Oct. 31, 1878] 



NATURE 



693 



amount of mere compilation by men who have not made 

 an independent study of the subject dealt with. But the 

 public has a right to expect that work of this kind shall 

 not appear with the signature of men of known literary 

 standing. In making this remark we have an eye on 

 Principal Tulloch's article, EuSEBlUS. The whole article 

 is the slimmest literary hack-work, and the notice of 

 Eusebius' works contains mistakes which can be best 

 explained by supposing that the writer was hastily 

 abridging from Smith's "Dictionary," from which several 

 sentences are copied almost word for word. What is said 

 about the "Chronica" is one tissue of error and confu- 

 sion. The whole work is described in terms that apply 

 only to the second book. The Latin translation of the 

 Armenian version appears to be confounded with the 

 original work, and there is not one syllable to indicate 

 that only fragments of the latter exist. So, again, the 

 " Praeparatio Evangelica ' ' is described as a collection of 

 facts and quotations from the works of the ancient philo- 

 sophers, without any allusion to the important fragments 

 of ancient historians which it embodies. The celebrated 

 Nitrian MS. of the Theophania is said to have been 

 found in an Italian Monastery. And finally, there is no 

 account of the editions of Eusebius, not even of Schone's 

 great edition of the Chronica. 

 ^ ^ 



OUR BOOK SHELF 



Cyprus : its History, its Present Resources, and Future 

 Prospects. By R. Hamilton Lang. Illustrations and 

 Maps. (London : Macmillan and Co. 1878.) 



This, we venture to think, is really the most important 

 and useful contribution to a knowledge of our new de- 

 pendency that has been published since the surprise 

 was announced. Mr. Lang's long residence in the 

 island and his position there have given him exceptional 

 advantages to acquire a thorough knowledge of it in all 

 its aspects. He has, moreover, made diligent research 

 into the history and antiquities of the classical island, 

 and has succeeded in presenting in this volume a clear 

 and instructive account of these. Mr. Lang maintains 

 that Cyprus must have had a somewhat civilised popula- 

 tion before the arrival of either Greek or Phoenician 

 colonists, and that the remains of early writings which 

 have been discovered prove these earlier inhabitants to 

 have been Aryan, and not Semitic, and probably of the 

 same parent stock as the Greeks. About one-half of the 

 work is devoted to the history of the island. In the 

 chapter devoted to agriculture and produce Mr. Lang 

 shows that, in this respect, the capabilities of the island 

 are very large, and that, with improved systems, it 

 might really be made one of the most fruitful of our 

 dependencies. He himself made long experiments in 

 farming, and with the most satisfactory results ; and 

 for intending settlers in the island this part of his 

 work will prove of much value. Mr. Lang gives a 

 condensed account of M. Gaudry's researches on the 

 minerals of the island ; but our knowledge of its geology 

 is by no means satisfactory, and we trust with Mr. Lang 

 that no time will be lost in getting a thorough geological 

 survey of the island. The chapters on archaeology and 

 rock tombs and their contents are of special interest ; 

 and of great practical value is the chapter devoted to 

 "my farm in Cyprus." Mr. Lang is very hopeful of the 

 results of this annexation. One of the most interesting 

 results, so far, in our opinion, is his own work on the 

 island. The five beautiful maps by Stanford add much 

 to the scientific value of the work. 



Studies in Physical Science. By W. J. Millar, C.E. 

 (London : Marlborough and Co.) 



It is difficult to imagine what want this little book of 102 

 pages is intended to fill. In form and matter it appears not 

 unlike a schoolboy's notes of some popular lectures. If any 

 one really desires simple and accurate information on the 

 elementary propositions of physical science he can have 

 no difficulty in finding it in the many brief works which 

 have recently appeared from the pens of the foremost 

 authorities on each special branch. What are we to 

 make of the following paragraphs when it is stated in the 

 preface that "the whole has been carefully revised and 

 the most recent scientific views considered"? "The 

 vapours which ascend from the surface of our globe are 

 the channels by which the electricity of the atmosphere 

 is supplied. Evaporation is an active source of electricity, 

 and thus the clouds, which are made up of hollow vesicles 

 of aqueous vapour filled with air, contain a considerable 

 quantity of electricity stored up and ready to be dis- 

 charged." Concerning the telephone, the author remarks 

 that its "action appears to depend upon the principles 

 of magnetism, electricity, and acoustics." Further 

 quotation is needless. 



Hydrostatics and Pneumatics. By Philip Magnus, B.Sc, 

 B.A. (London: Longmans and Co. 1878.) 



This work forms the seventh volume of the " London 

 Science Class-Book Series," jointly edited by Prof. G. C. 

 P'oster and the author of the work before us. The books 

 are intended for "school purposes," but we cannot 

 imagine that the author of the " Hydrostatics and Pneu- 

 matics " can be acquainted with science teaching in 

 schools, or its requirements, to judge of his treatment 

 of the question of the relative densities of air at different 

 heights (p. 125), or of the method of finding the difference 

 of height of two stations by means of a barometer, 

 supposing the temperature and force of gravity constant 

 (p. 127). Or again, if we glance at pp. 18, 41, and 58, 

 we perceive at once that the treatment is of far too com- 

 plex a nature to be taught to young boys in Form who 

 probably have one hour, or at most two, to devote to the 

 subject in a week. For advanced boys in Upper Fifth 

 and Sixth Forms the book will undoubtedly prove useful, 

 provided they can devote several hours a-week in any 

 one Term to the subject. The work is clearly written for 

 the most part, and there are but few omissions. We do 

 not notice, however, any mention of the experiments of 

 Mr. Tomlinson and Prof. Van der Mensbrugge on sur- 

 face tension, nor of the experiments of Venturi, Ber- 

 nouilli, and Magnus, on the lateral action of a fluid in 

 motion. 



The Bulb Garden; or, How to Cultivate Btdbotis and 

 Tuberous-rooted Flowering Plants to Perfection. By 

 Samuel Wood. (London : Crosby Lockwood and Co. 

 1878.) 



It is not too much to say that the best part of the pre- 

 sent book is its cover. The binder has certainly per- 

 formed his part well, and produced a pretty-looking 

 book, but we must look no further than the cover for a 

 word of eulogy. We have only to turn over the fly-sheet 

 to read the title-page, and we are startled by an extra- 

 ordinary gaudily-coloured plate, which suggests a design 

 for a patchwork counterpane, but which, upon closer 

 examination, turns out to be one for a bulb garden. With 

 this we are not prepossessed ; and the next coloured 

 plate still further lessens our appreciation of the author' s 

 artistic taste. We leave the plates and turn to the text, 

 in the hope of finding the literary character of the book 

 such as to make amends for its artistic shortcomings ; 

 but still we are disappointed, for, when we find such 

 plants as Dielytra, Tritotna, Lychnis fulgens, the Hel- 

 lebores, &c., classed as bulbs, we are inclined to ask, 

 Does the author know what a bulb is ? 



