288 



NATURE 



[November ii, 191 5 



from Hommaire de Hell's " Voyag^e en Turquie 

 eten Perse," Layard's "Nineveh," J. de Morgan's 

 "D^lt^gation en Perse," Dieulafoy's "L'Acropole 

 de Suse" and "L'Art antique de la Perse," the 

 "Treasure of the Oxus," and Martin's "Miniature 

 Painting in Persia " ; Vereshchagin's pictures ©f 

 Russian Central Asia have also been laid under 

 contribution; and the author's industry and en- 

 thusiasm have collected treasures from many other 

 sources. Besides the headpieces of the chapters, 

 reproducing early coins, seals, gems, medallions, 

 vases, cylinders, inscriptions, armour, and scenes 

 of war, chase, and agriculture, more than i6o 

 full-page designs, some in colour, are true illustra- 

 tions of an admirable work. The seven maps are 

 perhaps somewhat less pleasing and effective, 



214), and several of the author's own photographs 

 {e.g., ii., 340, 342). 



It is perhaps open to criticism that so much 

 space has been given to early Oriental matters 

 before Cyrus, and that such deep digressions are 

 sometimes made into external history of later time, 

 well away from the main subject (see chaps. 4-7, 

 20, 44-6). The comparative value of the great 

 figures of the Persian stage may be sometimes 

 overrated ; even Alexander of Magedon is perhaps 

 a case of this. One could wish that Col. Sykes 

 had given the Behistun inscription in full. In his 

 picture of Zoroastrianism he scarcely seems to 

 allow sufficiently for shadow as well as light, for 

 readiness to persecute as well as for "good 

 thoughts, good words, good deeds" {Humata, 



Kupkan, the home of Imam Kuli. From " A History of Persia.' 



though mostly of good average merit; that of 

 Central Asia, facing p. 84, vol. ii., leaves one 

 cold ; that showing the Persian provinces, under 

 the Abbasids, vol. ii., p. 62, is perhaps the best. 

 Some of the pictures (among which, of course, 

 none are " fancy ") are of striking beauty, in- 

 terest, or clearness : one might instance the 

 "Ararat" of vol. i., p. 4, the "Friezes of the 

 Archers," and "Lions" at Susa, facing pp. 58 

 and 194 in the same volume; the photographs of 

 Bandar Abbas, Yazd, and Kirman, by H. R. 

 Sykes, in vol. ii. ; the specimen chariot of the 

 First Persian Empire (i., 150), the tomb of 

 Cyrus (i., 164), the captivity of Valerian in the 

 hands of Shapur (i., 432), the tomb of Timur (ii., 

 NO. 2402, VOL. 96] 



Hukhta, Hvarshta). It was not merely from the 

 Church of Rome, but from the Catholic Com- 

 munion in East and West that the Nestorians 

 broke off. But the whole book is delightful, and 

 one cannot but hope that it will be widely read 

 and carefully studied ; it is sure to be enjoyed. 



THE SAN FRANCISCO MEETING OF THE 

 AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE 

 ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. 



SINCE the American Association, in 1902, de- 

 finitely changed the date of its regular 

 meetings to mid-winter it has, prior to the present 

 year, held two summer meetings — one in Ithaca^ 



