November, 1910. 



KNOWLEDGE. 



459 



range of phenomena, such as is covered by Clarke's recent 

 " Data of Geochemistry." This does not detract, however, 

 from the real usefulness of the book. Much work has been 

 done recently in elucidation of the physico-chemical con- 

 ditions obtaining in rock-magmas and other mineral solutions; 

 and this adds physical chemistry to the number of sciences 

 with which the unfortunate petrographer is expected to be 

 acquainted. He will find all that he wants in Dr. Elsden's 

 book. Herein are treated the subjects of viscosity, diffusion, 

 vapour-pressure and surface-tension, as factors of equilibrium, 

 in their relation to mineralogical and petrological, or as the 

 author prefers to say, geological phenomena. Other subjects 

 dealt with are polymorphism, eutectics and solid solutions, 

 each with their appropriate petrological application. The 

 book is not intended to be a complete exposition of the 

 subject, and is therefore not written for the beginner, but for 

 the mature student. A certain knowledge both of physical 

 chemistry and of petrology and mineralogy is assumed. Its 

 chief value is to the student of petrogenetics who needs a 

 concise manual dealing with physico-chemical theory in 

 relation to petrology. The book has a somewhat wider range 

 than is covered by the chapters on this subject in the recent 

 books of Harker and Iddings. Not the least valuable part of 

 Dr. Elsden's book is the wealth of references to foreign 

 literature. Both author and subject indexes are provided. 



Tlic Rucks of Huiisfaiitoii ami its Xcighboiirliooil. — By 



J. 1~. Jacksox. 5-in. X To-in. 56 pages. Illustrated, i plates 



and map. 



(Premier Press, Ltd. Price 1'- net, interleaved, cloth ; 6d. net, 

 paper wrappers.) 



This little book is remarkable, if only for the fact that it is 

 the production of a boy of fifteen. "B.L.," who contributes 

 Forewords and Afterwords, tells us something of the author's 

 history and makes an appeal. He says " The author has read 

 little but geology ; he talks geology, thinks geology. Given a 

 chance he might make the name of Hunstanton as famous in 

 the annals of the science as now is Cromarty. But the lad 

 needs help if he is to do much. He needs books, a petrological 

 microscope, access to Jermyn Street or South Kensington, and 

 freedom from the necessity to earn his living as a house- 

 painter or attendant on beach chairs." This appeal is well 

 worth sustaining, for the book is an excellent guide, and shews 

 far less immaturity than the age of the author would lead one 

 to expect. It is a work of great promise, and. given the chance. 

 Mr. Jackson will do well in the future. The book is di%ided 

 into chapters dealing with the various strata, beginning with 

 recent deposits and ending with the Carr Stone (Lower 

 Greensand). the oldest rock in the district. Naturally the 

 famous cliffs and the Red Chalk receive dtJtailed attention. 

 All exposures are indicated, and lists of fossils given. The 

 latter are illustrated in several plates. The work thus forms 

 a very efficient guide to the geology of Hunstanton, and should 

 be in the hands of every geologist visiting this interesting 

 district, for his own sake, as well as for the sake of helping a 

 lad who has thus early shown great aptitude for the science. 



Uitii'crsity of California Piihlicatioiis, Bulletin of the 



Department of Geology. Vol. 5. No. 29, pp. 41 1-437 : No. 30, 



pp. 439-448. 7-in. X 10-in. Illustrated. 



(Prices 15c. and 10c. respectively.) 



No. 29, by Louise Kellogg, describes the rodent fauna of the 

 Late Tertiary beds at 'Virgin Valley and Thousand Creek, 

 Nevada. One new genus and eight new species are figured 

 from this rich collecting ground. 



No. 30. The Wading Birds from the (Quaternary .\sphalt 

 Beds of Kancho La Brea, California, are described by L. H. 

 Miller. New species of Ciconia and Grus have been found, 

 together with Jabiru myctcria (Lichtenstein), Grus 

 canadensis (Linn.), and Ardea lierodias (Linn.). The fossil 

 forms of these seem to be smaller than their living relatives in 

 the Western Hemisphere. 



MEDICINE. 



Diseases of the Skin. — By Erxest Gatcher, translated 



and edited by C. F. Marshall, M.Sc, M.D., F.R.C.S. 



6-in. X 9-in. 460 pages. 



(John Murray. 15 - net.) 



This book is in the main a translation by Dr. C. F. Marshall 

 of the volume on Diseases of the Skin, written by Professor 

 Gaucher in collaboration with other authorities in the Nonvcaii 

 Traite de Medecine. It gives a very clear account of the 

 subject, and is thoroughly up to date. The illustrations, 

 reproduced from photographs of the actual diseases and fron> 

 those of wax models in the St. Louis Hospital Museum, are 

 also for the most part excellent. 



To the ordinary reader it is probable that the section 

 dealing with the treatment by radium and X-rays will probably 

 appear most interesting. We have heard so much recently of 

 the marvellous curative eff'ects of these agents on cancer of 

 the skin and other org.ms that the opinion of one of the 

 foremost of French authorities on skin diseases, practising 

 where the radium treatment has been tried more thoroughly 

 than anywhere else, cannot fail to claim attention. This is 

 what Professor Gaucher says ; " It is necessary to deal with 

 radiotherapy at some length because it is the treatment in 

 vogue, but it does not appear to me to be notably superior to 

 the older methods of treatment for cutaneous epithelioma " 

 (cancer). The radium treatment is a new treatment, and 

 there is a tendency to expect too much from it. The above 

 quotation from Professor Gaucher's recent work may therefore 

 be usefully remembered by those interested in this subject. 



Lessons on Elementary Hygiene and Sanitation, with 



special reference to the tropics. — By W. T. Prout, C.M.G., 



M.B., CM. iFdin.l 5i-in. X 8|-in. 159 pages. 



(Messrs. J. ^; .^. Churchill. Price 2 6 net.) 



The subject-matter of this volume takes the form of fourteen 

 lessons which are written in lecture style, and would appear 

 to have been originally delivered at Freetown, Sierra Leone, 

 for examples from this town are constantly recurring in the 

 text. Everything of \alue. usually to be found in a book of 

 this description, is here included — in particular there is an 

 excellent account of bacteria and the diseases which they 

 cause. But the special feature of the book is the clear 

 description which it contains of the special diseases of the 

 tropics. Thus two lessons are devoted to Malaria, and besides 

 this, sleeping sickness, yellow fever, and many other tropical 

 diseases are fully dealt with. The lessons are exceedingly 

 clearly worded and should be understood by ever.vone. and 

 the suggestions for preventive treatment are above all things 

 practical. There nnist be a very considerable need for a book 

 of this kind, and the present volume exactly meets it. 



MINING. 



First StepsiiiCoa! Milling.— ByA\,EX.FORBES. M.IxsT.M.E. 

 5-in.x7'-in. Pp. viii 4- 320. Illustrated. 



(Blackie \- Sons, Ltd. Price 2,6.) 



This book is for the use of pit-lads, from twelve to sixteen 

 years of age, in supplementary and continuation classes, and is 

 intended to give them instruction in the subject of their 

 calling and the rules framed for their safety. After an intro- 

 ductory section, the first eight chapters are devoted to geology, 

 especially such as is necessary to understand the formation 

 and occurrence of coal. In general this is well done, but there 

 is one serious misstatement which calls for correction in any 

 future edition. In the table of formations (p. 91), the 

 Archaean or Pre-Cambrian is made a mere sub-division of the 

 Palaeozoic. The same error occurs in the text. The stratified 

 rocks are divided into Palaeozoic. Mesozoic, and Cainozoic ; 

 but the student is not made aware that the Archaean base on 



