160 



KNOWLEDGE. 



April, 1913. 



may indicate in a remarkable manner relationships to the 

 higher vertebrates which are not apparent in normal examples. 

 It is, however, to be regretted that he does not appear to have 

 pointed out as clearly as he might have done the nature of such 

 relationships. Trout and salmon, of which the young states 

 are to be procured in any quantity at the hatcheries, afford 

 the great bulk of the material upon which the author has 

 worked. How great has been the labour involved, may be 

 inferred from a study of the beautiful series of photomicro- 

 graphs with which the volume is illustrated. Facts of the 

 greatest value have, it is stated, been ascertained by this 

 detailed study with regard to the mode of origin and develop- 

 ment of the bony fishes ; and much interesting information is 

 likewise recorded with regard to the origin and nature of the 

 different types of monstrosity most commonly met with. It 

 should, however, be distinctly understood that the book is 

 essentially one for the professional morphological and 

 systematic student, to whom it will doubtless prove of the 



highest value. 



K. L. 



The Vertebrate Skeleton. Second edition. — By Sidney H. 



Reynolds, M.A. 535 pages. 144 illustrations. 



5iJ-in. X 9|-in. 



(The Cambridge University Press. Price 15/- net.) 



Professor Reynolds' book on the Vertebrate Skeleton has 

 proved of such value that a second edition has been called 

 for, and in it an attempt has been made to bring it up to date. 

 Professor S. W. Williston has revised the section devoted to 

 reptiles, practically re-writing Chapters XIII and XVI, and 

 making other contributions. A number of new illustrations 

 have been introduced, and those students who want a succinct 

 account of the skeleton, whether external or internal, of verte- 

 brates, will have it ready to their hands. The beginner is 

 advised to start with the skeleton of the dog-fish, and then 

 pass to those of the newt and frog, and after to that of the 

 dog. Other skeletons which are described in detail are those 

 of the codfish, green turtle, crocodile and wild duck; the 

 remaining parts of the volume being devoted to the various 

 classes and general accounts of their skeletons. W M W 



NOTICES. 



PHOTO-MICROGRAPHY. — We have pleasure in 

 announcing that Mr. Edgar Senior will give a course of six 

 practical demonstrations on photo-micrography at the South- 

 western Polytechnic, on Monday evenings from 7.30 to 

 9.30 p.m., beginning on May 5th. Special attention will be 

 given to the photographing of etched surfaces of metals and 

 alloys, but the course will also be arranged to suit the require- 

 ments of students of geology and botany, and those wishing to 

 use their own microscopes to obtain photographic records. 



PHYSIOLOGICAL HISTOLOGY.— Messrs. Carl Zeiss 

 are issuing in ten parts an illustrated book on Physiological 

 Histology of Man and Mammalian animals, each of which is 

 accompanied by ten microscopical preparations. The first of 

 these, which is before us, deals with the skin and cutaneous 

 organs and is exceedingly well got up, while the slides, which 

 we have examined, are excellent. We may add that the work 

 has been undertaken by Professor Doctor Sigmund, and the 

 English edition has been prepared by Mr. C. Lovatt Evans, of 

 University College, London. 



THE LIGHTING OF OPERATING THEATRES.— Of 

 special interest to surgeons is the system of concentrating 

 light in operating theatres introduced by Mr. E. Leitz. In 

 the past, to get over the difficulties of lack of daylight, arc 

 lamps have been used, but these cause the hands and instru- 

 ments to cast deep shadows which may obscure the field of 

 operation and even the use of more than one lamp does not 

 do away with this entirely, while only a small fraction of the 

 light from them reaches the operating table. In the system 

 already alluded to the rays from one arc lamp are concentrated 

 upon the operating table by six separate reflectors and so 

 much light can be made available that an iris diaphragm has 

 been fitted to the apparatus for cutting it down. 



THE NATURALIST'S DIRECTORY.— A new edition of 

 "The Naturalist's Directory" is now being compiled by Mr. 

 S. E. Cassino, Salem, Mass., U.S.A., and will be published in the 

 fall of this year. This valuable work has been published 

 every few years since 1880, and comprises the names and 

 addresses of all English-speaking Naturalists, as well as full 

 particulars of the subjects in which each is interested. Every 

 Naturalist who has not received blanks should send his name 

 and address and full particulars, as well as the names of any 

 friends and acquaintances. To those who are actively work- 

 ing at any branch of Natural History, the importance of 

 having their name in this directory is obvious, for announce- 

 ments of new literature in connection with their subject will 

 reach them, and they will be brought into touch with fellow- 

 workers in all parts of the world. 



MESSRS. J. H. DALLMEYER, LIMITED, having 

 removed from 25, Newman Street to 19, 21 and 23, Oxford 

 Street, close to the Tottenham Court Road stations of the 

 Central London and Hampstead Railways, and near the 

 junction of Charing Cross Road with Tottenham Court Road 

 and Oxford Street, all communications for the show-rooms and 

 London Offices should be addressed to 19, 21 and 23, Oxford 

 Street, W. 



In their new home this famous firm of Dallmeyer, established 

 for over fifty years, are showing a large and varied stock of 

 photographic lenses, cameras and shutters, kinematograph 

 lenses, telescopes, telephoto lenses, and so on, all of which 

 are of the high standard of quality which has made the name 

 of Dallmeyer famous throughout the world. As the firm 

 extends a cordial invitation to inspect its new premises, we 

 would advise all those who are able to do so to take an early 

 opportunity of paying them a visit. 



THE ALCHEMICAL SOCIETY.— The third general 

 meeting of the Alchemical Society was held on Friday, March 

 14th, at 8 p.m., at the International Club, Regent Street, S.W. 

 The chair was occupied by the acting President, Mr. H. 

 Stanley Redgrove, B.Sc. (Lond.), F.C.S., and a paper dealing 

 with the interpretation of Alchemy in relation to modern 

 scientific thought was read by Mr. Sijil Abdul-Ali. The 

 lecturer pointed out that the alchemists in general appeared 

 to have adopted the Hermetic method of reasoning from 

 universal to particular judgments, although there were sporadic 

 indications in the literature of a quite scientific and rational 

 empiricism. The fundamental concepts of their philosophy 

 were, he said — (i) A " First Matter" or "Hyle," containing 

 implicitly the four elements which were subsequently to issue 

 in manifestation ; (ii) Four elements (viz., earth, water, air 

 and fire), which, by mutual combination, produced the three 

 principles (viz., sulphur, mercury and salt), whose varying 

 combinations gave rise to the different properties of bodies ; 

 (iii) A certain divine spirit or essence, called " The Soul of 

 the World," which was immanent in all created things ; and 

 (iv) A mediate spirit, called " The Spirit of the World," by 

 which the soul acted upon and was bound to its body (i.e., 

 matter). The lecturer compared and contrasted these 

 concepts, in a most interesting manner, with modern scientific 

 theories concerning — (i) A possible dual Protyle, or first 

 matter; (ii) The solid, liquid, gaseous, and incandescent 

 gaseous states of matter ; (iii) Energy ; and (iv) The ether of 

 space. The full text of the lecture and an abstract of the 

 discussion which followed appears in the March number of 

 The Journal of the Alchemical Society. 



