446 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



Animal and vegetable fixed oils, fats, butters, and -waxes, (". It. A. Whkiht 



{LoinliDi, 1903, 2. ed., pp. XVI-\-SO.',,Jig!<. 164) ■ — This work lian been eiliti-d and partly 

 rewritten by C. A. Mitchell, mainly with a view to rendering it capable of being 

 n8e<l as an analytical Icxt-book. 



Thermodynamics and chemistry, V. Duiiem, trans, by G. K. Bukgess {Nciv York: 

 John Wilfij & Sons; London: Chapman & Hall, Lid., 19G3, pp. XXI \-445, jigs. I40) . — 

 The topics treated are work and energy, quantity of heat and internal energy, chem- 

 ical calorimetry, chemical equilibrium and the rever.sil)le transformation, the prin- 

 ciples of chemical statics, the jihase rule, multivariant systems, monovariant systems, 

 multiple i)oints or transformation points, displacement of equilil)rinm, bivariant 

 systems, mixed crystals, critical states, chemical mechanics of jierfect gases, capillary 

 actions and apparent false equilibria, genuine false e(]uilibria, unequally heated 

 spaces, and chemical dynamics and explosions. 



BOTANY. 



Morpholog'y of angiosperms, J. M. Coulter and C. J. Chamberlain {New York: 

 D. Appdeton A Co., 1903, pp. X-\- 34S, figs. 113). — This volume supplements that by 

 the same authors on the Morphology of Gymnosperms, but must be considered as an 

 independent treatise, Gymnosperms and Angiosperms being recognized as independ- 

 ent groups coordinate with Pteridophytes. The work is the outgrowth of lectures 

 and laboratory work given graduate students at the I'niversity of Chicago, and while 

 a vast amount of material is brought together in an orderly arrangement, the ])ook 

 must not be considered in any sense a mere compilation, since the same ground )ias 

 been repeatedly gone over by the authors and their students, their results serving as 

 checks to other investigations, as well as contributing a considerable amount of new 

 material. 



No attempt is made to include the elementary details of floral structure, anatomy, 

 etc., which are well described in many of the older text-books, l)ut where anatomy 

 contributes to phylogeny, a nearly neglected field in this country, chapiters have l)een 

 prepared by Prof. E. C. Jeffrey. The volume seeks to give to the advanced student 

 a continuous account of the structures involved, and t<j the research student the 

 details of groups and ])ibliogra])hy that he needs. The bibliographies, which are an 

 important feature of the work, are arranged chronologically at the end of each chap- 

 ter and all the citations are brought together at the close of the volume, the arrange- 

 ment being alphabetical by authors. 



Concerning stimulants to plant growth and their practical application, 

 O. LoEW {Landw. Jahrh.,32 {1903) , No. 3, pjp. 437-44^\pls. „').— The results of pot and 

 plat experiments with barley, Chinese cabbage, spinach, rice, peas, oats, and radishes 

 are given in which the stimulating effect of a numlier of chemicals is shown. Among 

 the chemicals tested were rubidium chlorid, sodium fluorid, potassium iodid, manga- 

 nese oxid, uranium nitrate, and iron sulphate, all of which were found to be injurious 

 to plant growth when used in considerable strength, but weak solutions showed a 

 decidedly stimulating effect. Based upon the results ol)tained with manganese oxid 

 and sodium fluorid, the author claims that imder the conditions of the experiments, 

 iiotwithstanding the high price of these chemicals, they have a distinct value in 

 agricultural practice. 



A study of the production of electricity in living organisms, L. Querton 

 {Trav. Lab. Phys. InM. Solvay, 5 {1902), No. 2, pjp. 81-185; abs. in Bot. Centbl., 92 

 {1903), No. 7, pp. 145-lJn). — After considering the general electrical phenomena as 

 exhibited by living organisms, such as electric fish, muscles, nerves, plants, etc., the 

 author gives an account of experiments with plants and the application of the electric 

 manifestations to biology and irritability. He examined the plants by exposing 

 them to light, testing the electric impulse by a specially devised apparatus. The 



