456 NATURAL SCIENCE. Dec, 



science. Here it is the male who indulges in the shrill music. 

 " Happy is the Cicada," as the ancient and misogynistic philosopher 

 remarked, " in that he has a voiceless wife." " Cherchez la femme " 

 is the explanation that the author, unlike others, is not altogether 

 disposed to adopt in explanation of the sounds. He thinks that the 

 vibration caused to the body by the noise is probably pleasing to the 

 Cicada himself, and that he sings purely for his own amusement. It 

 has been remarked that in the east there is no object in the sluggard 

 fatiguing himself by going to the ant ; the ant comes to him in some 

 force. Chapter xvii. commences with one of Mr. Sterndale's excel- 

 lent and humorous sketches of the author in the very act of grappling 

 with ants upon his neck and ants upon his leg. The red ant of the 

 east is one of the drawbacks to residing there. A study of the ways 

 of this particular species is not conducive to the reception of moral 

 lessons of any greai value. They wait for you, " dancing with excite- 

 ment on the point of every prominent leaf," as you take your walks 

 abroad ; the older members of the community have even, according 

 to " Eha," an accurate anatomical knowledge of the human body, 

 and at once make for such points as are more especially tender. 

 Everybody knows that in this country there are ants which foster 

 Aphides in order to feed upon the sweet secretion produced by them. 

 The little black milkmaids throng round the little green cows, tap 

 them gently with the antennae, and drink up the milk which they then 

 furnish. The red ants in India keep a butterfly caterpillar of more 

 than an inch long for the same purpose. In gratitude for past 

 favours, the chrysalis is carefully watched over, and the resulting 

 butterfly allowed to fly away in perfect safety. 



This is a sample of much new and readable information. 



Indian Geology. 



A Manual of the Geology of India. Chiefly compiled from the Observations 

 of the Geological Survey. Stratigraphical and Structural Geology. Second 

 Edition. Revised and largely re-written by R. D. Oldham. i Calcutta, 1893 

 (received 1S94). 8vo. Pp. xxiii. and 543, with folding map, 23 plates and 27 

 figures. 



Blanford & IMedlicott's " Manual of the Geology of India " has long 

 been an ideal book of its kind. Detailed descriptions of the geology 

 of extra-European countries have been issued in a separate form far 

 too infrequently. The geologist, and especially the palaeontologist, who 

 has occasion to refer to some point in the stratigraphy of such a country 

 has, as a rule, to search through numerous scattered memoirs for the 

 simple fact he needs. Moreover, probably most geologists enjoy the 

 occasional perusal of the description of some country if written as a 

 connected story, and not in a series of scattered memoirs, deahng 

 with local details. The publication, therefore, of a general account 

 of the geology of India was an act for which all geologists must have 

 felt grateful to the authorities of the Geological Survey of that 

 country. The first two volumes, which contain the general strati- 

 graphy, were issued in 1879, and have ever since served as indispens- 



1 We understand that a new title-page has been issued, owing to the omission 

 of the names of the two original authors, Messrs. Blanford and Medlicott. For 

 this, however, we understand Mr. Oldham was not responsible. He had inserted 

 the names of the two original authors. He also enables one to see at a glance how 

 much credit is due to Messrs. Blanford and Medlicott by printing, in the list of 

 contents, the titles of all paragraphs taken from the former edition in different type 

 to that used for those for which he has contributed. 



