and Laboratory Methods. 1633 



bacteria, but is designed, rather, as an aid in determining their classification. 

 In the work, Chester has given names to all unnamed species of bacteria 

 described. If the person who originally described the organism gave it simply a 

 number, Chester has given it a name, so that all organisms in this work go by 

 distinct names. Naturally, therefore, some of the organisms would not be rec- 

 ognized by their authors under the names given them by Chester. In all, 800 

 different species of bacteria are described. The immense amount of labor 

 involved, in searching through the literature and in properly arranging the bac- 

 teria so variously described, may easily be conceived. 



Of course, in a work of this sort, specialists who have studied certain small 

 groups of bacteria will inevitably find omissions, and points to criticise ; but the 

 work, nevertheless, is very satisfactory and useful. Indeed, this book will, here- 

 after, be indispensable to a bacteriologist's laboratory. Bacteriologists of Amer- 

 ica and, indeed, of the world, owe a debt to Prof. Chester for the labor involved 

 in this publication. h. w. c. 



Fischer, Alfred. The Structure and Functions Prof. Fischer's work upon bacteriology 

 of Bacteria The Clarendon Press, Oxford. j^as been SO well known in the original 

 Translated by A. Coppen Jones. ° 



that it is hardly necessary to do more 



than refer to this excellent and useful translation. No other book, among the 

 numerous treatises on bacteriology, exactly fills the place of this one. The 

 various aspects of present day bacteriological problems are very critically and 

 excellently treated. Prof. Fischer's leading position among European bacteriol- 

 ogists is enough to guarantee the value of the work. In some places he has 

 clearly been led by his own views to take a position contrary to the present atti- 

 tude of bacteriologists. For example, he takes the position that bacterial dis- 

 eases of plants are an impossibility and do not exist, a position which, since the 

 publication of the original edition, has been vigorously combated and refuted by 

 E. F. Smith of the Agricultural Department. But in spite of such slips as these, 

 the work is one of the very best of the treatises on bacteriology. Translated 

 into English, it is in a much more usable form for English speaking investiga- 

 tors, and the edition which is issued by the Clarendon Press cannot fail to find 

 its way upon the shelves of most investigators, nor to be widely used. 



H. W. C. 



Revue Generale du Lait. Vol. i,No. i. Edited Under the above title has appeared in 

 by L. Gedoelst, ^i rue Tourdan, Brussells. /-. ^ i ^i r ^ i t ^ 



^ . J ^ . October the first number of a new pub- 



lication to be devoted to the scientific study of milk. The editor has associated 

 with himself a considerable number of scientists from various countries of Europe 

 and America. The design of the publication is to review the scientific study of 

 milk from practical, legislative and scientific standpoints. It devotes considerable 

 attention to bacteriological and chemical study. It is to contain original articles 

 and also careful synopses of publications which appear in various countries. It 

 is the only publication devoted wholly to the scientific study of milk. The im- 

 portance of milk as an article of commerce and scientific interest has justified 

 the appearance of such a journal. The editor and publisher ask for assistance 

 in the way of articles and subscriptions from all interested in the subject. 



H. w. c. 



