his 

 cases of material, and subsequently exact- 

 ing heavy duties as a condition of their re- 

 lease. Appeal to the Government did no 

 good, and, smarting under a sense of the 

 outrage, he retired to his home in Yorkshire, 

 resolved not to expose himself to similar 

 annoyance and insult again. Three years 

 later, however, he started on his fourth and 

 last journey, described in the " Wander- 

 ings," this time going first to New York, 

 and, after a short trip in the United States, 

 returning by the way of the British West 

 Indies to Demerara. After a stay of a few 

 months, mostly spent in further explora- 

 tions, he resumed his homeward voyage, 

 reaching England early in 1 825. 



Mr. Waterton was a keen observer, and 

 in the regions which he visited permitted 

 little in the line of natural history to escape 

 him. The topography of the country, its 

 plants and animals, and the character and 

 habits of its human inhabitants, all received 

 attention ; and though at first many of his 

 descriptions were met with incredulity and 

 some of them even with derision, fifty years 

 have served to confirm their accuracy in 

 nearly every particular, and to show that, as 

 an enthusiastic and painstaking investiga- 

 tor, Mr. Waterton had few equals and no 

 superiors. Added to this, the story is sim- 

 ply and most charmingly told, an abundant 

 sprinWhig of quiet humor and occasional 

 vivid descriptions of exciting adventures 

 serving to enliven and give variety to the 

 narrative. The "Wanderings" close with 

 a chapter •on taxidermy, in which the author 

 attained remarkable proficiency, especially 

 in the mounting of birds. He introduced 

 many improvements in the art, and offers 

 numerous valuable hints for those interested 



in the preservation of natural history speci- 

 mens. 



Besides the biography, which occupies 

 the first five chapters of the book, Mr. 

 Wood has supplied a full "Explanatory 

 Index," which contains a large amount of 

 valuable information regarding the animals 

 and plants mentioned in the " Wanderings." 

 Many of these were described by Mr. AVa- 

 terton under their local names, which, for 

 scientific purposes, were of little use. In 

 type, paper, illustrations, and binding, the 

 publisher has left nothing to be desired. 



The American Journal of Otologt. Ed- 

 ited by Clarence J. Blake, M. D. Quar- 

 terly. Vol. I., No. 1. New York : Wil- 

 liam Wood & Co. Pp. 80. Price, $3 per 

 year. 



As the editor of this new journal re- 

 marks in his introductory note, " the past 

 ten years have seen a remarkable increase 

 of interest in the study of the laws which 

 govern the production and propagation of 

 sonorous vibrations, and correspondingly in 

 the structure, functions, and diseases" of 

 the ear. Hence the " Journal of Otology " 

 is a welcome addition to the list of Ameri- 

 can medical and scientific periodicals. The 

 editor is assisted by a very strong staff, 

 viz., Professor A. M. Mayer, Dr. Albert H. 

 Buck, Dr. C. H. Burnett, Dr. J. Orne Green, 

 and Dr. H. N. Spencer. The articles in the 

 present number are : " Graphic and Photo- 

 graphic Illustrations of Sound-Waves," by 

 the editor ; " Growth of Aspergillus in the 

 Living Human Ear," by Dr. C. H. Burnett ; 

 "Syphilitic Affections of the Ear," by Dr. A. 

 H. Buck ; •' Use of Calcium Sulphide in the 

 Treatment of Inflammations of the External 

 Auditory Meatus," by Dr. S. Sexton ; Book 

 Notices ; and Keviews. 



Industrial Education. By Professor Al- 

 exander Hogg. Galveston, Texas : 

 "News "Print. ISYg. Pp.52. 



The author, who is a Professor of Mathe- 

 matics in the Agricultural and Mechanical 

 College of Texas, in his first chapter sketch- 

 es a course of studies suitable for an insti- 

 tution of that kind ; in his second and third 

 chapters he describes the present state of 

 the Texas Agricultural College, and points 

 (Xit some of its more pressing needs. 



