756 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



treated. The use of the word inswunce is 

 all but universal among American insurance 

 men ; and the distinction made in the use 

 of the term, in the foot-note to page five of 

 the pamphlet, is merely one of Babbage's 

 crotchets. 



"We agree with President Barnard in 

 saying that the general circulation of Prof. 

 Yan Amringe's pamphlet will " do much to 

 inspire confidence among the people in the 

 wisdom and safety of this mode " (life insur- 

 ance) " of providing against the uncertain- 

 ties of the future." 



Statistical Atlas of the United States. 

 Pakt III. Vital Statistics. By Fran- 

 cis A. Walker. 



This is the first published installment 

 of a series of maps and charts to comprise a 

 *' Statistical Atlas of the United States," de- 

 signed to represent to the eye : 1. The phys- 

 ical features of the country ; 2. The con- 

 stituent elements and growth of popula- 

 tion ; 3. The vital statistics. The first and 

 second parts will be published shortly. 

 The third part, which is before us, com- 

 prises six maps and twelve charts. The 

 maps, by variety of coloring, show the dis- 

 tribution of the statistical facts over the 

 United States ; while the charts, by a sys- 

 tem of projected lines and shading, elabo- 

 rate the details of the general idea, showing 

 the facts as presented by States, sex, race, 

 and age. For example : the first map shows 

 the predomination of sex. Areas in which 

 females predominate are left uncolored, 

 while the remaining areas are colored deep- 

 ly in proportion as the excess of males in- 

 creases. The accompanying charts com- 

 prise a series of projections formed on the 

 following principle : A vertical line, one 

 inch long, is divided by horizontal lines 

 into eight parts, representing as many de- 

 cades. The angle to the left of the vertical 

 line is supposed to represent males, and 

 that to the right, females ; and the shading 

 of either angle indicates the predomination 

 of the sex it stands for. Figures attached 

 to the ends of the horizontal lines indicate 

 by thousandths the number of individuals 

 in each decade of life. The lowest horizon- 

 tal line represents the first decade, and the 

 length of each varies with the number of 

 individuals in the decade it represents. In 



this way is shown the proportion between 

 males and females in the aggregate popula- 

 tion, the white, the colored, the foreign- 

 born, etc., in the United States as a whole, 

 and in severalty. The birth-rate, and the 

 death-rate from consumption, malarial dis- 

 eases, intestinal diseases, and fevers other 

 than malarial, are represented in like man- 

 ner. The statistics of blindness, deaf- 

 mutism, insanity, and idiocy, are shown .in 

 charts only. An explanatory text, to ac- 

 company the maps, will soon be issued. 



Building, Construction Timber, and Brick. 

 By R. Scott Burn. New York : G. P. 

 Putnam's Sons. 2 vols. 16mo, 135 pp. 

 each. Price 15 cents per vol. 



These little volumes aim at explanation 

 of the technical terms used in building, and 

 description of the parts they designate, en- 

 tirely avoiding the larger subject of the 

 principles upon which the art of building 

 rests ; or, more definitely, they explain what 

 any part of a building is without telling 

 how the building, as a whole, is constructed. 

 The first takes up timber construction " as 

 exemplified in the framing of floors, par- 

 titions, and roofs, explains the terms and 

 describes the parts, and proceeds in the 

 same manner with the subject as exemplified 

 in doors, windows and internal fittings of 

 houses," and with the lead and iron work 

 connected therewith. The second similarly 

 deals with the employment of brick, stone, 

 slates, tile, etc., in building. 



Each volume is accompanied by another 

 volume of corresponding size, containing 

 plates illustrative of the text. 



Inorganic Chemistry. By Dr. W. B. Kems- 

 head, F. R. a. S., F. G. S. New York : 

 G. P. Putnam's Sons. 187 pp., 16mo. 

 Price, 75 cents. 



The aim of this book is the expression 

 of primary principles, so as to be intelli- 

 gible to beginners, while also serving as 

 a text-book for more advanced students; 

 and it answers this purpose very well. 

 It begins by defining inorganic chemistry, 

 enumerating the elements, stating the laws 

 of affinity and combination and the prin- 

 ciples of chemical nomenclature, and con- 

 cludes with a description of the most im- 

 portant elements, and the combinations into 

 which they enter. 



