March 22, 1888] 



NA TURE 



485 



not being too pictorial ; for a student, especially when 

 left to his own resources, is often apt to be misled by 

 over elaborated drawings. 



In addition to the anatomical and physiological details 

 given of each of the type forms selected, there is appended 

 to each an excellent general summary of the life-history 

 of the form ; so that within the compass of a little over 

 350 pages we have a really valuable text-book of animal 

 biology, which we would wish to place in the hands of all 

 students. In Ireland, unfortunately, the Commissioners 

 of Intermediate Education have omitted the subject of 

 biology from the schedule for boys, and limited that for 

 girls to the vegetable kingdom. 



Practical Guide to Photographic and Photo-Mechanical 

 Printing Processes. By W. K. Burton. (London : 

 Marion and Co., 1887.) 



It is refreshing to find that the text of the second photo- 

 graphic work issued by these publishers is not made 

 subservient to the advertisement of photographic special- 

 ties. The work before us is written by a gentleman well 

 known for his practical rather than his theoretical ac- 

 quaintance with photography. We thus have an account 

 of the practical working of various processes, with a small 

 modicum of theory. The chapters on silver printing and 

 carbon printing are very clear and complete, and if followed 

 out will lead the amateur to successful results. When we 

 come to the photo-mechanical processes, however, there 

 is at first sight presumable evidence of a lack of intimate 

 knowledge of the subject. It may be, however, that there 

 is a greater difficulty in describing these operations than 

 in the ordinary printing processes to which we have 

 alluded. We doubt very much if the descriptions given 

 would enable a tyro to progress at a rapid rate. For the 

 enthusiastic photographer who has time to experiment 

 the directions would suffice to enable him to commence 

 in the right way, and though at first he would inevitably 

 blunder, yet he would after a sufficient number of disasters 

 produce results which he might take a certain amount of 

 pride in showing to his immediate friends, who would be 

 likely to appraise them higher than at their market price. 

 In another edition we should recommend that the 

 author should either expand the descriptions of his photo- 

 mechanical processes, or omit them altogether. The 

 work itself is nicely got up, the print is good, and the 

 illustrations well executed. 



A Treatise on the Diseases of the Dog. By John Henry 

 Steel, M.R.C.V.S. (London : Longmans, Green, and 

 Co., 1888.) 



Though the author of this manual does not claim to 

 offer an original book on canine pathology, and though 

 he assumes the modest role of compilator of canine 

 literature — English and foreign — we venture to say that 

 he is fully entitled to the claim of having produced an 

 extremely useful work ; useful in the first place to the 

 veterinary profession, but not less useful to all those who, 

 like sportsmen, dog-breeders, and dog-keepers, wish to 

 possess a ready and authoritative book for study and 

 reference. 



All disorders to which the dog is subject are considered 

 minutely, and in addition there are a great many useful 

 data as to the anatomy and physiology of the canine 

 organism well blended together. 



The treatment of canine ailments, and the various 

 methods of medical and surgical practice, form an in- 

 tegral part, and while the author's extensive practice 

 enables him to speak with authority, he does not omit to 

 mention the practice of others which he considers most 

 commendable. 



The numerous illustrations, copied from standard books, 

 though not of the first order as regards execution and re- 

 production, nevertheless considerably enhance the text ; 

 this is particularly the case with those which illustrate 



the general appearance of the animal under the various 

 severe internal disorders, as also those on medical and 

 surgical practice. 



But it must be regretted that in the illustrations on 

 microscopic objects, of which there are a good many in 

 this book, no statement is made in connection with the 

 figures as to the amount of amplification under which the 

 objects are supposed to be viewed. This is perplexing in 

 itself, but becomes more so when we remember that there 

 are other illustrations of anatomical parts which are re- 

 presented smaller than natural size. But these minor 

 details, which are easily corrected, cannot detract from 

 the general usefulness of the work. E. Klein. 



Management of Accumulators. By Sir D. Salomons. 

 Third Edition. (London : Whittaker, 1888.) 



The author has considerably enlarged this edition of 

 his work, and made it in some respects more complete. 



The first part deals with accumulators, and principally 

 with those of E.P.S., or Elwell-Parker type. The con- 

 struction and principle of working of the cells is de- 

 scribed, and hints are given as to the best method of 

 setting them up and charging them. The ordinary 

 causes of failure and the methods of guarding against 

 them are discussed. 



In the second part the arrangements of an installation 

 for house-lighting are fully described, and hints, founded on 

 the author's experience in lighting his own country-house 

 for some years past, are given as to the management of 

 engines, boilers, dynamos, lamps, switches, &c., as well as 

 descriptions of the methods which he has adopted for so 

 regulating the whole system by automatic appliances, that, 

 as he says, " it is only needful to start and stop the engine, 

 so that a man having no knowledge of electricity may be 

 employed." He gives estimates for the capital ex- 

 penditure and working expenses of installations of from 

 25 to 120 sixteen-candle power lamps. From these we 

 learn that one of the latter size can be erected for £f> per 

 lamp without accumulators, which latter add ^3 per 

 lamp to the cost, and the automatic regulating appliances 

 bring up the cost to £10 per lamp. For fifty lamps the 

 cost per lamp is about 50 per cent, greater, and for twenty- 

 five lamps about twice as great. The annual cost, in- 

 cluding interest and sinking fund, without accumulators, 

 ranges from £2 ids. per lamp for 120 lamps to £\ 4J. per 

 lamp for twenty-five lamps, these figures being mcreased 

 to ^3 9^-. and £f) respectively when accumulators and 

 automatic regulators are used. 



As was the case in the previous edition, there is much 

 useful information in this book, but it is very badly 

 written, so badly that the descriptions and explana- 

 tions are often unintelligible. As an example we may 

 quote from the chapter on the " Action of Cells with 

 Dynamo" (p. in). In discussing the relation between 

 E. M.F. and current in machines of different types, he 

 says, " Let us confine ourselves to the shunt dynamo, this 

 has a falling curve, i.e. the E.M.F. falls as the current in 

 the circuit is increased, due to two reasons, one is the 

 armature absorbs 7nore power as the current is increased" 

 (the italics are ours) ; " and secondly the lowering of the 

 outside resistance, to obtain an increased current, is in 

 shunt with a fixed high resistance, viz. the shunt winding 

 on the field-magnets, so that when the outside resistance 

 is lowered to zero by short-circuiting the terminals, 

 practically no E.M.F. exists, and no current passes." 



Elementary Physiography. By J. Thornton, M.A. 

 (London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1888.) 



This is an admirable introduction to the study of Nature 

 by one whose experience in teaching must of necessity 

 have indicated to him the requirements of beginners. 

 The subjects are arranged according to the syllabus of 

 the elementary stage of physiography, which will greatly 

 extend the sphere of usefulness of the book. The treat- 



