January 7, 191 5] 



NATURE 



505 



in evolution. These are the seven divisions of the 

 book, which aims at providing a foundation suit- 

 able for the further study of one or more of the 

 many branches. 



Prof. Calkins has selected his material judici- 

 ously, and by exercising- unusual restraint he 

 has kept his introduction within appropriately 

 small dimensions. His treatment is beautifully 

 clear throughout and he drives his nails home. 

 Only in a few cases, e.g. in the last chapter, is 

 the treatment too short to be of great use to the 

 ordinary student, who must always have a certain 

 amount of solid concrete stuff to chew at. We 

 have two or three other suggestions to make — 

 though it is a little like trying to adorn the rose. 

 We have a strong impression that general biology- 

 deals with the fundamental principles not of living 

 matter, as the author insists, but of organisms. 

 We do not admire the striking first figure in which 

 Prof. Calkins makes general biology the centre 

 of twelve sub-sciences, duplicated for plants and 

 animals, for the arrangement of these does not 

 appeal to us and we have grave doubts regarding 

 the neurology of plants. There are a few typo- 

 graphical errors, which should be seen to : the 

 function of the "sdnalgs" is immaterial, but 

 Dalton instead of Galton (both in the text and 

 the index) is awkward. These are pin-point 

 blemishes on a work of great excellence, which is 

 sure to be found very useful. Many of the new 

 figures deserve great praise, e.g. the stereogram 

 of the earthworm for its utility and the picture of 

 Hydra for its beaut^' J. A. T. 



Farm Accounts. By C. S. Orwin. Pp. 2og. 



(Cambridge University Press, 1914.) Price 35. 



net. 

 As might be expected, Mr. Orwin has made this 

 a very valuable book. Many works on book- 

 keeping are arid and unconvincing because the 

 transactions described are obviously artificial, but 

 here we come into contact with the actual thing, 

 and feel that the author is writing from large 

 practical experience of farm accounts. The intro- 

 duction demonstrates that the farmer is a manu- 

 facturer, not a merchant, so that his book-keep- 

 ing should be conducted on the principle of tracing 

 the cost of production right through to the time 

 of sale. Farm valuations are then lucidly ex- 

 plained, and Hlustrated — as are all the other topics 

 — -"from actual accounts kept by tenant-farmers 

 in various parts of Britain." The following chap- 

 ter on farm records deals with manual and horse 

 labour, foods and. manures. Next comes a clear 

 and detailed description of the way books ought 

 to be kept, accounts closed, and the figures used 

 for construction of a profit and loss account and 

 balance sheet. The final chapter sets forth some 

 of the conclusions and deductions that may be 

 arrived at by study of the year's accounts. An 

 index is appended. 



The work is primarilv intended for use in farm 

 institutes, and should be well within the compre- 

 hension of full-time county council students in 

 agriculture, though probably too difficult for short 

 coursers, whose school education has often largely 



NO. 2358, VOL. 94] 



evaporated. The value of the book would be en- 

 hanced bv the addition of exercises for class work. 



J. R. A.-D. 



Who's Who, 1915. An Annual Biographical Dic- 

 tionary, with which is incorporated " Men and 

 Women of the Time." Pp. xxx + 2376. (Lon- 

 don : A. and C. Black, Ltd.) Price i^s. net. 

 We have again to note an increase in the size of 

 this invaluable work of reference. The many ex- 

 cellent characteristics of this annual are familiar 

 to all who take part in the world's activities; and 

 it will be enough to remind readers of Nature 

 that it contains biographies of distinguished men 

 of science, including, for instance, the fellows of 

 the Royal Society, and those occupying important 

 professorial and professional positions in this and 

 other countries. 



Magnetism and Electricity, including the Prin- 

 ciples of Electrical Measurements. By S. S. 

 Richardson. Pp. ix4-598. New and revised edi- 

 tion. (London: Blackie and Son, Ltd., 1914.) 

 Price 45. 6d. 

 The first edition of Mr. Richardson's book was 

 reviewed In the issue of Nature for December 31, 

 1908 (vol. Ixxix., p. 246), and a description of its 

 i chief characteristics was then given. The whole 

 of the text of the new edition has been revised, 

 several portions have been re-written, and a chap- 

 ter on the principles underlying the action of 

 dynamos and motors has been added. 



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 intended for 

 this or any other part of Nature. No notice is 

 taken of anonymous cotnmunications.'] 



The Appley Bridge Meteorite. 



In Nature of November 5, 1914, Mr. W. F. 

 Denning gave an account of the meteorite of October 

 13, 1914, in which he mentions that the object had 

 been found, and was then at the Godlee Observator\-, 

 Manchester. 



The object which fell at Appley Bridge belongs to 

 the aerolites or stony meteorites, and not to the 

 siderites or irons. In appearance there is the striking 

 meteoric features of deep thumb marks — piezoglyphs — 

 and the general coating a dark brown to black. This 

 was in distinct contrast to the interior, which was of 

 a light grey colour. In general the figure gave one 

 the impression of its being a segment of a spherical 

 shell, the dimensions being : — 



Length 965 in. 



Depth 913 ,, 



Width or thickness ... 662 ,, 



The longest diagonal measurement gave 10-76 in. 



When the aerolite reached the Godlee Obser\'atory, 



it was in two pieces, weighing 28 lb. 13 oz., and 



showed evident signs that some considerable portions 



I had been broken away since its discover}-. 



1 The very friable nature of the mass was such that 

 portions could be readily broken off by the thumb 

 and fingers, and it is to this softness of texture that 

 its losses are due, as the weight at the time of 

 discover}' was given as more than 30 lb. 



