94 



DISCOVERY 



Springtime and other Essays. By Sir Francis 

 Darwin, F.R.S. (John Murray, 7s. 6d. net.) 



The h.-ippy title has much to do with the book's finding 

 favour in our eyes. What it suggests of life and fresh- 

 ness is fultilled in the table of contents — a procession, 

 if we may borrow the author's word, of delights, the 

 mere reading of which perhaps leads us to expect too 

 much. Such magic words as " Dickens' Letters," 

 " Recollections," " Instruments of Music," " Traditional 

 names of English Plants," make us turn over the leaves 

 with eagerness. A slight feeling of disappointment is 

 inevitable when we realise that the treatment of these 

 charming subjects is somewhat liglit and superlicial. 



It is true that the botanist teaches us much, and his 

 flower cycles and name-stories are valuable as well as 

 beautiful additions to our knowledge of plant life ; but 

 many of our old litersiry favourites are condemned in 

 his less happy essay on " Names of Characters in 

 Fiction." 



The review essays are well done and condense long 

 biographies for us, giving admirable pictures of their 

 subjects and wise selections of their wTitings and bons 

 mots. It is an ideal book for the poet's " Shady Nook." 



M. R. 



An Amazing Seance and an Exposure. By S. A. 

 MosELEY. (Sampson Low, 3s. net.) 



It is diiEcult to realise what good purpose is served by 

 the publication of this little book. 



It is the work of a journalist who evidently has written 

 up his experiences in a great hurry. The author's pur- 

 pose is to present a straightforward record of an inde- 

 pendent investigation into the claims of spirituaUsm. 

 He attended many seances, and he had many curious 

 experiences. He became, as a result, a convinced 

 spiritualist. 



We hold the conservative view that the investigation 

 of spirituahstic phenomena is best done by men trained 

 in pathology, psychology, and in conjuring. The opinions 

 of men who have had no opportunity of special training, 

 however honest and bona fide they may be, cannot be con- 

 sidered of any value. 



A little less ingenuous creduhty and a development of 

 the critical faculty would eissist tilings enormously. For 

 example, a man who goes to seances and gets his ears 

 boxed and has another person's braces deposited in his lap 

 should insist on having the gas lighted. (We don't pre- 

 tend to any originahty in making this suggestion, but it is 

 a helpful one). The presence of a material thing hke light 

 would help material people hke ourselves enormously, 

 and should have no effect on a spirit, and it would certainly 

 lead to less involved explanations of the things that occur. 



Electric Spark Ignition. By J. D. Morgan. (Crosby 

 Lockwood, 8s. 6d. net.) 



Jane's Pocket A eronautical Dictionary. (Sampson Low, 

 IS. 6d. net.) 



Mr. Morgan gives an account in tliis little book of the 

 scientific basis of the subject of electric spark ignition in 

 internal combustion engines. It is of interest and use to 

 the people for whom tlie compilation of information has 

 been made, namely designers and students working on the 

 subject of petrol-engines. At the end of each chapter 

 references to further information on the subject dealt 

 with are given. 



The Aeronautical Dictiotuiry is a useful book to anyone 

 who wishes to know the meaning of technical and slang 

 terms used in connection with aircraft. 



The Turks in Europe. By W. E. P. Allkn. (John 

 Murray, los. 6d. net.) 



To read of the arrival of the Turks into Europe as the 

 coming of an obscure tribe of nomad shepherds may be a 

 revelation to many of us. But such they were, and Mr. 

 Allen has given us a most concise history, from the thir- 

 teenth century to the year of the outbreak of the war. 

 It is more than a history. It is an interpretation, and on« 

 may read it as easily as a romance — but a romance over 

 which falls the shadow of the sword. 



The story consists chiefly of the record of fighting, pillage, 

 murder, and violence, yet the author has made the Turks 

 interesting and even understandable. 



After reading the book, the enigmatical mentality of the 

 Turks seems nearer a solution, and we understand why. 

 although he has been in Europe so long, the Turk has 

 never been of Europe. 



The future of Turkey and of the Turks is one of the most 

 important problems that the result of the war has set our 

 statesmen, yet most of us know very httle of this race. 

 We should thus especially welcome Mr. Allen's book. 



M. R. 



Other Publications Received 



(Wc hope to deal with several of these in future 

 issues.) 



Instincts of the Herd in Peace and War. By W. 

 Trotter. (Fisher Unwin, 8s. 6d. net.) 



An Introduction to Physics. By R A. HousTOUN. 

 (Longmans, 6s. net.) 



Heredity. By J. Arthur Thomson, 3rd Edition. 

 (John Murray, 15s. net.) 



Streamline Kite Balloons. By Capt. P. H. Sumner, 

 R.A.F. (Crosby Lockwood, los. 6d. net) 



Studies in Mental Inefficiency. Vol. i. No. i. (The 

 Central Association for the Care of the Mentally 

 Defective, gi. net.) 



Religion and Culture. By Frederick Schleiter, 

 Ph.D. (Columbia University Press ; London : 

 Milford, 8s. 6d. net.) 



Meteorology Jor All. By D. \V. Horner. (Witherby, 

 6s. net.) 



The Practical Book oj Interior Decorating. By H. D. 

 Eberlein, a. McClure, and E. S. Hollow.w. 

 (Lippincott, 35s. net.) 



The Quantitative Method in Biology. By Prof. 

 Julius Macleod. (Manchester University Press, 

 15s. net.) 



Economics for To-day. By .\lfred Milnes, M.A. 

 (Dent, z^. 6d. net.) 



