4 o8 SOME NE W BOOKS [may 1899 



in psycho-physical problems to Miss Gamble's paper, in which she claims to offer 



Ar 



some evidence that Weber's law applies to smell and that the value of — lies 

 between \ and \. 



In the April number of The Naturalist there is an interesting article by 

 Dr. P. Q. Keegan on the physiological changes associated with the bursting of 

 the buds in spring. The numerous buds which are distinguished by a pinky-red 

 colour " contain apparently all along, and from the first moment of their exist- 

 ence, a certain quantity of tannic chromogen ready formed ; all other leaflets 

 contain merely the tannoid quercetin, or one of its allies, whose presence may 

 possibly influence to some extent the tint of its infantile drapery." The deep 

 brown of the opening leaves in the cherry, etc., is apparently clue to tyrosine, a 

 decomposition product of albumin 



In a paper on the making of the land in England, which appears in the 

 Journal of the Royal Agricultural Society, Mr. Albert Pell returns to a subject 

 which he has previously discussed. He describes the recovery of an area of 

 1350 acres of land and swamp which was in a state of nature as recently as 40 years 

 ago, the enclosure award being dated December 19, 1861. The land was inter- 

 commonable of seven parishes, and was indicated on the Cambridgeshire map 

 by the not very euphonious name of Grunty Fen. The whole story of the 

 making of this land is told in a manner at once circumstantial and dramatic. 

 This and other instances of a similar character which Mr. Pell has placed on 

 record help to demonstrate the fact that the farm lands of England, before the 

 cultivator or husbandman could turn a furrow or stock an acre, had first to 

 undergo the process of manufacture at a large outlay of enterprise, money, and 

 labour. 



A useful publication, now in its fifth edition, is the Natmxdists 1 Directory, 

 published by Mr. L. Upcott Gill, and sold for one shilling. It contains the 

 names and addresses of several thousand naturalists, and has been carefully 

 edited. We notice, however, some strange omissions and wrong classifications, 

 which suggest that it would be well for the publisher or editor to send proof 

 copies for revision to experts in different departments, and to secretaries in 

 important centres. Thus, under the heading Edinburgh, there is no mention of 

 the Scottish Natural History Society, which is certainly one of the most vigor- 

 ous of the many societies in that fair city. 



The heading " Books of the Year " should either be made much better or 

 dropped altogether. We do not see what ' Prantl and Vines,' for instance, has 

 particularly to do with 1898, nor why sundry reprints from societies' proceed- 

 ings should bulk so largely as they do. But additions and corrections for the 

 next edition are cordially invited by the editor before November 25, 1899. 



In the April number of Knowledge, Mr. Charles A. Mitchell, well known for 

 his work on the evolution of bird-song, describes some instances of " love-gifts " ; 

 in other words, cases where a bird offers food to a courted companion or a 

 brooding mate. Apart from fowl and pigeon, he describes the offering of love- 

 gifts in the spotted flycatcher, the chaffinch, the robin, and the willow-wren. 

 In the same number there are interesting articles by Prof. Arthur Thomson of 

 Oxford on the anthropological data furnished by the hair, and by Prof. Gren- 

 ville A. J. Cole on the fauna of the lowest Cambrian. 



In the Scientific American of April 1, Prof. C. F. Holder has a short 

 article on " Insect Migrations," in which, though dealing especially with locusts, 

 he records a migration of yellow butterflies (Colias) that was remarkable for its 

 duration and the vast numbers that formed the swarm. For three or four days Mr. 

 Holder observed a continual stream of butterflies fluttering on, in the same 

 direction to the north-east, and by personal observation he found that the flight 

 of millions extended over 16 square miles, while reports from other centres 

 made it certain that the area of migration was very much greater. 



