KNOWLEDGE & SCIENTIFIC NEWS. 



[May, 1905. 



eartb. The puddled clay is chilled by the process of evapora- 

 tion, and the dry straw prevents the heat of the earth after a 

 hot day from wanning the clay. 



We remember hearing some time ago that a well-known pro- 

 fessor was accumulating; material for a book on ■' dew-ponds," 

 but the work is apparently yet in the future. The manner of 

 their formation, as shown in the book under review, is a distinct 

 contribution to science. There appears every evidence to 

 show that many of the ringed embankments and clusters of 

 artificially-planted trees were connected with the worship of 

 the sun, and this connection might well be worked out 

 thoroughly. We are not sure that the authors have not built 

 up rather much upon little, in seeing the former existence of 

 watch-houses and guard-houses in what are merely depressions 

 in the ground. That the Romans utilised the embankments 

 in many instances we have evidence in the tiles and other 

 remains which have been discovered on the sites. We have 

 doubts as to the amount of protection which the embankments 

 gave to men and cattle from wolves or human enemies. Thev 

 would serve to conceal their occupants, but would they not 

 also serve to conceal the enemy, whatever it was. when it 

 came ? In some cases the earth-walls would be far more 

 serviceable in protecting half-naked men and women from the 

 biting winds which cut across the downs and are practically 

 always blowing. This is frequently overlooked. In conclu- 

 sion, we would refer to the plate on page 6g, and would point 

 out that what look like cattle-tracks may be merely caused by 

 the slipping of claywith-flints upon the chalk. When over- 

 grown with tufts of grass, this has a tendency to form long 

 terraces, and in the distance these sometimes look like a series 

 of step-like tracks. E. A. M. 



Resistance o( Air and the Question of Flying, by Arnold 

 Samuelson (Spon) ; price, 2S. net. — This is a work of consider- 

 able value, not so much for the information contained within 

 it as for the suggestions which may be brought to mind on 

 reading it. It is one of the very few books which have been 

 written recently on this subject, and gives in concise form 

 many of the latest theories and facts concerning it. But the 

 reader must not take for granted all the statements here made. 

 Many of them are but opinions held by the author, and not 

 shared by other authorities. In fact, he states ; " I dare not 

 expect that the whole world will at once agree with me," 

 although he lays down dogmatic assertions which might easily 

 mislead those anxious to learn. The author is, of course, 

 German, and the main portion of the pamphlet consists of a 

 lecture delivered by him. presumably in Hamburg. It is a 

 pity that the MS. was not looked over by an Englishman, as 

 there are many expressions and sentences which are a little 

 obscure. 



Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology, 1900-1901; 

 parts I and 2. (Washington : Government Printing Office.). — 

 1 hese splendid volumes, profusely illustrated with coloured 

 and other plates, exhibit a thoroughness of detail and pains- 

 taking work such as is seldom seen in these days of hurried 

 production. The report consists chiefly of three " papers," 

 the nature of which may be gathered when we say that the 

 first, "Two Summers' Work in Pueblo Ruins," by Jesse Walter 

 Fewkes, con.sists of 195 large pages with 122 illustrations in 

 the text, and no less than 70 beautifully-executed full-page 

 plates. The other two papers, " Mayan Calendar Systems," 

 by Cyrus Thomas, and " Hako, a Pawnee Ceremony," by 

 Alice C. Fletcher, are almost as long and complete. The first 

 paper comprises the report of archaological field work con- 

 ducted at a ruin called Homolobi, near Winslow, Arizona, and 

 later at ruins on the Little Colorado River, and at Chaves 

 Pass and other places. A large number, in all 1824 objects, 

 were collected from the excavations, mostly of a mortuary 

 nature from the cemeteries, about half of which were preserved 

 entire, and many of the others in pieces which could be satis- 

 factorily joined together. These objects include vases and 

 bowls of pottery, shell and stone ornaments, bone implements, 

 matting and basketr)-, stone implements, &c. The illustra- 

 tions comprise photographs of ruins and coloured representa- 

 tions of the pottery and other objects. The paper on the 

 " Mayan Calendar Systems" is in continuation of one upon 

 the same subject in the 19th Report, but the investigations at 

 the ruins at Uuirigua added much to the subject, the results of 

 which are now given. This account should be of great in- 

 terest to those investigating the calendar systems and calcu- 

 lation methods of the ancients. The account of the Hako 



religious ceremony is the result of four years of study in 

 collaboration with an educated Pawnee, and is very complete. 

 Among other items, the songs forming a feature of the cere- 

 mony were recorded by graphophone, and the music, tran- 

 scribed from the cylinders, is here given. 



Gas Producers for Power Purposes, by W. A. Tookey 

 (Percival Marshall), price is., is a small practical handbook 

 for " purchasers, erectors, and attendants," which should 

 prove most useful to the many persons who may now be in- 

 cluded in such a category. Full illustrated descriptions are 

 given of the various methods of generating " Producer " and 

 other gases. 



Radium, and all about it, by S. R. Bottone (Whittaker and 

 Co.), price IS. net, is the second and revised edition of a 

 small book which we reviewed recently. It is satisfactory to 

 see that so much public interest is taken in the subject. 



The Trojan Women of Euripides. — Tran.slated into English 

 verse by Gilbert Murray, M..A., LL.D. (George Allen), 2S. net. 

 Copious explanatory notc^ arc added. 



Second Stage Magnetism and Electricity. — By R. Wallace 

 Stewart, D. Sc, Lond. (University Tutorial Press). Second 

 edition (re-written and enlarged). This little book is primarily 

 intended for candidates who are preparing for the second 

 stage examination under the Board of Education, and will bo 

 found to be a reliable and clear guide for them. Plenty of 

 illustrations are provided. The index is not as complete as 

 it might be, as we notice the absence of the words " accunui- 

 lator," ".secondary battery," "incandescent lamp," "coil," 

 &c., which subjects are, however, well described in the book. 



BOOKS RECEIVED. 



Ambidexterity, by John Jackson. (Kegan Paul.) 



Astronomersof To-day, by Hector Macpherson, Jun. (Gall and 

 Inglis.) 



Students' Textbook of Zoology, by Adam Sedgwick.. (Swan, 

 Sonnenscheiu.) 



Unbeaten. Tracks in Japan, by Isabella L. Bird. (Murray.) 



The Hawaiian Archipelago, by Isabella L. Bird (Mrs. Bishop). 

 (Murray.) 



Natural History in Zonlnglcal Gardens, by 1". E. Beddard. 

 (Constable.) 



What Do We Know Concerning Ulectriclty ? by A. Zinunern. 

 (Methuen.) 



Modern Theory of Physical I'hcnomena, by Augusto Righi. 

 (Macmillan.) 



The Electro-magnet. C. R. Underbill. (New York: Van 

 Nostrand.) 



Introductory Mathematics, by R. B. Morgan. (Blackie.) 



Electro-magnetic Theory of Light, by C. E. Curry, Ph.D. 

 (MacMiill.ui.) 



Divine Dual (iovernment, by W. W. Smyth. (H. Marshall.) 



Elemcntar> Microscopy, by F. Shillington Scales. (Baillitre, 

 Tyndall.) 



Moths and Itiitterflics, by Mary C. Dickerson. (Boston: 

 Ginn.) 



Our Stellar I'niverse. Iiy 1. I". Heath. (King, Sell, and 

 Olding.l 



Pattern Making, by J. IC. n.iiigcrficld. (Dawbarn and Ward.) 



Preparatory Course of Geometry, by W. P. Workman and A. 

 C. Cr.Kknell". (Clivc.) 



Positive Knowledge, by J. Logan Lobley. 



Poisonous Plants, by A. Bernard Smith. (Bristol: J. 

 Wright. I 



The Harvelan Oration, 1904, by Richard Caton, M.D. 



Zodiacs and Planispheres, by the Rev. A. B. (Irimaldi. (Gall 

 and Inglis.) 



Annual Report of the Royal Society of St. George. 



The Iron and Steel Magazine. (Boston, Mass.) 



Petrol Motors Simply Explained, by T. H. Hawley. (Percival 

 M.-.rsl,.,ll.,i 



