LITERARY NOTICES. 



33 



Easy Lessons in Popular Science. By 

 James Monteith. New York : A. S. 

 Barnes & Co. Pp. 252. Price, $1. 



This is a very mixed book, as it treats 

 of almost everything pertaining to air, land, 

 and water. There is a good deal of geog- 

 raphy, and something about ships, machin- 

 ery, plants, animals, etc., etc., with maps and 

 numerous woodcuts drawn in outline with 

 a view to being copied by pupils upon the 

 blackboard. «rhe book can no doubt be 

 made useful in the hands of judicious teach- 

 ers, and the drawing exercises for which it 

 provides are a good feature ; but we do 

 not think that its leading topics are the best 

 to begin with in early science teaching, and 

 it does not sufficiently provide for the direct 

 study of things themselves. 



Hints toward a National Culture for 

 Young Americans. By S. S. Boyce. 

 New York : E. Steiger. Pp. 69. 



The author's object here is to recom- 

 mend and enforce a practical system of 

 industrial education for American youth. 

 He points out the deficiencies of the present 

 modes of popular culture, and is favorable 

 to the Kindergarten as a foundation in pri- 

 mary instruction. 



Scientific Lectures. By Sir John Lub- 

 bock. London and New York : Mac- 

 millan & Co. Pp. 187. Price $2.50. 

 Of this book, we must speak of Mac- 

 millan's part first. Paper, type, printing, 

 and illustrations are elegant, so that to read 

 it is a luxury. It is such a book as an Eng- 

 lish baronet might with graceful propriety 

 present to his friends. Imported into this 

 country, it comes rather expensive, consid- 

 ering the amount of its contents ; but, hap- 

 pily, they are not of a sort that makes it 

 necessary for anybody to procure the vol- 

 ume. Yet Sir John's lectures are very 

 pleasant reading. He discourses of flow- 

 ers, plants, and insects, and of the habits 

 of ants, and gives us a great deal of curious 

 and interesting information on those mat- 

 ters which he has made a special study. 

 The fifth and sixth lectures are on "Prehis- 

 toric Archaeology," and epitomize the views 

 developed in the author's larger works, 

 " Prehistoric Times " and " On the Origin 

 of Civilization." 



Science Lectures at South Kensington. 



Vol. ir. Macmillan & Co. Pp. 344. 



Price, $1.75. 



This volume, like the one that preceded 

 it, is filled with good, soUd work. There is 

 no attempt at extreme simplification, and 

 not a word for effect ; but each lecturer has 

 aimed to make a sound, instructive presen- 

 tation of his subject. The names are strong, 

 and the subjects well chosen. President 

 Spottiswoode treats of " Polarized Light " ; 

 Professor Forbes of " Thermal Conductivi- 

 ty " and " ThermoDynamics " ; H. W. Chis- 

 holm of " Balances " ; Professor Pigot of 

 " Geometrical and Engineering Drawing " ; 

 Froude of " The Laws of Fluid Resistance " ; 

 Dr, Siemens of " The Bathometer " ; Bar- 

 rett of " Sensitive Flames " ; Pigot of 

 " Lighthouse Illumination " ; Burdon-San- 

 derson of " Apparatus for Physiological In- 

 vestigation " ; Lauder Brunton of " Appa- 

 ratus for Physiological Chemistry " ; Mac- 

 leod " On Audiometers " ; and Roscoe on 

 "Technical Chemistry." 



Zoology of the Invertebrate Animals. By 

 Alexander Macalister, M. D. Special- 

 ly revised for America by A. S. Pack- 

 ard, Jr., M. D. Pp. 143. Price, 60 

 cents. 



This volume belongs to Holt's series of 

 handbooks which claim to be intermediate 

 between the larger text-books and the so- 

 called " primers." In what way the Ameri- 

 can editor has " revised " the English work 

 for use in this country is not explained, nor 

 does it much matter ; the book is well 

 adapted to introduce pupils into the study 

 of zoology, as it will attract and interest 

 them. The information furnished has been 

 selected with good judgment, and is no 

 doubt entirely trustworthy. 



PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED. 



The Younp Folks' Cyclopaedia of Common 

 Things. By John D. Champlin, Jr. With nu- 

 merous Illustrations. New York : Holt & Co. 

 1879. Pp.695. $3. 



Key to the Universe, or a New Theory of its 

 Mechanism. By Orson Pratt, Sen. Salt Lake 

 City : The Author. 1879. Pp. 118. $1.50. 



Primitive Manners and Customs. By J. A. 

 Farrer. New York: Holt & Co. 1879. Pp.345. 



The Value of Life : Reply to Mallock's Essay 

 "Is Life worth Living." New York : Putnam's 

 Sons. 1879. Pp.253. $1.50. 



Illustrated Dictionary of Scientific Terms. 

 By William Rossiter. New York: Putnam's 

 Sons. Pp. 350. $1.75. 



