1875.] Notices of Books. 529 
no means without merit ; it embodies in an elementary form all the 
phenomena of heat, the arrangement is concise and comprehen- 
sive, acapital glossary of terms is given, and nearly twenty pages 
of questions. The book appears to us to be singularly well 
suited for the purposes of science teaching in schools; it con- 
tains about two ‘Terms’ work. It is a book which may be used by 
boys in conjunction with their school lectures, and is certainly 
adapted for Form questioning. It is divided into seven chapters, 
which treat respectively of the Nature and Sources of Heat, 
Expansion and Thermometry, Changes of Physical Condition, 
Conduction of Heat, Specific Heat, Radiant Heat, Heat and 
Work. A few simple, but in most cases sufficient, woodcuts are 
introduced. Mr. Gordon’s book is written for a special examina- 
tion (the Cambridge B.A.), and probably will not be much used 
beyond the circle for which it is intended. The ‘‘ questions 
and problems ” at the end are altogether deficient as to number, 
and we should have thought are in most instances too elementary, 
even for the examination for which they are intended. 
Practical Hints on the Selection and Use of the Microscope. By 
Joun Puin, Editor of the “Technologist.” New York: 
The Industrial Publication Company. 1875. 
Tus little work describes in some detail the various forms of 
microscope, the manner of using them, and the preparation and 
mounting of objects; it possesses a very limited number of 
woodcuts, and it does not appear to us to possess any advan- 
tage over Dr. Beale’s smaller book, or indeed to, by any means, 
come up to it in general usefulness and design. 
Ure’s Dictionary of Arts, Manufactures, and Mines. By R. 
Hunt, F.R.S. London: Longmans, Green, and Co. 
Ure’s “ Dictionary” still maintains its place as the standard tech- 
nological encyclopedia. There are, of course, treatises of some 
individual departments, such as metallurgy, calico-printing, 
manure-making, &c., which give more minute and complete in- 
structions. But as affording a general survey of the whole field 
of industrial science, the work before us stands unrivalled, and 
may be regarded as a national trophy. The present edition has 
been carefully revised and brought up to the standard of the day. 
Many of the, original articles having become obsolete, have been 
omitted, and others have been greatly curtailed, their subject- 
matter having fallen in importance since the appearance of the 
last edition. As an instance of such a relative decline, we may 
mention the prussiate of potash. A quarter of a century ago this 
was the ingredient necessary for the production of the most 
