434 



KNOWLEDGE. 



NOVF.MBEK, 1911. 



are given, and excellent photnniicn),i;r;iplis accompany the 

 article on "Alloys." 



It is. perhaps, in the biographical articles that the 

 Encyclopaedia will fill the greatest gap in the library of the 

 chemist. This portion of the work has been fully dealt with, 

 and in a manner that leaves little to be desired. 



C. .\. M. 



GEOLOGY. 



The Coast Scenery of Nortli Devon. — By E. A. Xewell 



Arber, M..-\. 261 pages. 63 plates. 11 figures. 2 maps. 



9-in. X 6-in. 



(J. M. Dent & Sons. Price 10 6 net.) 



Mr. .\rber is a distinguished palaeobotanist. but in the 

 intervals of his researches has found time to write this fine 

 monograph on an exceedingly interesting and beautiful portion 

 of our coast. In an introduction the general geology of the 

 area is described. The country is built of highly plicated 

 slates, sand.stones and shales of Devonian and Carboniferous 

 age. Two types of cliff, the " flat-topped," and the " hog's 

 bacU " are distinguished. Whilst the former represents the 

 effect of sea-erosion on a flat tableland, the latter is far more 

 complex, and its origin is left in doubt. One of the special 

 features of the coast-line is the fine series of coastal waterfalls, 

 which are naturally most conspicuous when falling over the 

 "flat-topped" type of cliff. An excellent section on "beach- 

 scrambling" gives one the impression that it is a sport quite 

 as exciting, if not as dangerous, as mountaineering. 



Part 1 describes in detail the six districts into which the 

 coast-line is divided. For each district full directions are 

 given as to suitable headquarters, ways of reaching the cliffs, 

 and the necessary maps. Part 2 deals with the special 

 features of geological interest along the coast. The somewhat 

 neglected subjects of the marine erosion of folded rocks, the 

 evolution of coastal waterfalls, and sea-dissected valleys, are 

 dealt with, and the author claims, and claims justly, original 

 value for his work. This part forms a valuable contribu- 

 tion to the study of scenery. Mr. .Arber shows that the 

 intersection of the plane of marine erosion with a m.aturely 

 dissected country must result in headlands and bays — the 

 former corresponding to the watersheds, and the latter to the 

 valleys — which have no relation to the differential hardness of 

 the rocks involved. Whilst the latter may sometimes control 

 the larger features of a coast, as in Pembrokeshire, more usually 

 it merely determines minor irregularities. 



A good bibliography and index is given, and the book is 



illustrated by a series of fine plates. The reader may be 



perplexed by the absence in some of the plates of any means 



of estimating the scale of the view shown. The author is to 



be congratulated on this book, which will be useful to both 



geologist and geographer. The best compliment we can pay 



it is to hope that it may be the precursor and model of many 



similar works. .p 



( I. \\ . i , 



.me:teoroloGtY. 



British Rainfall, /!?/r*.— Edited liy Hugh RniiEKT Mill. 



Director of the British Rainfall Organization. 440 pages. 



65 maps and illustrations. 8i-in. X 5i-in. 



(E. Stanford. Price 10 -.) 



The British Rainfall Organization is an organization of 

 voluntary and unpaid observers of Rainfall, nearly five 

 thousand in number, resident in all parts of the British Isles. 

 The work was established by the late G. J. Symons, F.R.S., 

 and it is being ably carried on by his successor. Dr. Mill. 



The volume for 1910 is the fiftieth of the series, and it is 

 interesting to note that four of the observers who contributed 

 to the first volume in 1861. also contribute to the volume for 

 1910. The volume for 1861 contained records from four 

 hundred and seventy-one stations, that for 1910 contains 

 records from four thousand eight hundred and seventy fom- 

 stations. 



Although primarilva volume of statistics tin; book will prove 

 of great interest to very many who care but little for figures. 



The excellent maps which illustrate the distribution of rainfall 

 over the United Kingdom, both in time and in space; the 

 observers' notes upon exceptional weather experienced by 

 them, and the discussion of heavy falls of rain, hail and snow, 

 should prove interesting to all. Dr. Mill contributes an article 

 upon " The Rain Gauge in Theory and Practice." which is pro- 

 bably the final word upon the subject. 



In addition to yearly results for nearly five thousand 

 stations there are monthly tables for three hundred carefully 

 selected representative stations, .and daily values for ten 

 stations. 



The Rainfall for 1910 varied between 19 -44 indies at Ropner 

 Park. Durham, and 187-06 inches at Llyn Llydaw Copper 

 Mill. Carnarvonshire. J. .A. C. 



NATURE STUDY. 



Garden and Plaviiroiind Xature Study. — By J. E.aton 

 Eeaskv. 184 pages. 65 illustrations. ' 5-in. X7|-in. 



iSir Is.aac Pitman and Sons. Price 2/6 net.) 



Mr. Feasey has already produced two volumes dealing with 

 school work that should be done in the open air, but in his 

 introduction he expresses the conviction that the work and 

 methods advocated in the present volume will be more valu- 

 .able even than the set lessons which were contained in the 

 others, and will surpass them from the point of view of real 

 education. He quite rightly emphasises the fact that Nature 

 Study should not deal merely with animals and plants. His 

 first lesson, entitled, ".A Trap to Catch a Sunbeam," is a com- 

 parison between two thermometers, one of which is kept under 

 a bell jar. The lessons on dew, shadows, and the laws of 

 reflection, as well as those on the weathercock and on snow, 

 follow out the same idea ; but " bloom," " the sleeping and 

 waking of plants," and on " being irrit.able " deal with the 

 botanical side of Nature. Many of the illustrations are good 

 and it is obvious that they have been made on purpose for the 

 book. Mr. Feasey goes into considerable detail as to how the 

 lessons are carried out, and we may say at once that every 

 teacher of Nature Study will gain something by reading this 

 book. 



W. M. \V. 



'HYSICS. 



The Radiation Theory of Light and Color. — By Mrs. \. 

 RoGERS-MooRE. 7S pages. 21 illustrations. 9i-in.X6-in. 



(U.S.A. The Stratton Press. Inc.) 



.A refutation of the Composite Light Theory of Newton. 

 " To refute the Composite Theory, declared itself as the last 

 necessity, not as incentive of color expression in nature . 

 The radiation theory has been evolved from the single desire 

 to know the cause of the pink petal of a rose. . . . The 

 work ended with a refutation of the Composite Theory as we 

 have stated. . . . Let no condition of sunlight be lost 

 therefore ; if possible, let the observ.ations be continued for 

 years ; as these have been to establish the Radiation Theory 

 of Light and Color Formation." 



Such is an extract from the Preface. It appeared promising ! 

 Later on : " Light and Color are the result of molecular motion 

 of the air. . . . Light is the greatest air velocity which the 

 eye recognizes. . . The spectrum is not any more spectral 

 than any other colors and is just as natural." Finally : " It 

 does not seem too much to assume that light rotates and pushes 

 all ether and all the constituent parts of the air. In other 

 words : the sun creates tlie world and everything on it. But 

 not without a guiding hand." 



I think .after these quotations from the pamphlet a review 

 is not of further necessitv. 



A. C. E. 



ORNITHOLOGY. 



The Voiing Ornitliologist : .A guide to the haunts, homes 

 and habitf. of British Birds. — By W. Perciv.^l We.STELL, 

 F.L.S.. M.B.( ).U.. .\ulhnr of " The Young Naturalist," "The 



