246 SOME NE W BOOKS [march 1899 



treatise is a good sample. While details applicable to the cultivation of sweet 

 potatoes, millet, and cotton may be of little service to the British farmer or 

 market-gardener, he will here find fresh light thrown on many matters of direct 

 interest to him. The nature, uses, and value of staple artificial manures, as 

 well as less familiar ones, such as " ground king crab " and " garbage tankage," 

 are lucidly and popularly dealt with. We fully acknowledge that we have 

 much to learn, and to unlearn also, in regard to the action of fertilizers. 

 Experiments such as are being carried out at the American Experiment 

 Stations are the surest means of affording the desired knowledge. We are 

 again reminded of our need of similar institutions here. 



John H. Wilson. 



Eecent Advances in Astronomy. By Alfred H. Fison, D.Sc 237 pp. 

 The Victorian Era Series. London : Blackie and Son, Limited, 1898. 

 Price 2s. 6d. 



To give in the scope of so small a book anything approaching an exhaustive 

 account of the great achievements in astronomical science during the last 

 sixty years would be far from possible. The author therefore confines himself 

 to describing what are in his opinion some of the more important discoveries of 

 recent times. It is at once evident that the greater part of the contents had 

 thus to be devoted to a description of the splendid advances in spectroscopy, 

 and in those fields of astronomical research which have thereby been opened to 

 human thought. Here we find an instructive and interesting historical descrip- 

 tion of what has been done since the all-important invention of the spectroscope. 

 One of the best chapters deals with the development of our knowledge of Mars, 

 which, chiefly since Schiaparelli's discoveries, has become an object of earnest 

 inquiry as well as of the keenest controversy. There is also an account of the 

 investigations made with regard to stellar parallax, the distribution of stars in 

 the heavens, their life in the past, and their probable future. Although allowance 

 must be made for a difference of opinion as to whether the author has, on the 

 whole, really selected what astronomers may think the most important advances 

 made in astronomy during the Victorian Era, we cannot but admire the lucidity 

 and grasp which he shows in his exposition of the subject. J. Halm. 



The Educational Review is further entitled "A Magazine of the Science and 

 Art of Education, and Review of current educational Literature and Events." It 

 is henceforward to be published on the 8th of each month at 203 Strand, 

 London, W.C, price 4d. A new series began with the January number. The 

 object is to discuss the principles rather than the politics of pedagogy. The 

 number sent us contains valuable and suggestive articles by Miss Beale, Canon 

 Lyttelton, Dr. Sophie Bryant, and others, but nothing of special interest to 

 scientific readers. 



The Geological Survey of Queensland has issued as Bulletin No. 10, " Six 

 Reports on the Geological Features of part of the District to be traversed by the 

 proposed Transcontinental Railway," by R. L. Jack, Government Geologist. 

 These were originally printed as a Parliamentary Paper in 1885, and are now 

 reprinted with corrections and footnotes. Bulletin No. 9, also by Mr. Jack, is 

 a "Report ... on the Chillagoe Mining District and projected Railway." 

 Bulletin No. 8 is a " Report on the Gold Mines at the Fanning and Mount Success 

 (with map)," by W. H. Rands. 



Dr. Gadow has been kind enough to point out an unfortunate mistake in 

 our last number. " The Last Link " was said to cost 3s. 6d., whereas the price 

 is 2s. 6d. 



