152 NEW BOOKS, WITH SHORT NOTICES. 



of tlio last-mentioned two gi'oups, is very short and imperfect. In the 

 paper on the liver the text is indeed very good, and is amply illus- 

 trated by woodcuts. Still we think that had the author dwelt a little 

 on the distinction between Haudfield Jones's views and Beale's, and on 

 the recent foreign development of the former's notions, he would have 

 given additional interest to the subject. The lungs too are not badly 

 done, but had there been more space given to the lymphatics we think 

 it would have been better. However, this is more than made up for 

 by the way in which the lymphatic system is described. In this 

 article the author has dealt briefly, but yet clearly, with the entire 

 subject, and he has entered on a discussion of the views recently put 

 forward by Dr. Klein. Measurement, too, is not badly done, as like- 

 wise are " Micro-Spectroscope," " Migration of Cells," " Monera," 

 " Motion of Cells," and lastly, " Mosses," which are given at some 

 length, and with numerous illustrations. The bibliography of mosses 

 is, however, insufficient, and is erroneous in the fact that the only 

 reference to Dr. Braithwaite's numerous papers in these pages is to 

 the ' Quarterly Microscopical Journal.' This should be corrected. 



But it will be judged from what we have already stated that the 

 last two numbers of the Dictionary exhibit a marked superiority of 

 matter over those previously issued, and we doubt not that the parts 

 which are yet to be published will be even better. In this way we 

 may hope that the work will, as a whole, be worth purchasing ; and if 

 the publisher proposes adding to the plates and improving figures 

 which require alteration, while the editors continue to supply new 

 material, we have no doubt that a capital companion to the microscopist 

 will be supplied. E. H. S. 



Microscopic Examinations of Air. By D. Douglas Cunningham, 

 M.B., attached to Sanitary Commissioner with Government of India. 

 Calcutta : Superintendent of Government Printing. 1874. — In the work 

 which Dr. Cunningham has published with the aid of the Government 

 printer, we have a copious summary of the different views pro and con 

 which have been held by those who have already considered the 

 questions concerning atmospheric genus. This constitutes at least 

 one-half of the volume, and as it is material already before our readers 

 we need not do more than advert to it. The latter portion of the work 

 contains the author's own observations, and is illustrated by fourteen 

 nearly folio plates, exhibiting coloured illustrations of the different 

 results obtained, magnified 400 diameters. The book is, of course, 

 altogether most elaborately executed, and would have been utterly im- 

 possible to produce save as a Government matter, from the very great 

 expense it must have involved. And, indeed, here we would blame 

 Dr. Cunningham for extravagance, for it is perfectly clear to anyone 

 who understands the matter that a single folio page of illustrations 

 would have been ample, inasmuch as there is no possible difference 

 between many of his drawings. With this, however, we have nothing 

 to do. But of the actual value of the results achieved we cannot say 

 much. In point of fact, the author has not been able to prove that any 

 season of illness in Hindostan has had anything whatever to do with 

 the presence of microscopic vegetable matters. Indeed, he has half 



