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THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



Land and its Rent. By Francis A. Walk- 

 KR, Ph. D., LL. D. Boston: Little, 

 Brown & Co. Pp. 232. Price, 75 cents. 



This volume contains the substance of 

 four lectures delivered in Harvard Univer- 

 sity, in May, 1883. While the author differs 

 from most American economists upon the 

 relation of wages to the interest of capital 

 and to the profits of business management, 

 he claims to be, in his view of the origin of 

 rent and its influence upon the distribution 

 of wealth, "a Ricardian of the Ricardians." 

 He first presents the economic doctrine of 

 rent, and then considers attacks upon the 

 doctrine by Bastiat, Carey, and Leroy-Beau- 

 lieu. He expresses a high opinion of Bas- 

 tiat's noble purpose and able writing, but 

 says that, " as a constructive economist, he 

 made a dead failure, while his views regard- 

 ing the land arc especially erroneous." At- 

 tacks upon the practice of individual appro- 

 priation of land, by J. S. Mill and Henry 

 George, are next examined, and the propo- 

 sitions of the latter are emphatically con- 

 demned. In the concluding chapter Dr. 

 Walker offers some suggestions regarding 

 that tenure of the land which is best suited 

 to advance the interests of society as a 

 whole. 



Public Relief and Private Charity. " Ques- 

 tions of the Day," No. 13. By Josephine 

 S. Lowell. New York: G.P.Putnam's 

 Sons. Pp.111. Price, paper, 40 cents. 



Starting with the conviction that it is 

 for the best interests of all that the indigent 

 members of any civilized community be kept 

 from desperation or death by the produce of 

 those who work, the writer goes on to show 

 that care within the walls of institutions is 

 much more economical, and has a better 

 moral effect, than out-door relief. Copious 

 extracts from reports and addresses, testi- 

 fying to the evil results of out-door relief 

 practice in England, are given, and are sup- 

 plemented by similar testimony from Con- 

 tinental and American observers. For each 

 county throe departments are recommended, 

 namely : for the care of children, care of 

 public dependents, and reduction of crime. 

 Special attention is directed to the impor- 

 tance of removing children from the influ- 

 ence of vicious parents, and the labor-test 

 as a preliminary to aiding able-bodied adults 

 is insisted on. 



The Human Body. By H. Newell Martin 

 and Hetty Cary Martin. New York : 

 Henry Holt & Co. Pp. 261, with Plates. 

 Price, 90 cents. 



This is a " beginner's text book " in 

 anatomy, physiology, and hygiene. It at- 

 tempts to present accurately, and, at the 

 same time, in such a way that children can 

 understand them, those facts concerning the 

 structure and actions of the living human 

 body which it is desirable, for practical pur- 

 poses, that every one should know. The 

 broad facts of human anatomy and physi- 

 ology are presented, but little more is intro- 

 duced than is necessary to make clear the 

 reasons, as regards the preservation of 

 health, for following or avoiding certain 

 courses of conduct. Prominence is given 

 to matters which are usually within the 

 easy control of each individual. The dan- 

 gers attending the use of stimulants and 

 narcotics are forcibly presented. 



Bermuda: An Idyl of the Scmmer Isl- 

 ands. By Julia C. R. Dokr. New 

 York : Charles Scribner's Sons. Pp. 

 148, with Maps. Price, $1.25. 



The author spent a spring in Bermuda, 

 and in this book records her experiences 

 and observations in a pleasant and instruct- 

 ive manner. She gives personal adventure, 

 geography, history, pictures of life and de- 

 scriptions of scenery, character -sketches, 

 and a little natural history, gossip, and use- 

 ful information, judiciously proportioned 

 and pleasantly mingled. These qualities 

 make the work as good a guide as the visitor 

 would wish to carry with him, or, if he does 

 not wish to go, a most agreeable companion 

 for his " fireside travel " — the imaginary 

 journey he might take while sitting before 

 his fireplace. 



Vocal and Action Language. By E. N. 

 KiRDY. Boston : Lee & Sliepard. Pp. 

 163. Price, $1.25. 



Mr. Kirby's hand-book has grown up 

 in the class-room, and is designed to sup- 

 plement, not to supplant, the work of the 

 teacher. He insists on physical training as 

 one of the fundamentals of vocal culture, 

 and gives descriptions of the respiratory 

 and vocal organs, based upon Dr. Martin's 

 "The Human Body," with cuts from that 

 work. Vocal development, orthoepy, and 



