January, 1913. 



KNOWLEDGE. 



33 



The Building of the Alps. — By Professor T. G. Bonney, 



D.Sc, F.R.S. 384 pages. 32 plates. 16 figures. 



9-in. X 6-in. 



(T. Fisher Unwin. Price 12/6 net.) 



From an early period, the many problems of Alpine rocks, 

 snowfalls and ice-streams, have attracted men of science, 

 especially geologists ; and Professor Bonney in this book, 

 which is the fruit of almost yearly Alpine wanderings over 

 a period of forty-five years, shews that he is a worthy 

 successor of the great line of de Saussure, Perraudin, de 

 Charpentier, Agassiz, Forbes, and Tyndall. A list of his 

 thirty-five journeys in the Alps is given in an appendix, along 

 with the titles of no less than forty-six original papers dealing 

 with Alpine physiographical and petrological questions. 



A large part of the book, however, is really a non-technical 

 account of Alpine geography, although purely geological 

 matter occupies the first few chapters. In addition to des- 

 criptions of Alpine rocks and broad tectonic features, there 

 are interesting sections on Alpine meteorology, avalanches, 

 floods, fauna and flora, and the Alps in relation to man. The 

 last chapter, entitled " Fifty Years of Change " gives racy 

 reminiscences of the discomforts of travel in the Alps in the 

 early days. 



Professor Bonney's name is identified with strongly-marked 

 views on certain controversial questions, especially in regard to 

 the origin and age of Alpine schists, and the efficiency of ice 

 as an eroding agent. In regard to the latter he holds and has 

 defended in vigorous controversy the conservative and 

 minority view that the work of ice is not more than abra- 

 sive, and is only erosive in peculiarly favourable situations. 

 A clear account of the dispute is given in the present volume. 



This entertaining book would be the better for a topo- 

 graphical and geological map of the Alps, without which it 

 is hard to follow the descriptions of the first part. ,, ... ~ 



Rough Stone Monuments and their Builders. — By T. Eric 



Peet. (Harper's Library of Living Thought). 172 pages. 



3 plates. 22 figures. 7-in.X4£-in. 



(Harper & Brothers. Price 2/6 net.) 



This is a description in clear and simple language of the 

 great megalithic monuments which strew the seaward parts of 

 Europe, Asia, and North Africa. These are of perennial 

 interest, and in times past have given rise to curious conjectures 

 as to their origin, the agency of fairies, virgins, witches, dwarfs, 

 devils, saints, druids, and even historical personages, being 

 frequently invoked. These monuments range from the great 

 structures like Stonehenge, and the even more elaborate 

 nuraghi of Sardinia, and the temples of Malta, to simple 

 standing stones (menhirs), rock-tombs, and the barrows that 

 stud the English downs. The author has woven his description 

 of these structures, and their mode of erection, into a most 

 fascinating narrative, along with fact and conjecture as to the 

 remote civilization by which they were erected. He adopts 

 the theory that the monuments are due to a single race, whose 

 style of building was brought to different countries in the 

 course of a great migration or series of migrations, and finds 

 confirmation in the remarkable fact that in geographical 

 distribution these monuments occupy a vast seaboard, including 

 the Mediterranean coast of Africa and the Atlantic coast of 

 Europe. That is, they lie entirely on a natural sea route, 

 which would be followed by a migrating race in preference to 

 the more difficult land routes. 



The book will be useful alike to the scientific archaeologist 

 and to the interested 'f popular " reader. It is written in an 

 attractive literary style, and is well illustrated. The only 

 slips noticed are that on page 10 megalithic monuments in 

 Italy are said to be confined to the south-east corner of the 

 peninsula, and on page 76 to the south-west corner; and a 

 " to " is substituted for " of " on page 59. r w T 



METEOROLOGY. 



Weather Science. — By R. G. K. Lempfert, M.A. The 



People's Books No. 17. 94 pages. 15 illustrations. 



6i-in.X4i-in. 



(T. C. & E. C. Jack. Price 6d. net.) 



The seeker of knowledge on the processes involved in our 



varied weather will find in the above work, a review of the 



salient features of the Science and the principles underlying 

 the frequent changes to which our Islands are subject. The 

 author is the Superintendent of the Forecast Division of the 

 Meteorological Office. w r I 



PHOTOGRAPHY. 

 Nature Photography. — By Stanley C. Johnson, M.A. 

 115 pages. 11 illustrations. 7-in. X4}-in. 

 (Hazel!, Watson and Viney. Price 1/- net.) 

 Mr. Stanley C. Johnson takes excellent natural history 

 photographs himself, and it is to be expected that from his 

 experience he could give help to others. We are not 

 disappointed, for in his little book in The Amateur Photo- 

 grapher Library, he gives a great many valuable hints with 

 regard to apparatus, and to photographing river and pond 

 life, as well as small creatures to be found in the garden ; while 

 he touches on the subject of birds, which, perhaps, is the one 

 which has attracted the attention of photographers to the 

 greatest extent. Mr. Johnson alludes to the interest which 

 may be obtained from photographing birds in gardens, and 

 speaks of the usefulness, in attracting them, of the Selborne 

 Society's nesting boxes which he has put up. If we may 

 suggest one correction, it is that in a second edition, the 

 words " protective coloration " be used instead of " protec- 

 tive mimicry " for cases in which creatures are like their 

 surroundings. Mimicry, in its technical sense, means the 

 special resemblance of one creature to another. There are 

 some useful miscellaneous notes and a calendar with sugges- 

 tions as to what work may suitably be done in the various 

 months. ... ,, ... 



PHYSICS. W ' M " W ' 



Junior Sound and Light. — By R. W. Stewart, D.Sc, and 

 John Satterly, D.Sc. 227 pages. 129 illustrations. 

 7-in. X 5-in. 

 (The University Tutorial Press. Price 2/6.) 

 This book contains a condensed account of the rudiments 

 of "Sound" and "Light," together with numerous examples 

 and experiments. The descriptions are clear, and the book is 

 handy and admirably adapted for use in schools. . r 



Elementary Chemical Theory and Calculations. — By 



Joseph Knox, D.Sc. 103 pages. 72-in-X5-in. 



(Gurney & Jackson. Price 2/- net.) 



This work is only intended to be used with a textbook of 



systematic chemistry. The theoretical matter usually included 



in an elementary course, is fairly well covered ; the theory is 



presented with the problems, which will therefore make the 



book a valuable aid to the teacher, who often finds some 



difficulty in making the somewhat long arguments, which 



establish the formula or the atomic weight of a substance, 



quite clear to the student. . „ „ 



A. C. E. 



ZOOLOGY. 



Wild Life in the West Highlands. — By Charles Henry 

 Alston. 271 pages. 9 illustrations. 8i-in. X5£-in. 

 (James Maclehose & Sons. Price 6/- net.) 

 This book consists of a number of articles, some of which 

 have been reprinted from The Scotsman and deal princi- 

 pally with mammals and birds. They are very interesting 

 reading but do not contain very much new material. 



W. M. W. 

 The Marine Mammals in the Anatomical Museum of the 

 University of Edinburgh. — By Sir William Turner, 

 K.C.B. 207 pages. 17 plates. Over 100 figures. 

 9-in.X5^-in. 

 (Macmillan & Co. Price 6/- net.) 

 It is a very great advantage to students to know where 

 specimens are to be seen which illustrate any particular work 

 in which they may be engaged. The title of this book speaks 

 for itself and its value is obvious. The introduction is 

 interesting because it tells of the history of the study of 

 Marine Mammals in Scotland and gives hints as to differ- 

 entiating the various forms. There is a large number of 

 illustrations, the great majority of which are embodied in the 

 text at the exact place where reference is made to them, and 

 hence they are not provided with underlines. w M W 



