SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE. 



/ 



133 



ceming the rocks in which they are found. 

 The text is illustrated with forty outs. 



The inscription on the back of a volume 

 before us is a most unfortunate one,* for if 

 the student does not take the trouble to look 

 between the covers he is led to believe that 

 the book is an extensive monograph on Peri- 

 paius, with forms closely related to this ex- 

 traordinary animal. If he passes it in con- 

 sequence of this misleading title, he will 

 have missed an exceedingly condensed and 

 clear account of the external features, hab- 

 its, and anatomy of Peripatus by Mr. Sedg- 

 wick, filling twenty-six pages ; a most valu- 

 able chapter of fifty pages on the Myriapoda, 

 by F. G. Sinclair ; and another chapter on the 

 orders Aptera, Orthoptera, Iveuroptera, and 

 Hymenoptera, by David Sharp, of five hun- 

 dred pages ! As the other orders of Instcta 

 are to be dealt with in Volume VI of this 

 series, one wonders what the lettering on the 

 back of Volume VI will be — possibly Peri- 

 patus^ etc., by Sedgwick, see Volume V, or, 

 as it will begin with the Coleopiera, some 

 low and aberrant form will be selected, and 

 on the back the comprehensive title Sty- 

 lops, etc., will stand for the great orders 

 Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, Diptera, and Hemip- 

 tera I With this criticism, we can only say 

 that the book upholds the reputation already 

 established for the series. The illustrations 

 are many and beautiful, the descriptions 

 and grouping of the material clear, and the 

 work an indispensable one to the general 

 student of this great class of animals. 



In two text- books on zoology recently 

 received provision is made for two modes 

 of instruction. In the onef the scientific 

 method of acquiring knowledge of natural 

 history — through field study and laboratory 

 work — is consistently carried out. A com- 

 paratively small number of typical forms 

 (thirty-two), ranging from the amoeba to the 

 rabbit, are chosen for study, all being such 

 as may be easily obtained at inland points as 

 well as near the sea. The chapter on insects 

 shows the method of the book. It begins 

 with directions for collecting specimens. 



* The Cambridge Natural History. Vol. V. 

 Peripatus, etc. Sedgwick. Macmillan & Co. 



t Elementary Lessons in ZoOlogy. By James 

 G. Needham. Pp. 302, 12mo. New York : Amer- 

 ican Book Co. Price, 90 cents. 



The sulphur butterfly is the first species to 

 be studied, and enough of its characteristics 

 are given to enable the student to recognize 

 it. He is directed to collect specimens for 

 study, and while collecting to observe such 

 things as the kind of flowers on which they 

 are found feeding, whether they feed on the 

 wing or not, the organ used in obtaining 

 food, its position when in use and when not 

 in use, its shape and length. Other observa- 

 tions are to be made on a specimen liberated 

 indoors before a closed window. The study 

 is continued with dead specimens. At the 

 end of the chapter on insects is a general 

 account of the life process in this group of 

 creatures. This is followed by a review ex- 

 ercise which involves considerable observa- 

 tion, and after this a lesson in classification 

 is given. An appendix contains lists of 

 books and reagents, full directions for ob- 

 taining and preparing material for study, a 

 glossary, etc. There are one or more illus- 

 trations for each species studied. 



Recognizing the fact that in many large 

 schools, especially in cities, it is impossible 

 to secure provision for either laboratory 

 work or field excursions by classes, Miss 

 Burnet has aimed to provide as good a sub- 

 stitute as may be in book form.* Not being 

 limited to animals everywhere procurable, 

 she ranges through the whole kingdom from 

 amoeba to man, and gives brief descriptions 

 of a large number of species, including many 

 salt-water dwellers. Independent collecting 

 by the pupil is encouraged to supply the 

 deficiencies of text-book study, directions 

 for taking specimens and preparing them 

 for the cabinet being given in some detail. 

 There are one hundred and ninety-seven 

 illustrations. 



The author of this book,f to whom the 

 original structure of the universe has long 

 been a favorite subject of study, has here 

 presented a modified form of the nebular 

 theory of Laplace, based on certain calcula- 

 tions and new ideas of his own. As a start- 

 ing point, he suggests the possibility of a 

 mdre attenuated form of matter than we 



* Zoology for High Schools and Academies. 

 By Margaretta Burnet. Pp. 216, 12mo. New 

 York : American Book Co. Price, 75 cents. 



t Notes on the Nebular Theory. By William 

 Ford Stanley. Pp. 259, 8vo. London : Kegan 

 Paul, Trench, Triibner & Co. Price, 9«. 



