116 



KNOWLEDGE 



[April 1, 1890. 



cealino; the savage. Fashion sways their lives somewhat, 

 for turkey-red calico is not always worn, sometimes navy- 

 bine being en fe<ile, wliile the approved shape and coloiu' of 

 pipes varies, the natives refusing to exchange coco-nuts 

 for white pipes when the fashion runs on red ones ! Their 

 religion manifests the common features of that of barbaric 

 peoples, being a species of ancestor-worship, with belief in 

 spirits, mostly of malign nature, everywhere, to whom 

 j)ropitiatory offerings are made. One hopeful sign among 

 them is that they more and more incline to conceal the 

 real motive of their head-hunting voyages, and will say 

 that they are going for turtle-shell. But tribe after tribe 

 has been effaced, and the extinction of the rest is certain. 

 Mr. Woodford both prefaces and concludes his book with 

 apologies for lack of literary style. They are needless, for 

 his narrative is written in a direct, straightforward way, 

 with honest ring in the words that will not fail to com- 

 mend it as a worthy addition to the growing body of litera- 

 ture of travel in Melanesia. The value of the book is 

 increased by remarkably good reproductions of excellent 

 photographs taken by Mr. Woodford, as evidenced by the 

 two specimens which the publishers kindly allow us to 

 print ; by three clear maps, and by a fairly full index. 



7-/.(///.s (./■ the Fit'hl. By Fkancis A. Knight. (Elliot 

 Stock.) Under this title the gifted author of " By Leafy 

 Ways " has collected into book form a second series of 

 reprints from the Ihiily Xeirx. In a number of exquisite 

 word-pictures Mr. Knight vividly portrays some charming 

 coimtry and seaside scenes taken chiefly from the ^^'est of 

 England. He looks upon nature with the eye of a poet, 

 and in refined and gi-aceful language tells out the thoughts 

 she inspires. The ever-varying phases of bird- and plant- 

 life are specially attractive to lum, and his musings are 

 interspersed with antiquarian touches that stir the reader's 

 imagination and help to link the present with the past in 

 a most delightful manner. His keenness of observation 

 and his full sympathy with the calmer and quieter side of 

 nature are e\ident throughout ; not a rustle among the 

 withered leaves, not a tiny footprint on the freshly-fallen 

 snow, or on the sands round the margin of the secluded 

 pool, but is eloquent to him of secrets that can be revealed 

 only to such sympathetic spirits. No better exemplifica- 

 tion of the old truth, that the eye sees only what it brings 

 the power to see, could be foimd than m these pages, 

 which may profitably be pondered over by any who desire 

 to improve their mental vision. There are several beau- 

 tiful photogravui-es and other illustrations, which are in 

 complete harmony with the general tone of the book, and 

 which combine to make it a dainty gift-book for all lovers 

 of nature. 



T/ie Buttcrjli/ : its Hi.sttni/, Derehijiinent, anil Attrihutcx. 

 By John Stuttaed.' (T. Fisher Fnwiu.) This booklet 

 originated as a paper read before the Rochdale Literary 

 and Scientific Society. It indicates a good deal of 

 thoughtful reading on the part of an enthusiastic student 

 of nature, who, in what has evidently been a labour of 

 love, has put together m a somewhat unconventional 

 manner a variety of interesting matter bearing on the 

 structure, habits, and uses of butterflies. May we suggest 

 that, if Mr. Stuttard could have prevailed on some scientific 

 fiieud more skilled m the use of teclmical terms to do a 

 little " editing " for liim, some verbal errors, such as An- 

 thropoda for Arlhropoda, ciirisos for chrysos, tarsis for 

 tarsus, might have been avoided, and a laudable eftbrt thus 

 rendered more acceptable. 



Thcniio-i'hctririti/. By Arthur Eust. (E. and F. N. 

 Spon. London : 1889). — In this little book another 



attempt is made to solve the great question, " What is 

 electricity ? " The author defines electricity as " a mode 

 of motion, a flow of molecular vibrations produced by the 

 friction of molecules against molecules." The subsequent 

 explanation shows that he differs considerably from other 

 electricians in bis conception of the nature of electricity. 

 In the endeavour to establish his position he describes a 

 number of experiments with thermo-electric couples, iron 

 being taken as one of the metals and a compound of zinc and 

 antimony as the other. We could have wished that fuller 

 details of these experiments had been given ; for instance, 

 the temperature at the point of junction between the zinc 

 alloy and the galvanometer wire, the resistance of the 

 circuit, and the interval of time (if any) between the appli- 

 cation of the heat and the readmg of the galvanometer. 

 Full details are the more necessary because Mr. Rust 

 controverts the accepted thermo-electric law that the 

 strength of the current depends on the difference in tem- 

 perature between the two junctions. 



Zenot/jYqj/iical Frcuiments. I. By Stanley Williasis, 

 F.E.A.S. (MitcheU & Hughes. London, 1889.) This is 

 in no sense of the word a popuUir work, but one by an 

 ex^jert for experts. Undeterred by the low altitude of the 

 planet in 1886-87, Mr. Williams set to work to make a 

 detailed and systematic examination of all the markings 

 of .lupiter visible in his telescope on every available occa- 

 sion. He employed a 65. in Calver silver- on-glass reflector, 

 armed with a smgle lens giving the comparatively low 

 power of 170, which he found gave the best views of the 

 surface of the planet in its then great southern declina 

 tion. His object was twofold : to fix, by the method of 

 transits, the longitude of the various spots, and to make 

 detailed observations of the magnitude, brightness, and 

 appearance of every definite marking on the disc. Seventy 

 sketches were made, and an elaborate chart of the mark- 

 ings on Jupiter, reduced to the date of opposition, April 

 21, 1887, forms the frontispiece of the book. Of course, 

 as Webb remarks, owing to spherical foreshortening large 

 portions of the disc near the poles must remain for ever 

 unknown. The work is divided into seven sections, 

 treating of the instrument employed, the behaviour of 

 individual markings, on their relative altitudes, the mean 

 rotation of spots situated in different latitudes, the appa- 

 rent repellent influence excited by the gi'eat, red spot, the 

 colour of which was first noticed in 1868, itc. The 

 illustrations are numerous. The work forms a most excel- 

 lent monograph of its subject, and is appropriately dedi- 

 cated to the memory of Schroter. — H. S. 



L'lofitahle Fruit-Gniuiwi. By John Wright, F.R.H.S. 

 (E. H. May.) The Fruiterers' Company, in order to en- 

 courage the culture of fruit amongst cottagers, last year 

 off'ered a gold medal and prize of twenty-five gumeas for 

 the best practical essay on the subject. Mr. Wright was 

 the successful competitor with the present essay. It con- 

 tains much useful advice, and gives in plain language just 

 the information required as to the planting, pruning, and 

 general manaf,'ement of those kinds of fruit that can 

 easily and profital.ily be cultivated on small holdings. It 

 is copiously illustrated, and the idea of projitahle culture is 

 kept clearly m view throughout. Cottagers and other 

 holders of small plots should avail themselves of the help 

 of this essay if they wish to know how to make the most 

 of their ground. 



Tlie CuHirali'il (Iraiii/r.s mul Lfitioiis, <(r., (;/' Inilin and 

 Cci/loii. By E. r>0NAVi.\, M.D., Brigade Sm-geon, Indian 

 Medical Service. (W. H. Allen & Co., 18i.O.) Dr. 

 Bonavia has devoted many j^ears to the study of the 



