364 THE AMERICAN MONTHLY [Nov 



tion of objects at the Soiree. It appears to have shown its 

 thankfulness by electing- him a member of the Executive 

 Committee, while the other two members earned their 

 places by reading- papers. 



If the Secretary will confine the Proceeding-s to the act- 

 ual occurences at Toledo, we are of the opinion that his 

 fond hope of having- them out by Christmas oug-ht to be 

 realizable. But if he waits for absent members to write 

 some papers with which to eek out a report, he will per- 

 haps be delayed till next spring- or summer. 



NEW PUBLICATIONS. 



Elementary Zoology and Laboratory Guide. — By H. 

 E. Chapin and L. J. Rettg-er., Chicago, 1897, 212 pp., 145 

 fig-s. 8 vo. 



In the preface, our authors sig-nificantly remark: " A 

 teacher who expects to do no more than read the following 

 pages is bcgg-ed to close the book at once and turn his at- 

 tention to more profitable thing-s. "A teacher who would 

 merely assig-n three pag-es in advance each day had better 

 exchang-e the book for an almanac or a treatise on 

 Chinese." 



This book then is not to be memorized and recited. You 

 are to go into the laboratory and museum and study ob- 

 jects of Natural History. Perchance this book will help 

 you— that all depends on you. The book is all right : are 

 you ? 



Chapters are devoted to Protozoa, Porifera, Coelenterata, 

 Echinodermata, Vermes, Molluscoidea, Mollusca, Arthro- 

 poda, Vertebrata, and Laboratory methods. Embryol- 

 ogy and minute structure are not much touched upon, the 

 scope of the book being- microscopic larg-ely. We heartily 

 commend it to the notice of all teachers. 



A few pag-es on the microscope contain the rudiments of 

 knowledge needed by the beginner. Hardening- and 

 mounting- media are described briefly, so is embedding-, 

 section cutting-, etc. 



