1898] SOME NEW BOOKS 347 
Mr Reid, the less restraining portion of the population should be in 
the majority through elimination, of those practising restraint. But, 
in spite of any such elimination man, compared to other animals, has 
advanced enormously in regard to the acquired character of functional 
restraint. 
But Mr Reid says “if acquired characters are transmissible, pro- 
hibition is undoubtedly right.” That cannot be endorsed; because if 
there were prohibition there would be no training in the exercise of 
personal restraint, the power to exercise restraint in necessary cases 
would be lost, and the last state would be worse than the first. 
It is impossible to touch more than the fringe of sueh a question 
as alcoholism. But one thing may be said—the best forms of temper- 
ance legislation would be—(1) rigidly carried out enactments against 
food and drink adulteration ; (2) nationalization of education. 
5. 8. BUCKMAN. 
RADIATION 
Rapiarion. By H. H. Francis Hyndman, with a preface by Prof. Sylvanus P. 
Thompson. pp. xviii+307. London: Swan Sonnenschein. 1898. i 
RapiaTIon links together the principal branches of Physics. It is on 
this account difficult to obtain a connected view of the subject by a 
perusal of the ordinary text-books. Mr Hyndman’s treatise is, there- 
fore, very welcome. After a brief introduction mainly on wave- 
motion the author discusses vibrations in matter, in the ether, and 
lastly, those vibrations such as the Cathode, Rontgen Rays, etc., the 
nature of which is not yet definitely known. The advanced student 
will find the book useful, both intrinsically and on account of the 
copious list of references; whilst it is sufficiently elementary to be 
intelligible to a larger class of readers with but a slight knowledge of 
Physics. A few slips have been noticed. The explanation of the 
sound of organ-pipes and other wind-instruments given on p. 20 is 
not correct; there is little motion of translation in such instruments, 
as anyone, who has tried to sound a horn by blowing down it, knows. 
Again, on p. 130, possibly owing to an error of copying, ‘ biaxial’ has 
been substituted for ‘ uniaxial.’ It is certain uniaxial crystals which 
rotate the plane of polarisation when polarised light is transmitted 
parallel to the optic axis. These small blemishes do not detract from 
the merits of this interesting book. 
THE LIBRARY OF THE DRESDEN MUSEUM 
Dr A. B. MEYER has caused to be compiled a Catalog der Handbiblio- 
thek des Koniglichen Zoologischen und Anthropologisch-Ethnograph- 
ischen Museums in Dresden, alphabetical and systematic. The volume 
is an octavo of xxiv., 288 pages, and is issued by the Museum. The 
entries are brief and recognisable, though not bibliographic, and the 
serials and publications of academies fall into one alphabet with the 
authors. The subject indexes should be of much use to readers, especi- 
ally the ethnographical, which is arranged under countries. 
