KNowij'.nr.i-: 



Al'Ril., 1912. 



PKKHISTOKIC ARCHAl^OLOGV. 



I'nliistoric J(if>iiii.— Hy Ni:vil. Gokhon Mi'NKo, M.D. 

 705 pa^os. 421 illustrations. 9-iii.X6|-in. 



(Willi.iin Hryce. Price 24/- net.) 

 TIk" profaci- of this book is dated January 5tli, lyO.S, but a 

 foot-note- ti'Us lis that the great number of the copies were 

 iuiniedialely destroyed by fire. Those who are interested in 

 1-Jiropean ;inlii|iiitii,'s will rejoice that the work has been 

 reprinti'd, for the seven hundred pages are crowded with notes 

 and pictures, illustrating Paleolithic and Neolithic rem.ains as 

 well as intermediate pottery ; Bronze vestiges are also dealt 

 with, while four chapters are devoted to Vamato remains. 

 The last chapter deals with the prehistoric races themselves 

 .ind contains also some reproductions of good photographs 

 of the Ainu. To the general reader, no doubt, the discussion 

 on diet, dress and social relations will prove attractive. Dr. 

 Munro holds very definite opinions, for instance, on the origin 

 of clothing and he says that notwithstanding the confusion 

 which has .arisen regarding its primary function there can be no 

 (|uestion that the habit of dress originated in personal decora- 

 tion. .'\s a means to an end — namely, sexual selection — it is 

 almost impossible to exaggerate the importance of personal 

 embellishment in modifying, sustaining, or emphasising 

 various characters of the race. 



.All the same, in his following sentence he seems to recognise 

 the adoption of clothing for reasons of coquetry, for he alludes 

 to the alluring motive of modern ball - room costume. Dr. 

 Munro's remarks on face-painting may also be mentioned. 

 Red appeared to be the favourite colour, but two black spots 

 on the forehead were affected by the court nobility of both 

 sexes till a few decades ago, not for embellishment, as were 

 the patches of Europe, but as a sign of rank. The painted 

 patterns also, judging from primitive images, show a likeness 

 to those which were originally tattooed. We congratulate Dr. 

 Munro on having produced a most useful and attractive book. 



W. M. \V. 

 PSVCHOLOGV. 



A Text-Book of Experiinoital Psycliology. with Labora- 

 tory Exercises. — By Charles S. Mvkrs. 2 vols. Second 

 Edition. Part I : Text-book. 344 pages. 1 plate and 

 24 figures and diagrams. Part II : Laboratory Exercises. 

 107 pages. 42 figures and diagrams. Sj-in. X5J-iu. 

 (Cambridge University Press. Price 10/6 net.) 

 The first edition of Dr. Myers's work was published some 

 three years ago and at once took a place in the first rank of 

 text-books of this class. Of it a critic, writing in one of the 

 leading .American journals, said: "It is a qui^stion whether 

 any single book contains as much information as does Myers's 

 text-book." Both in range and quality, both in method of 

 arrangement and in presentation, the work was admirable. 

 The new and enlarged edition brings the treatment up to date 

 and is worthy of the heartiest commendation. Although it is 

 not primarily meant for the general reader, although the dis- 

 cussion is too thorough to afford light and easj' reading, yet all 

 those who appreciate the genuine scientific spirit, all those 

 who feel the charm of living touch with contemporary investi- 



g.ilion. will luiii 111 Dr. Myii>^ woik with profit and pleasure. 

 There may, however, arise some sense of disappointment that 

 so large a proportion of the space at his comiiiand is devoted 

 by the author to sensation and to what may be termed the 

 lower ;iiid more elementary factors in experience. But this is 

 inevitable in any attempt to apply in psychology the touch 

 stone of experiment. Methods of dealing with the more 

 complex mental products and processes have only recently 

 been devised and are on their trial. Dr. Myers has .added in 

 this edition a new chapter on Thought and Volition, in which 

 the question of imageless thought is briefly considered. We 

 trust that arrangements have been made by which Di. Myers 

 will be enabled to bring his admirable work up to date at 

 comparatively short intervals. If this be done it will continue 

 to retain the position which it has won. C. LI. M. 



ZOOLOGY. 

 Social Life in the Insect World. — By J. H. F.^BRE. 

 Translated by Bernard Miall. 327 pages. 14 illustrations. 

 9-in.X6-in. 

 (T. Fisher Unwin. Price 10 6 net.) 

 This series of observations — by that well-known French 

 entomologist, described by Darwin as an " inimit.able 

 observer " — makes most fascinating reading. By careful and 

 patient watching, renewed season after season, he endeavours 

 to throw light on many interesting points — as. for example, the 

 wonderful power possessed by the female Emperor moth of 

 attracting the males from long distances. Several chapters 

 are devoted to the very peculiar habits of the Praying Mantis, 

 while various other insects are similarly dealt with. The 

 book is written in an exceedingly attractive style, and the 

 photos by which it is illustrated complete an .altogether delight- 

 ful volume. .\. .\. 



A Junior Coarse of Zoology. — Bv the Late .\. Mll.NES 



Marshai.i,. M.D., D.Sc, M.A.,' F.R.S. 515 pages. 



04 illustrations. 72-in.X 5i-in. 



(Smith, Elder & Co. Price 10 6 net.l 



No one who in the old days used " Marshall and Hurst " to 

 their advantage can fail to welcome the appearance of the 

 seventh edition, which Professor Gamble has prepared for the 

 press. .\\. the same time it may not be amiss for one who has 

 had many ^-ears' practical experience of the book to point out 

 its greatest failing. 



This is really nothing to do with the subject matter but with 

 the method in which the very useful figures are labelled. If 

 only the actual names of the parts had been written on the 

 diagrams instead of various letters for the meaning of which 

 the student has to turn, often to another page, much time, 

 trouble and annoyance would be saved. The only redeeming 

 feature is that the letters used refer to English words, whereas 

 in some of the text books which borrow foreign cliches the 

 trouble is augmented. The present writer was, in fact, so 

 impressed with the need for reform in this matter that in any 

 biological illustrations which he has prepared for students' use 

 he has always h.ad the full name of the parts inserted. In 

 these days of cheap line-process reproduction the extra cost 

 need not be considered. W. M. W. 



x()ticp:s. 



PHOTO-MICROGRAPHY.— On Monday, May 6th, Mr. 

 Edgar Senior will begin a course of six practical demonstrations 

 on Photo-micrography at the South-Western Polytechnic 

 Institute, from 7.30 to' 9.30 p.m. 



At these demonstrations special attention will be given to 

 the photographing of etched surfaces of metals and alloys 

 (Metallography), but the course will also be arranged to suit 

 the requirements of students of Geology, Botany, and so on, 

 and of those wishing to use their own microscopes to obtain 

 photographic records of objects. 



It is advisable that students joining this course should 

 possess an elementary knowledge of photographic manipulation. 

 Fee for course. 2s. 6d. 



A NEW SCIENTIFIC QUARTERLY REVIEW.— On the 

 first Tuesday in .April. Messrs. Constable and Company will 

 publish the first number of Bedrock, a quarterly review of 

 scientific tliought. The editorial committee consists of Sir 

 Bryan Donkin, Professor Poulton. Mr. .\rchdall Reid. and 

 Professor Turner, while the acting l-Iditor is Mr. H. B. Grylls. 

 Bedrock is an attempt to provide an arena in which thinkers 

 possessing a common knowledge but divergent opinions 

 can meet and endeavour to thrash them out. We sincerely 

 hope that the editors of the new review will find ample 

 justification for their belief that there are few scientific or social 

 problems of which the solutions would not be hastened by the 

 provision of such an arena. 



