7o6 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



coasts as " accidental Tisitors." The body 

 of the manual — which is preceded by a 

 "Key to the Higher Groups " — consists of 

 technical descriptions of the orders, fam- 

 ilies, genera, and species, in the general 

 order of diving -birds, swimmers, waders, 

 shore -birds, gallinaceous birds, pigeons, 

 birds of prey, parrots, etc. ; cuckoos, wood- 

 peckers, etc. ; goat-suckers and swifts, and 

 the perching birds. The appendix gives ad- 

 ditional memoranda concerning certain rare 

 or little-known species, and lists of new 

 genera and species, and of genera and spe- 

 cies admitted as North American which are 

 not included in the American Ornithological 

 Union's check-list. The index gives a refer- 

 ence to every genus and species described, 

 under both its scientific and its popular 

 name. \ 



IxTRODucroRY Stets IX SciENCB. For the 

 Use of Schools. By Paul Bert. Trans- 

 lated by Marc F. Yallette. Revised 

 and enlarged by John Micklbborouoh. 

 New York : D. Applcton & Co. Pp. 

 303. Price, -$1.50. 



One of the greatest obstacles with which 

 the new scientific education has had to con- 

 tend is a lack of text-books embodying the 

 true spirit of scientific teaching. This lack 

 is now being rapidly supplied, in each of the 

 several branches of science, with books 

 adapted to pupils of various needs and 

 states of advancement. The present vol- 

 ume is designed as a first book in science 

 for young pupils. Tlie study of Nature is 

 especially fit for the training of the young. 

 In the words of the preface to this book : 

 " It is a well-recognized fact that the culti- 

 vation of the sense-perceptions lies at the 

 foundation of all knowledge. These sense- 

 perceptions are converted into knowledge 

 under two conditions : first, by observing 

 difterencss ; second, by observing likeness 

 or similarity." It is in early childhood that 

 the exercise of the senses is most active 

 and most pleasurable. A little training in 

 proper methods of observation at this time 

 is worth more than months spent in mem- 

 orizing scientific facts at a later period. 

 As the child's interest is not confined to 

 animals, plants, or rocks, to phypical, chemi- 

 cal, or physiolorrical phenomena alone, so tliis 

 bcok obviously accords with natural devel- 

 opment in presenting the elements of all 



the common branches of science before the 

 pupil is required to pursue advanced study 

 in any one. The work consists of seven 

 parts : Animals ; Plants ; Minerals and 

 Kock Formations ; Physics ; Chemistry ; 

 Animal Physiology ; and Vegetable Physi- 

 ology. "In all depaitments of the book 

 the subjects have been treated in a manner 

 to cause the learner to observe, think, and 

 then express the result of the observations 

 in suitaVjle language. The pernicious prac- 

 tice of memorizing the text-book, or of re- 

 quiring the student to listen, recollect, and 

 then repeat the formulated statement of the 

 instructor, can not be too strongly con- 

 demned." The. favor with which the French 

 original was received is shown by the fact 

 that over half a million copies were sold 

 within three years. The style of the trans- 

 lation is conversational, adhering closely to 

 the language of the author when this is 

 pos.sible. Illustrations have been supplied 

 with a liberal hand. " In the natural his- 

 tory, so far as possible, American species 

 have been substituted for foreign ones ; and 

 in the chapter on rock formations, that por- 

 tion which treats of the continental devel- 

 opment of North America has been substi- 

 tuted for the author's geological history of 

 France. In short, such corrections and 

 changes have been made as would mate- 

 rially enhance the value of the book in the 

 hands of beginners in science in America." 



Memoir of Fleejiixg Jenkix. By Robert 

 Louis Stevenson. New York : Charles 

 Scribner's Sons. Pp. 302. Price, $1. 



Tms memoir, by one of the first of living 

 English romancers, gives a breathing portrait 

 of a very interesting man. While Flecming 

 Jenkin's original v.ork in electrical science 

 is a notable part of the world's recent ad- 

 vances therein, it was as a man that he was 

 chiefly remarkable. Professor Jonkin was 

 ardent and impulsive, with little conven- 

 tional polish, the soul of honor, and a man 

 with whom honestv was a passion. lie 

 found in his engineering work a noble op- 

 portunity for his love of exactitude and 

 thoroughness. He exemplified how su- 

 premely ethical are the tasks of applied sci- 

 ence in the demands made on its votaries. 

 During his long voyages, while he was busy 

 laying and recovering ocean-cables, he 



