172 



NATURE 



[December 7, 



I'H I 



vummnr 



•rise the rudiments of general geology; the 

 ubject of the book is confined to the second 

 .Miiu.ii of 160 pages. 



The first part is unduly long, and is so inaccurate 

 and out of date that engineering students will be well 

 advised to loam the elements of geology from a more 

 trustworthy text-book. The author's petrological 

 knowledge may be illustrated by the following 

 examples. " IVridotite. — A name used for a basalt or 

 dolerite rich in olivine, chiefly noticeable on their \sic\ 

 alteration into serpentine" (p. in). Clay (p. 114) is 

 said to have "very nearly the same composition as the 

 mineral felspar." The Silurian greywackes are in- 

 cluded on p. 281 in the crystalline schists. Ooiite is 

 described as composed of "egg-like granules." The 

 definition of agglomerate omits the essential character 

 of the size of the fragments. In the author's defini- 

 tion of conglomerate, puddingstone is based on the 

 rounded form of the pebbles instead of on the indura- 

 tion of the rock. The trap-rocks are retained in 

 reliance on authors who, in this respect, were con- 

 servative when they wrote in 1885. The table of 

 rock characters on pp. 203 to 206 is useless and mis- 

 leading. 



The section on palaeontology is better, as it is 

 briefer; it is equally inaccurate. The author says 

 that the Coelenterata are characterised by "a distinct 

 body-cavity," and he refers to Favosites, which he 

 includes in the Hexacoralla, as having septa " in 

 sixes." On an authority of 1889 he states (p. 153) 

 that the Radiolaria "are rarely found fossil." 



In the chapters on stratigraphy are included various 

 tables of foreign formations. Those for Australia, 

 New Zealand, and South Africa are quoted from 

 Prestwich's "Geology" of 1886. They are only of 

 historic value. The value of the information on 

 British stratigraphy may be judged from the statement 

 (p. 180) that the Calciferous sandstones are overlain 

 by the Carboniferous limestone in the north of Scot- 

 land. 



It may be claimed that the book should be judged 

 by its second part, which is, however, no better than 

 the first. It contains much useful information, but 

 most of the authorities quoted are out of date, and 

 inadequate knowledge of geology and geography has 

 led the author into many mistakes. He assures us 

 (pp 239-40) that in open and barren plains 



" the construction of railways influences the rainful 

 \sic\ to a very great extent. Instead of continuous 

 drought all along the Pacific railroad, rain now falls 

 in refreshing abundance." 



The authority quoted for this extinct belief is 

 Humber's "Water Supply of Cities and Towns," pub- 

 lished in 1876. This book is the author's most oft- 

 quoted source of information on matters connected 

 with rainfall. The rate of deep-sea sedimentation is 

 adopted, at second hand, from " the late Mr. Tylor " 

 (P- 383). though a later authority on this question is 

 elsewhere referred to (p. 23) as " Mr. Murray." The 

 author often refers to himself as the authority for his 

 statements, and amongst other criteria of doubtful 

 geological value, which he advances as a result of his 

 own observations, is that " snakes are common on 

 light soils." 



NO. 2197, VOL. 88] 



.l.V EASTEKS HORSE-BOOK. 



The FaraS'Ndma-c Rang'tn; or, the Book of th. 

 Horse. By " Rangin." Translated from the Urtli 

 by Lieut.lColonel D. C Phillott. Pp. xx + 8 

 (London : Bernard Quaritch, 191 1.) Price io«. (yi 

 net. 



THE author of this treatise, who wrote under tl; 

 uom de plume of "Rangin," was, it appear 

 from the translator's introduction, one Sa'adat \.. 

 Khan, whosi l.irthpl.ace was Delhi. After serving (■ 

 some time in the cavalry of one or more of tl 

 native princes, he eventually became a recluse, durin. 

 which period of his life he appears to have writt. 

 the present and other works. He died in Octob< • 

 1835. In the East the " Fars-Nama " rapidly attain- 

 popularity, as is attested by the fact of its havii 

 passed through several editions; but we fear that tr 

 same good fortune is unlikely to attend the trans', 

 tion. Indeed, it is difficult to see to what class 

 readers it is likely to appeal in this country, althoup 

 it is suggested by the translator that it may prove 

 service to officers of native cavalry in India. Perso: 

 ally, we should have thought a good English woi 

 on the management and disease of horses would ha* 

 suited their purpose far better, except perhaps . 

 regards native ideas of the " points " of a horse. 



In the introduction. Colonel Phillott, after referring 

 to the important part played by the horse in tl 

 history of civilisation in India, observes that i 

 treatise on the subject would be complete witho 

 mention of the legends and myths connected with i 

 origin. These differ markedly according as to wheth' 

 they are derived from Moslem or Hindu sourct 

 although, as is so often the case in similar mattt : 

 in India, some of these show evident signs of a mix' 

 origin. As "Rangin" was a Moslem, he natumi 

 wrote from the point of view of his own creed, a- 

 the translator has accordingly considered it desiral 

 to give an account of the Hindu belief on this subjt < 

 As bearing on the origin of the classical myth 

 Pegasus, it is interesting to note that "according 

 Hindu legends, the horse was created a flying animal, 

 one that could fly and run, and no man or God could 

 snare it. Indra wanted horses for his chariots, a: 

 requested the sage Salihotra to deprive the horses 

 their wings. Accordingly Salihotra, by his yoga or 

 supernatural power, derived by his austerities, accon- 

 plished Indra's wish." Deprived of their power 

 making long journeys in the air in search 

 medicinal herbs, the horses asked Salihotra to wr; 

 a book on their diseases, which he did, and in tir 

 the Sanskrit name of the writer came to mean, fir 

 veterinary science, and then a horse. To this d. 

 native cavalry regiments have their salotris. 



In connection with native horses. Colonel Philk 

 mentions that 



" Indian countrybreds will eat and thrive on fcn 

 that would probably kill English horses. In the P- 

 sian Gulf and elsewhere locusts, fish, and dates i 

 regarded as legitimate food for horses and cattle ; in 

 Tibet the tanghans [horses] are given pig's blood and 

 raw liver ; and in the cold regions of Central .Asia 

 meat is regarded as a necessity for horses." 



