5o6 SCIENCE PROGRESS 



accentation is indicated. The text is well printed on good paper, but it is a 

 pity that it is not entirely free of typographical errors. The illustrations are 

 excellent, and a large percentage is original, a valuable asset. One gets rather 

 \ired of seeing some of the historical drawings that appear with such 

 jnonotonous regularity in so many modern scientific textbooks. There is a 

 good bibliography and a comprehensive index. Although the volume is 

 labelled " Part I," it is complete in itself. 



In a brief preface the author says : " Two objects are kept in mind — first, 

 to aid the student in laying a firm foundation for his entomological studies ; 

 and second, to make available, so far as possible in the limited space of a hand- 

 book, a knowledge of the varied phenomena of the insect world." That both 

 these objects have been most successfully achieved in Part I is certain. We 

 look forward with interest to the pubUcation of Part 11. 



Wm. Rowan. 



The Sea-shore. By W, P. Pycraft, Zoological Department, British Museum 

 (Natural History). [Pp. vi + 156, with 11 plates, 12 figures, and 

 2 maps.] (London : Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge ; 

 New York : The Macmillan Company, 1920. Price 4s. 6d. net.) 



Mr. Pycraft is to be warmly congratulated on this little work, which should 

 appeal, not only to children, but also to all adults who go to the seaside in 

 August. The success of such works depends almost entirely upon the style 

 of the writing, and Mr. Pycraft's style is admirable — we can always under- 

 stand exactly what he means, which is not the case with many similar works. 

 His first chapter deals with the ocean in general, and is as excellent as the 

 similar chapters in Sir John Murray's little book. The Ocean, published some 

 time ago, to which this book makes a useful adjunct. The second chapter 

 describes the seas round England ; the third chapter, the cliffs ; and the 

 remaining chapters, many interesting details. The reviewer fears that he 

 himself was ignorant of the fact that starfishes eat oysters, and that a few 

 of them can clear a whole bed of oysters in a night ; that sea-anemones may 

 measure two feet in diameter ; and that the British Islands number no less 

 than 5,500 islands altogether. The migrations of the salmonidse and the eels 

 are well described, and the book contains a coloured frontispiece, maps, figures, 

 and some excellent photographs. For children it will be a revelation and a 

 memory. 



MEDICINE 



Military Psychiatry in Peace and War. By C. Stanford Read, M.D. 

 [Pp. vi + 168, with 2 charts.] (London : H. K. Lewis & Co. 

 Price I OS. 6d. net.) 



It is very creditable to the author of this treatise, who was in charge of a 

 mental clearing hospital — " D Block, Netley " — with only 124 beds, and 

 where the patients that came under his observation could not be detained 

 for more than a few days at the outside, owing to the pressure for accom- 

 modation, that he should have found the time to summarise and to corre- 

 late his experience and to classify his records of the 3,000 consecutive cases 

 of mental diseases which were admitted during the year 191 7. 



The author states that over 12,000 patients suffering from mental symp- 

 toms passed through Netley from overseas from the commencement of the 

 war up to six months after the Armistice, but probably four times as many 

 were received into the "War Mental Hospitals of the United Kingdom, from 

 among those who became affected whilst engaged in war work, or who 

 were on leave in this country, or who became insane after reaching this 

 country and suffered from other diseases. The experience of the various 

 mental consultants in the different commands would probably agree that 



