Dec. 13, 1877] 



NATURE 



121 



one to each of them in turn, which we should have been 

 quite justified in doing, having regard to their value. 



Of the two volumes on the Natural History of Insects, 

 which are published by a society of French and foreign 

 entomologists, vol. i. is devoted to the Coleoptera, and 

 comprises their organisation and their different orders, 

 with a short description of each, and woodcuts showing 

 their different stages of development. These are fol- 

 lowed by other useful matter, and then, in the second 

 part, we come to " Le Monde des Scarabdes." The stag- 

 beetle is here taken as an example of his family to 

 show the anatomy of these insects. The description 

 of their dwellings and instincts is clear, and written in 

 such a style that it may be understood and enjoyed by 

 those not versed in entomology. This part occupies a 

 good portion of the book. In the pages devoted to the 

 hunting, preparing, and keeping of beetles, beginners 

 may find every information they require; pincers, pins, and 

 nets are all shown, as well as the necessary requisites for 

 the knapsack. A list of the principal entomological 

 works is given, after which we have a lengthy classi- 

 fication and iconography of European coleoptera, illus- 

 trated with forty- eight plates beautifully coloured by 

 hand. 



The arrangement of volume ii., on Butterflies, is very 

 similar to the above, and contains thirty coloured plates 

 illustrating the butterfly, caterpillar, and chrysalis, to- 

 gether with the plants on which these are most frequently 

 to be found. 



" The Anatomy and Physiology of the Bee," is taken 

 from volume vi. of the " Memorials of the Polish Society 

 of Exact Sciences in Paris," and translated into French 

 by M. Pillain. This work consists of twelve lithographic 

 plates which obtained medals of merit both at the Univer- 

 sal Exhibition at Vienna and from the Royal and Imperial 

 Society of Agriculture of Cracow. On these plates we have 

 172 figures of the various parts of a bee, greatly magni- 

 fied. It is scarcely necessary to add that these are 

 extremely well finished. In the folio we have the memoir 

 itself, a book of forty pages, which first introduces us to 

 the bees of different countries and the bibliography of the 

 subject. In chapter i, the author describes the exterior 

 parts of the bee, and in the second and third the interior 

 and more complicated, such as the muscles, nervous 

 system, circulation of the blood, &c. The work terminates 

 with explanations of the figures. Altogether this is a 

 valuable addition to an entomologist's library, and does 

 great credit to the society from which it has emanated. 



In M. Cordier's book on Fungi we have much valuable 

 information. In the first place he treats generally of the 

 organisation of fungi, their physiology, mode of reproduc- 

 tion, and geography, how to distinguish the edible from 

 the poisonous, and he shows us how to extract this poison ; 

 he tells how this works on the animal economy and the 

 best means of counteracting it. In the second part all 

 the fungi useful to man are chronicled, with detailed 

 descriptions of each order and drawings from nature. 



M. Cordier has adopted Persoon's classification in 

 preference to any other, as he takes it to be more 

 practical ; indeed he dedicates the book to his memory 

 as the " Crdateur de la Science Mycologique." The 

 drawing and colours of the sixty chromolithographs are 

 well worthy of note. The book also contains a glossary, 



table of common, and one of the scientific, names of the 

 fungi. 



The author has evidently endeavoured to make his 

 subject as interesting and complete as possible. The 

 style of the popular portion of the book is admirable, and 

 bon vivants will be glad to be informed that there are 

 eight pages dealing with the proper way of cooking truffles. 



The two small books by H. de la Blanch^re — one on 

 the enemies of forest trees, with 162 engravings of insects 

 and larvae, the other on the enemies of orchards and vines 

 similarly illustrated, form part of a large series now well 

 known and highly appreciated in France, We have 

 already noticed some of them, and these are in no way 

 inferior to the former ones. 



" Plants used for Food," written by A. Vogl, of Prague, 

 translated into French by Ad. Focillon, is a practical 

 guide for detecting the adulteration of flour, coffee, 

 chocolate, tea, and the like. 



" The Blowpipe," by E. Jannettaz, is extremely well 

 arranged, and is a thoroughly practical guide for engi- 

 neers, mineralogists, ^c. ; the information is accurate and 

 condensed, and M. Jannettaz's name is a guarantee of its 

 scientific value. 



OUR BOOK SHELF 



The Fifth Coniine7it, with the Adjacent Islands ; being 

 an Account of Australia, Tasmania, and New Guinea, 

 with Statistical Itiforviation up to the Latest Date. 

 By C. H, Eden. With Map. (London ; Society for 

 Promoting Christian Knowledge ; no date.) 

 This volume contains much information on the Aus- 

 tralian colonies, but it is somewhat desultory and in- 

 complete. It is not a children's book, and it will not 

 satisfy those who are in quest of full information on the 

 subject It affords some idea of the history, people, and 

 products of Australia and New Guinea, but it would be 

 better to cut out much of what is said about the history 

 and the people and give more space to well-digested 

 information about the resources of the countries. 



Notes by a Field Naturalist in the Western Tropics. By 

 Henry H. Higgins, M.A. (Liverpool : Edward 

 Howell, 1877.) 

 This is a readabla record of observations made during 

 a yacht voyage to the West Indies by Mr. Higgins, who is 

 president of the Liverpool Naturalists' Field Club. Mr, 

 Higgins went over well-trodden ground, and therefore we 

 need not look for any novslties in this little volume, 

 although much of it is interesting. The chief purpose of 

 the voyage, undertaken by Mr. Cholmondley, the owner of 

 the yacht, was to observe and collect tropical birds. Mr. 

 Higgins collected, also, many specimens, both zoological 

 and botanical, from sea and land, which are now being 

 arranged. He may possibly, he states, publish an account 

 of the biology of the voyage. 



LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 



\The Editor does not hold himself responsible for opinions expressed 

 by his correspondents. Neither can he undertake to return, 

 or to correspond with the writers of, rejected manuscripts. 

 No notice is taken of anonymous communuations. 



The EdUor urgently requests correspondents to keep their letters as 

 short as possible . The pressure on his space is so great that it 

 is impossible otherwise to ensure the appararue even of cam' 

 munications containing interesting and novel facts. \ 



The Radiometer and its Lessons 

 Prof. Foster's dear representation of what he conceives to 



be the effect of rarefaction reduces the question between us to a 



definite issue. 



Having assumed that heat is flowing across an intervening 



layer of gas from a hotter surface A to a colder turfice B, h« 



