554 



POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



all but one of which are copied, with- 

 out credit, from the reports of the U. S. 

 Fish Commission. 



The author submitted his manuscript 

 to President Jordan "to be justified in 

 advancing the claim" that the descrip- 

 tions of the different fishes "are abso- 

 lutely reliable and correct," and a pref- 

 atory note by Dr. Jordan is in that 

 author's most pleasing style and adds 

 considerably to the literary excellence 

 of the volume; but evidently that dis- 

 tinguished ichthyologist did not believe 

 any responsibility attached to him, for 

 even a cursory glance by him over the 

 manuscript would have eliminated a 

 number of ichthyological incongruities, 

 such as the inclusion of the white bass, 

 one of the Serranidse, in the same fam- 

 ily as the black basses (Centrarchidse). 

 The author's conception of zoological 

 nomenclature and classification is de- 

 cidedly novel. In the final chapter, on 

 "scientific names of fish mentioned," the 

 first species referred to is Salmo salar, 

 of which it is stated that "the word 

 salmo is used in connection with a large 

 variety of the trouts, to designate the 

 family or descent. It is the first name 

 given, as is the case with all other kinds 

 of fish, being the specific name indicat- 

 ing the species. The other names fol- 

 lowing are subspecific." The land-locked 

 salmon of the Saguenay River is by 

 some systematic writers regarded as a 

 variety of the sea salmon, and bears 

 the name Salmo salar ouananiche Mc- 

 Carthy. Strange to say, this is the 

 only species in the volume for which 

 the name of the original describer is 

 given, and in explaining his own con- 

 nection with the fish, Mr. McCarthy 

 says: "McCarthy, so named from his 

 first writing fully regarding the fish!" 



To the zoologist the volume will be 

 of no use, as it embodies few new obser- 

 vations on the fishes considered and is 

 largely a compilation from other well- 

 known works. The author, however, 

 deserves credit for bringing the sub- 

 ject to the attention of anglers in such 



an attractive form; and, as an attempt 

 to extend the knowledge of the habits, 

 distribution and relationships of our 

 game fishes among this large and influ- 

 ential class of citizens, the volume 

 should be accorded a welcome. 



MICROSCOPY OF DRINKING- 

 WATER. 



Mr. G. C. Whipple, Director of the 

 Mount Prospect Laboratory of the 

 Brooklyn Waterworks, has prepared a 

 handbook for the water analyst and the 

 waterworks engineer, with the title 

 given above. It deals with the pur- 

 poses, methods and results of the bio- 

 logical examination of drinking-water, 

 affording means for the identification of 

 the microscopic life found in water 

 supplies and suggesting means for the 

 elimination or control of those or- 

 ganisms which disagreeably affect the 

 color or odor of potable waters. The 

 construction of reservoirs, the storage 

 of surface and of ground waters and the 

 growth of organisms in pipes are also 

 discussed. Though the motive of the 

 book is thus technical, the subject is 

 developed by the author along broad 

 lines in a thoroughly scientific manner, 

 and he has brought together a great 

 deal of information, not only for the 

 sanitary engineer, but also for the 

 physicist, the chemist and the biologist. 

 The problems in limnology, such as the 

 temperature, stagnation and circulation 

 of reservoir waters; the distribution 

 and relative numbers of different or- 

 ganisms and their relation to chemical 

 analyses are discussed in the light of 

 the results of many years' investigation 

 of water-supplies. The seasonal succes- 

 sion of organisms, their movements with 

 respect to light and other stimuli, and 

 their horizontal and vertical distribu- 

 tion, are in like manner fully treated. 

 The scope of the work and the treat- 

 ment of the subject make the book a 

 valuable one alike for engineering and 

 biological laboratories and for the gen- 

 eral library. 



