i^OVEMBER 1, 1914 



and attack their enemy. The next clay, 

 when the owner of the bees comes around 

 he discovers there is " something wrong." 

 If he detects the familiar skunk odor he 

 can readily guess the reason. 



om 



Undoubtedly boys and girls should be 

 taught the laws of health and the impor- 

 tance of the conservation of our natural 

 resources. The authors of this book state 

 that its purpose is to discuss the economic 

 relations of animals to the human race, and 

 to teach how to care for that wonderful 

 machine, the human body, and to make it 

 as efficient as possible in the attainment of 

 success and happiness and the upbuilding 

 of character; and they are confident that 

 no biological knowledge is of more worth 

 to high-school students. The book is in line 

 with a growing demand that our secondary 

 schools furnish a practical education which 

 will be useful in the affairs of everyday 

 life, and that less time be given to studies 

 which are chiefly of value for culture and 

 discipline. 



" Elementary Biology, Animal and Hu- 

 man," consists of two books, separately 

 paged, but bound in one volume. The first 

 treats of applied zoology, and the second o f 

 human physiology and practical hygiene. 

 Great care has been taken to secure accura- 

 cy, and a large part of the text has been 

 submitted to well-known authorities and 

 specialists — the chapter on insects to Messrs. 

 Felt, Root, and Herrick; the chapter on 

 birds and fishes to Dr. Hornaday ; the chap- 

 ter on foods to the late Prof. Atwater, etc. 

 Passing over the lower orders of animals 

 the authors take up at once insects which 

 are beneficial and injurious to mankind. 

 A brief account is given of the life histo- 

 ries of butterflies and moths, grasshoppers, 

 mosquitoes, and flies, and of the ways in 

 which they can be controlled or extermin- 

 ated. The point of view of the authors is 

 well shown by the fact that only two pages 

 and a plate of figures are given to the struc- 

 ture of mosquitoes in their different stages, 

 while the intensely interesting story of the 

 relation of certain species to malaria and 

 yellow fever occupies ten pages. It is a 

 pleasure to record that the treatment of the 

 economy of the honeybee is modern and 

 free from error; for many of the newest 

 scientific works, as Buttel-Reepen has re- 

 marked, contain defective assertions. But 



* Elementary Biology, Animal and Human, by 

 James Edward Peabodv, A. M., and Arthur Ells- 

 worth Hunt, Ph.B. ; 12mo, pp. xiv. — 194 — 212. New 

 York. The Macmillan Co., 1912. 



the statement on flower pollination, based 

 on the authority of Prof. Hodge, that for 

 all practical purposes the honeybee is suffi- 

 cient, should be modified. We most heartily 

 commend the vigorous protest against the 

 wicked and reckless destruction of game 

 and song birds and food fishes; it would 

 seem as though this inci'edible waste and 

 cruelty had only to be generally known to 

 be promptly checked. 



One of the most valuable chapters is that 

 on bacteria and the white blood corpuscles, 

 reprinted in substance from the authors' 

 " Plant Biology." Among these minute 

 plant organisms (bacteria) are found the 

 best friends and worse foes of the human 

 race. In the absence of the forms produc- 

 ing decomposition the earth would soon 

 become devoid of life; while other kinds 

 are the dreaded causes of those terrible dis- 

 eases tuberculosis, diphtheria, and typhoid 

 fever. It would likewise be impossible to 

 give a better illustration of the importance 

 of the investigation of nature for its own 

 sake. Bacteria were at first not only re- 

 garded as of no practical importance, but 

 their study was looked upon as reprehen- 

 sible. There is a story that the Dutch nat- 

 uralist Leeuwenhoek, who lived in the seven- 

 teenth century, and who is said to have been 

 one of the first to figure bacteria, was told 

 that, if the Creator had designed microscop- 

 ic organisms to be known, he would have 

 made them large enough to be seen. 



The effects of stimulants and narcotics 

 are fairly and conservatively discussed, and 

 their use, even in moderation, condemned 

 in no uncertain terms. In our judgment 

 the evils of intemperance can in no way be 

 so effectually combated as through adequate 

 instruction in the public schools. The chap- 

 ter on foods and their uses is timely, for 

 the numerous books on food and nutrition 

 which have recently appeared show that 

 this topic is attracting much immediate 

 attention. To those of our readers desiring 

 a clear and concise presentation of the prac- 

 tical biological questions mentioned above 

 we confidently recommend this book; but 

 those desiring a broader view of zoology, or 

 of the classification, distribution, and de- 

 velopment of the animal kingdom, should, 

 of course, procure some other work. 



The volume is entertainingly written, and 

 well printed and illustrated. It is intended 

 to be used in connection with a previous 

 work by the same authors entitled " Plant 

 Biology," the entire course occupying one 

 year. Full directions for numerous labor- 

 atory exercises are suj^plied, and a list of 

 a])paratus, chemicals, books, charts, and 

 other accessories suggested. 



