330 



KNOWLEDGE. 



AUGl'ST, 1911. 



TOPOGK.AFHV. 



Burma: A Handbook 

 Political Information.- 



of Practical. Commercial and 

 -Bv Sir George Scott. K.C.I.E. 



520 pages. Numerous illustrations. D:|r-in.X 7J-in. 



(Alexander Morint,'. Price 10 (< net.) 



Sirr George Scott's readable account of Burma is well 

 known, and in noticing the second, new and revised edition, 

 we may say that Natural Histor\- and Geology are considered 

 in some detail, while the hints to visitors or new residents 

 make the book more valuable. 



Piiuis (if ."^hwic:). \'oliimc I. — By C. George Richards. 



153 pages. 262 illustrations. 13i-in. X 9j-in. 



(H. P.. Shrimpton. Price 42 - net.) 



During his wanderings amongst the ruins of Me.xico, Mr. 

 Constantine George Richards has collected a fine series of 

 photographs, and to form the first volume of his book which 

 is now before us, he has put together two hundred and 

 sixty-two collotype reproductions of his pictures. In his 

 introduction he says that there is nothing scientific, literary, or 

 new in his work, but those who are privileged to see it will be 

 ready to assure him of the value of his records of the ruins of 

 the times before the Spanish Conquest. 



OUERIE.S. 



Readers are invited to send in Onestions and to ansu-er tlie Oi(eries xcliicli are printed lure. 



46. BIBLE ASTRONOMY.— What would be the effect on 

 our planet and other of this system if the sun and moon were 

 to'stand still as stated in the book of Joshua in the Bible ? 



J. W. A. 



47. GR.WITV. — I heard it stated in a sermon, preached in 

 a village church a few Sundays ago, that the reason we do 

 not tumble off the earth is because it is surrounded by the 

 atmosphere, which keeps us from flying off into space. No 

 allusion whate\-er was made to gravity. Talking it over with 

 a friend afterwards, she informed me that gravity was now 

 rather discredited by scientific men, and that, if the atmosphere 

 was not the sole cause of our remaining on the earth. ,it all 

 events it had a good deal to do with it. 



This is such a very novel theory to me that I venture to 

 write and ask you if there is any truth in it ? 



IGNORAMUS. 



48. THE COOLINCi OF HOT WATER.— There is a 

 popular belief that boiling water freezes faster than cold : 

 apparently it is also held that it cools more rapidly when the 

 thermometer does not fall to 32" F., for I have heard of very 

 hot water being put ready overnight for a bath in Jamaica in 

 the belief that this would furnish the coolest morning tub. 

 That the belief is false in most cases I have convinced myself 

 by a " fool's experiment " : on a night of hard frost I put out 

 water at boiling point, water that had boiled for some time, 

 and cool water, in similar vessels, with the result that might 

 have been expected : the cold water was ice some hours 

 before the others. But can you or any of j'our readers tell 

 me what gives rise to such a singular and unexpected fallacy ? 

 .Are there any conditions under which boiling water could 

 freeze more rapidly than water at any lower temperature ? 



A. F. 



NOTICES. 



THE HOME OF GILBERT WHITE.— In The Country 

 Home for July there is a thoroughly-well illustrated article 

 on "The Wakes at Selborne," by Miss .Aimy .\stbury. We 

 believe that pictures of many of the rooms have never been 

 published before, and we are able, by the courtesy of Tlic 

 Country Home, to print below, one of the rooms in which 

 Gilbert White wrote " The Natural History of Selborne." 



WHO'S WHO IN SCIENCE.— Messrs. J. & A. Churchill 

 are preparing a new annual book of reference which will 

 contain the names, appointments and achievements of the 

 foremost scientific men in the world. Schedules are now 

 being sent out and the cooperation of all those interested in 

 science is invited. The forms should be returned, as soon as 

 possible, to 7. Great .Marlborough Street, London, W. 



The room m which Gilbert White wrote " Tiie X.itur.il History nl Sriliorne" and in which he afterwards died. 



