206 



KNOWLEDGE 



[SKPTEMnEE, 1902. 



ecology of plants. It is calculated to represent work for a half 

 year, anil is inilopondont of the Bccoml book, which deals chiefly 

 with ])laiit mor]iIiology, and represents work for another half 

 year. The fourteen chapters of the first book begin with an 

 introduction. Then follow chapters on foliage leaves, shouts, 

 roots, etc. Chapter 7 deals wholly with Howers and insects, and 

 chapter '.t with " the struggle for existence." The final ])ortion 

 of the book tre.its of plant societies (Hydrophytes, Xerophytes, 

 and Mesophytes) which are determined by the conditions of 

 water supply. Besides the morphology of plants, the second 

 book includes a general review of the large systematic groups 

 beginning with the Tliallophytes and concluding with the 

 Compositre, proceeding according to the arrangement of Eugler 

 and PrantL This part contains a useful glossary and each is 

 provided with a good index. Professor Coulter published a 

 work in 1001, under the title of "Plant Studies," reviewed in 

 Knowledcic, 1001, p. 233, which is based on the works before 

 us. His books, by reason of their accuracy, freshness and 

 originality, will doubtlessly be widely used by American students 

 of botany, and only need to be known to become popular in this 

 country. 



"Mosquito Brigades and How to Organmze them." 

 By Ronald Ross, F.R.r.s. (Philip & Son.) 3s. net. Few 

 modern discoveries have appealed more strongly to the popular 

 mind than that of the part taken by mosquitoes in spreading 

 disease, and Major Ross's leading share in this discovery is 

 known to all. In this handy little volume he shows how 

 practical use can be made of the knowledge that we have 

 gained by organizing brigades of men whose work shall be 

 the extermination as far as possible of mosquitoes in the 

 neighbourhood" of populous tropical cities and settlements. 

 The chief means suggested is to drain stagnant pools and 

 ditches in which Anopheles breeds, and to clear away useless 

 vessels of dirty-water which harbour the larva; of Culex. This 

 is a surer means of destruction than to cut the grubs ofE 

 from the air supply by the application of a film of oil to the 

 water surface. The book is essentially practical, and the record 

 of what has been done under the author's leadership in Sierra 

 Leone shows how much benefit may be expected if the subject 

 be earnestly taken up by those in authority. When we consider 

 that the parasite causing malarial fever is absolutely dependent 

 for its continuance on mosquitoes of the genus Anopheles, and 

 those causing yellow fever and elephantiasis on mosquitoes of 

 the genus Culex, and that both these genera depend on stagnant 

 water as a breeding- place for their larva;, we cannot fail to 

 subscribe to Major Ross's " first law of tropical sanitation, 

 namely, no stagnant irafer." These " Mosquito Brigades " are 

 proposed as voluntary organizations where the local authorities 

 will not take the matter up. Unfortunately, Major Ross has 

 to complain of the apathy of those in authority, and their 

 frequent unwillingness to carry out the practical measures of 

 prevention, so surely indicated by his researches. In this 

 connection one remark of his may be applied to other things 

 besides mosquito-extermination : — " It is disgraceful that in 

 scientific matters concerned with the life and death of thousands, 

 scientific men should be so absolutely subordinated to unscientific 

 men." 



"Report of S. P. Laxoley, Secretary op the S.mithsonian 

 Institution, for the Year ending June 30th, 1901." Pp. 140. 

 (Washington. 1901.) — In this report Dr. Langley surveys 

 the work done between June, 1900, and June, 1901, by the 

 United States National Museum, the Bureau of American 

 Ethnology, the International Exchanges, the National Zoological 

 Park, and the Astrophysical Observatory — all these departments 

 being under the direction of the Smithsonian Institution. He 

 gives a general account of the affairs of the Institution and its 

 bureaus, and this is supplemented by more detailed statements 

 by the officers in direct charge of the different branches of the 

 work. The field surveyed is so vast that only a brief reference 

 to some parts of it is here possible. A number of investigations 

 are being carried on in connection with the Hodgkins Fund, 

 among them being the relation between light and electricity, by 

 Dr. V. Schumann ; air currents at various altitudes, by Dr. A. 

 Lawrence Rotch ; and a study of air currents in relation to 

 mechanical flight and ventilation, by means of chrono-photo- 

 graphy, by Dr. J[arej\ In the National JInsoum Dr. Langley 

 has h.ad a children's room arranged. The room itself has lieeu 

 made attractive by a careful choice of colour and design in the 



decoration of the walls and ceilings, embodying illustrations of 

 the life of animals and plants. The objects displayed in the 

 room include cages of living birds, aquaria with living fishes, 

 and cases filled with those things which interest children even 

 of larger growth. The National Zoological Park was established 

 with the view of preserving rare American animals from extinc- 

 tion by keeping them so far as possildc in their natural sur- 

 roundings ; but though the aim is admirable, the funds granted 

 by Congress are insufficient to carry out the scheme. In the 

 report on the Astrophysical Observatory, reference is made to 

 the eclipse expedition to Sumatra in May, 1901, which, unfortu- 

 nately was unsuccessful on account of bad weather during the 

 ecli|ise. Referring to the bolometer, Dr. Langley says that his 

 instrument is now so sensitive that it will recognise a change of 

 temperature less than one one-hundred-millionth of a degree. 

 Many other subjects are mentioned, but we are unable to refer 

 to them, though in common with other workers in the realm of 

 nature we highly ajjpreciate the contributions to knowledge 

 made under the direction of the Smithsonian Institution, and 

 the generous spirit with which the results are made available to 

 the whole .scientific world. 



" ES.5AYS IN Historical Chemistry." By Dr. T. E. Thorpe, 

 c.i!., F.R.s. Pp.xii.,.'J82. (Macmillan.) r2s.net. — There are cert;iin 

 books which should be found in the library of every institution 

 where science is taught, and this is one of them. Nothing 

 is more inspiring to a student of science than a luminous 

 account of the works of investigators who have contributed to 

 the sum of natural knowledge ; and we have in the present 

 volume a survey of tliis character, in so far as it concerns 

 chemistry. Dr. Thorpe has a facile pen, and a keen sense for 

 interesting personal characteristics and essential points of 

 progress. His essays represent presidential addresses, lectures, 

 and contributions to various publications, and each one is a 

 pleasure to read. The pioneers whose works are described are 

 Boyle, Priestley, Scheele, Cavendish, Watt, Lavoisier, Faraday, 

 Graham, Wohler, Dumas, Kopp, Victor Meyer, Mendek'elf, and 

 Cannizarro, while others are dealt with in accounts of progress 

 made during various epochs. In this series of sketches we have 

 the fundamental facts concerning the development of chemical 

 science presented in their most interesting form ; the masters 

 are seen, as it were, in their laboratories, and the influence of 

 each upon the progress of chemistry can be discerned. It is an 

 inspiring story^this record of work carried on with the sole 

 desire to obtain new knowledge of chemical compounds and 

 changes — and the student of science who reads it should be 

 proud that he is following in the path of those who have worked 

 with so noble a purpose. Emoluments may be meagre and 

 honours few, as judged by the world's standards, but a life 

 devoted to the investigation of natural processes of any kind is 

 sufficient unto itself. 



" A Laboratory Course in Plant Physiology, especially 

 as a Basis for Ecology." By W. F. Ganong, ph.d. (New 

 York: Holt. Sold in England by G. Bell & Sons.) Price 5s.— 

 This is essentially a book for the teacher and advanced student 

 of botany. Prof. Ganong's " Teaching Botanist " appeared in 

 1809, and was received with well-merited favour. That work 

 was intended for the student of the first year, being a synopsis 

 of the subject to those who follow it no fai'ther, and a founda- 

 tion for higher work to those who do. The second and third 

 years should be devoted, according to Prof. Ganong, to courses 

 in morphology with correlated ecology, cellular anatomy, jiar- 

 ticularly of the higher plants, with cytology and embryology, 

 while the present work, " a practicum in physiology," should 

 guide the fourth year's course. To get through it in one year 

 it is requisite that the student should work each week about 

 eight hours in the laboratory, with one lecture and one hour 

 devoted to criticism of experiments and comparison of results. 

 The first part of the book contains a description of the method 

 to be followed and of the equipment necessary, and is directed 

 chiefly to the teacher. Part II. is an Outline of a Course in 

 Experimental Plant Physiology, made up of two divisions — (1) 

 The Structure and Properties of Protoplasm, and (2) The 

 Physiological Operations of Plants. The interrogative form is 

 adopted, and following each question are suggestions as to the 

 method to be used in answering it. Fifty-eight experiments 

 for the solution of some of the questions are described, often 

 with the aid of good figures. The numerous references to 

 important literature affecting the subject will be of great value 



