6i6 



NATURE 



[OcTOIiL., 



appeal to pctrolofjisf? no less than to engineers. The 

 im hj.sion of ncphclinite under syenites is a slip which, 

 vs'ith u few others, will doubtless be corrected later. 



A. B. 



An Advanced Course of Instruction in Chemical Prin- 

 ciples. By Arthur A. Noyes and Prof. Miles S. 

 Sherrill. Pp. xviii + 3io. (New York: The Mac- 

 millan Co.; London: Marmillan and Co., Ltd., 

 1922.) 18^. net. 



Profs. Noyes and Shkrrill have produced a work 

 which mij<ht be mistaken at first sight for yet another 

 text-book of physical chemistry, since it deals with 

 such subjects as vapour-pressures, osmotic pressures, 

 electrolysis, chemical equilibrium, chemical change, 

 and the phase rule. A closer study of the lx)ok reveals 

 the fact that it is quite distinct, both in its purpose and 

 in its method, from the ordinary text-books of descrip- 

 tive physical chemistry. This contrast is shown not 

 only by what the book contains but also by what it 

 omits. Thus, the newer theories of the structure of atoms, 

 molecules, and crystals have been reluctantly omitted, 

 in spite of their interest and importance, since on the 

 chemical side they are mainly empirical, the general 

 principles (if any) on which they are based being mathe- 

 matical and physical rather than chemical. 



A clear view of the purpose of the book is obtained by 

 studying the series of problems^ which it contains. 

 These are not merely supplementary to the course of 

 instruction but are its most important feature. The 

 total number of these problems is nearly 500 ; but 

 suggestions are given for a shorter course when the time 

 available is too short to cover the whole of the syllabus. 

 In some respects the book recalls Nemst's " Theoretical 

 Chemistry," although it is in some ways a more attract- 

 ive book for the student. Thus the whole of the text 

 is contained in less than 300 pages ; and the English 

 student has the advantage of reading it in the original 

 language instead of in a translation. From the point 

 of view of the teacher of chemistr}', the problems on 

 which the book is based are of importance as ensuring 

 that the student really understands what he is being 

 taught, and is able to apply it in a direct way to chemi- 

 cal problems. It is indeed difficult to imagine any 

 course that would be of more value to the student of 

 physical chemistry in enabling him to secure a real 

 mastery of his subject ; and this fact more than com- 

 pensates for the absence of the more popular features 

 which can be used to add to the attractiveness of a 

 descriptive text-book. 



Studies in Religion, Folk-lore, and Custom in British 

 North Borneo and the Malay Peninsula. By I. H. N. 

 Evans. Pp. viii -1- 299. (Cambridge : At the Uni- 

 versity Press, 1923.) 205. net. 



Mr. Evans, now curator of the Taiping Museum, in- 

 cludes in this book notes collected during two series of 

 explorations. The first part describes his investiga- 

 tions in the Tuaran and Tempassuk districts of North 

 Borneo ; the second deals with the customs and 

 beliefs of the woolly-haired Negritos, the wavy-haired 

 Sakai, and the Jakun pagans of the Malay Peninsula. 

 This latter may be regarded as a supplement to Messrs. 

 Skeat and Blagden's " Pagan Races," and Mr. Skeat's 

 " Malay Magic." In North Borneo the coast districts 



NO. 2817, VOL. 112] 



are occupied by the Bajaus and lUanuns, pr<>*<> 

 Malayans, but the Dusan pagans of the interior nut r 

 ally attracted Mr. Evans's special attention. ' ' 

 an excellent description of the iK-liefs and ct 

 this interesting race. Much of his account tjl i: : 

 religion, folklore and customs, and of head-hunt 1 :. . 

 now happily obsolete, may \yc compared with thi 

 records of other explorers in these regions. 



The method of Mr. Evans wins our co; 

 gives the actual notes of his work and i 

 his information, without any attempt at • ion, 



which is particularly dangerous when ^ ajUi 



isolated communities where the culture varies from 

 one valley or jungle to another. Even in the Mula\ 

 Peninsula he has been able to add something to the 

 harvest already garnered by Messrs. Skeat and Blagden. 

 The folk-tales are mostly concerned with animals and 

 their ways, and supply interesting parallels to those 

 current in adjoining regions. 



The Elasmobranch Fi^es. By Prof. J. F. Dai 

 xi -I- 334. (Berkeley : University of Califori 

 1922.) 4.50 dollars. 



As the author reminds us in his preface, of all li\ in_ 

 fishes the Elasmobranchs are by far the most interesting^ 

 and important for the understanding of the Vertebrata. 

 In this handsome and beautifully illustrated volume 

 Prof. Daniel gives a general account of the sharks and 

 rays chiefly from a morphological point of view, though 

 not neglecting the relation of structure to habits and 

 food. Each of the eleven chapters dealing with the 

 external form and the anatomy of the various systems 

 of organs begins with a very clear description of 

 Heptanchus maculatus, followed by a comparison with 

 other more specialised forms, and concludes with an 

 adequate bibliography. Thus the reader is presented 

 with an excellent survey of the range of structure 

 presented by the whole group. Matters of fact are 

 very accurately stated, but in dealing with theoretical 

 deductions of a more general nature, the author seems 

 to be on less certain ground. One serious blunder 

 only have we met, on p. 309, where the kidney tubules 

 are called " nephridia." Surely it is now recognised 

 that these tubules, derived from the coelomic wall, have 

 nothing to do with the true nephridia of Amphioxus 

 and the ccelomate Invertebrates, but are rather to be 

 compared to the ccelomoducts so constantly found in 

 the latter? Prof. Daniel is to be congratulated on 

 having produced a most instructive and attractive 

 book which should prove useful both to students and 

 to teachers of zoology. 



The Story 0/ the Maize Plant. By Prof . P. VVeatherwax . 

 (University of Chicago Science Series.) Pp. xv -»- 247. 

 (Chicago : University of Chicago Press ; London : 

 Cambridge University Press, 1923.) 1.75 dollars. 

 This volume serves to gather together in a convenient 

 form much of our scattered knowledge of the maize 

 plant, and provides a concise summary- of the general 

 history of this important food and forage crop. The 

 accounts of the morphology, anatomy, and ecological 

 relations of maize lead up to an exposition of methods 

 of cultivation and harvesting, followed by a detailed 

 description of the flowering organs and the develop- 

 ment of the grain or seed. The author indicates the 



