REVIEWS 333 



for these bandits of nutrition, but their role in the intimate metabolism of 

 material — for role they must have — remains to the worker of to-day and 

 to-morrow. However, in some of the earlier experiments designed on the 

 general plan of feeding carefully controlled diets, faulty conclusions as to the 

 general dietary balance and the efficiency of various sources of nitrogen, may 

 well have been drawn where the deficiency more probably lay in a lack of 

 vitamines. Some of the work quoted in the text may be open to this 

 criticism. 



A valuable new chapter on the influence of the non-nitrogenous food- 

 stuffs upon protein metabolism and an exhaustive bibliography complete a 

 book which the teacher, the worker, and the advanced student will gratefully 

 welcome. R. K. C. 



Bibliotheca Chemico-M athematica. Compiled and Annotated by H. Z. 

 and H. C. S. [2 vols. Pp. xii + 964, with 127 plates containing 

 247 portraits and facsimiles.] (London : Henry Sotheran & Co., 

 192 1. Price 3 guineas net.) 



Those interested in the history of science should find this " catalogue of 

 works in many tongues on exact and applied science " a never-failing source 

 of interest whenever they may delve among its many pages. In the preface 

 the compilers make it clear that, as a catalogue of books for sale, it is not 

 complete, but they claim that few of the great books will be found missing. 

 This claim is, perhaps, rather far-reaching, except with a restricted definition 

 of the term " great books," but the number of rare and interesting works 

 that are included is amazing. 



The authors have made their catalogue appeal to those who are interested 

 in the historical aspect by the inclusion of very illuminating notes upon a 

 large number of the more interesting works, indicating the chief subjects of 

 historical interest in the volume with occasional biographical details, and by 

 the reproduction in plate form of numerous title-pages, portraits, and figures 

 of apparatus. Although a complete catalogue is still wanting, the compilers 

 have done much for the historian of science in providing a useful reference 

 book, in which is collected much information obtainable otherwise only by 

 wearisome search. 



To the collector and to the librarian the value of the book is obvious, 

 providing, as it does, much bibliographical information, and a unique 

 .guide to the current values of books of this kind. O. L. B. 



o 



BOTANY AND AGRICULTURE 



Text-book of Pastoral and Agricultural Botany for the Study of the Injurious 

 and Useful Plants of Country and Farm. By John W. Harshberger, 

 Ph.D., Professor of Botanj^, University of Pennsylvania. [Pp. xiii 

 -f 294.] (Philadelphia: P. Blakiston's Son & Co., 1920; London: 

 Methuen & Co. Price js. net.) 



The scope and arrangement of this book are very different from those of 

 most text-books of agricultural botany, and the book is written from a different 

 point of view. The first nine chapters deal with poisonous plants, these not 

 only being enumerated and described, but the toxicology of the plants 

 especially in relation to stock being dealt with. Thus, after a description of 

 the plant there follows an account of the symptoms produced by it, a state- 

 ment of the poisonous principles concerned, and in some cases an account of 

 the treatment indicated. 



Feeds and feeding are dealt vnth. in a single very brief chapter, which is 

 followed by six chapters dealing with the main crop plants. The book 

 closes with chapters on weeds and agricultural seeds, 



22 



