206 



KNOWLEDGE. 



[Septemdeb 1, 1896. 



The necessity of a good knowledge of matliematics in the 

 proper study of physics is illustrated by the fact that the 

 present volume, called with somewhat doubtful policy 

 "The I'jlemcnts of Pliysics," requires a kuowlid^'o of the 

 calculus, and does not shirk the difficulties of the subject 

 in the way that ordinary text-books usually do. In 

 Part I. the subjects treated are physical measure- 

 ments ; physical quantity ; laws of motion, falling bodies, 

 projectiles ; harmonic motion, statics, energy ; moment of 

 inertia, the pendulum ; elasticity, friction of solids ; hydro- 

 mechanics ; and chemical physics : while Part 11. includes 

 chapters on thermometry ; calorimetry ; the properties of 

 gases, and thermo-dynamics. Tlie regions of electricity and 

 magnetism and of sound and light have been allocated to 

 two other volumes. The distinctive features of this book are 

 the systematic way in which the principles of physical science 

 are developed, the conciseness of the statements made, and 

 the fundamental accuracy of the various proofs and demon- 

 strations described. Advanced students of physics will 

 have little difficulty in working through the volume, and 

 they will find that by so doing they will not only bind 

 their ideas more firmly together but will also extend their 

 knowledge. The authors seem to hold that students of 

 physics should first read text-books and attend lectures and 

 demonstrations, and finally make physical measurements 

 in the laboratory. This may be the proper plan for 

 students in colleges of University rank, though we doubt 

 whether it is an ideal one. Lectures and demonstrations 

 may make mathematical physicists, but the best way to 

 foster investigation is to begin with laboratory work 

 instead of ending with it. 



A Coiiipatdium of General Botany, By Dr. Max Wester- 

 maier. Translated by Dr. Albert Schneider. Pp. 299. 

 Illustrated. (New York ; John Wiley & Sons. London : 

 Chapman & Hall, Limited.) So many good scientific hand- 

 books are translations from the German that it is a wonder 

 the cry "Made in Germany" has not been applied to 

 them. Especially is this the case with biological and 

 psychological works, and scarcely a month passes without 

 the appearance of two or three of them. The reason is 

 not far to seek : German scientific men have an infinite 

 capacity for collecting facts, and for piling up information 

 into l.fhfh'dcher. Prof. Westermaier's work is not perhaps 

 so diffuse as others from the Fatherland, and students of 

 botany will certainly be grateful for Dr. Schneider's trans- 

 lation of it. It is truly a compendium of general botany, 

 and its value as a text-book lies in the logical and scientific 

 treatment of the subject-matter. The arrangement adopted 

 testifiestothis; it is as follows: — (I.) The cell. (II.) Tissues: 

 (n) structure of tissues and simple organs ; (i) differentia- 

 tion of tissue. (III.) Systems of organs. (IV.) Kepro- 

 duction. {\ .) General chemistry and physics of plant life. 

 (VI.) System of plant classification. To the necessarily 

 limited test on these matters numerous references to 

 standard authors are added, as an inducement to the 

 student to extend his reading. The work was written 

 for use as a text-book of elementary instruction for 

 German Hvchschuhu, which are, as is well known, far 

 in advance of our own high schools. Dr. Schneider's 

 translation is a readable rendering of the original, and 

 we have no doubt it will do good service to botanical 

 science. 



Text-Bool; of Comparative Anatomy. By Dr. Arnold Lang. 

 Part II. Translated into Enghsh by H. M. Bernard, M.A., 

 and Matilda Bernard. Pp. G18. Illustrated. (Macmillan.) 

 The first part of this translation of Prof. Lang's work 

 appeared in 1891, and it is to be regretted that there 

 should have been so much delay in the completion of the 

 work. The delay is partly due to the tardy issue of the 



concluding parts of the German edition, and partly to 

 the great difficulty in giving a faithful and lluent rendering 

 of the original. The present volume deals with the 

 Mollusca, I'^chinodermata, and Ihiteropneusta, and the 

 entire work forms a text-book of the comparative anatomy 

 of the invertebrata. But the phyla described in the 

 volume under notice are treated nmch more comprehen- 

 sively than is usual in text-books — so elaborate, indeed, 

 are the chapters on the Mollusca and Echinodermata, that 

 they constitute valuable treatises on these groups of the 

 animal kingdom. The text is lavishly illustrated, and 

 the majority of the cuts are new. Prof. Lang has adhered 

 to his method of excluding from the descriptive text the 

 names of the authors whose observations and statements 

 he has used in the construction of his work. In place of 

 this a list of works consulted, and bearing upon the subject, 

 is given at the end of each chapter. Some dissatisfaction 

 was expressed at this departure from the historical method 

 when the first part of the translation appeared, and 

 the adverse criticism then aroused applies equally well 

 to the volume before us. In a work of this character, 

 references to papers and authors should be given in foot- 

 notes, so that students may know exactly where to seek 

 further information upon any particular point described. 

 No bibliography can entirely compensate for the omission 

 of such finger-posts to fuller knowledge. This point 

 aside, it is almost unnecessary to tell zoologists that 

 Prof. Lang's book is of a high order of excellence, and 

 that the translators have very successfully put it in 

 English dress. 



A Dictionary of the Xames of Minerals, includiny their 

 History and Etymology. By Prof. Albert H. Chester. Bvo, 

 cloth, 15s. net. (Chapman & Hall.) In this work the 

 author has endeavoured to give the history and etymology 

 of every mineral name, including the following points : — 

 1st, the name correctly spelled ; 2nd, its author ; 3rd, a 

 reference to its first publication ; 4th, its original spelling ; 

 5th, its derivation ; 6th, the reason for choosing this par- 

 ticular name ; 7th, a short description. These particulars 

 are fully given in most cases, but a number remain incom- 

 plete, and a list of such is given in the hope that informa- 

 tion may be elicited, to be used in a subsequent edition. 



Chemistry in Daily Life. By Dr. Lassar-Cohn. Trans- 

 lated by M. M. Pattison Muir. (H. Grevel & Co.) 

 Illustrated. 6s. Mr. Pattison Muir, in his preface to the 

 translation, says that when Dr. Lassar-Cohn published 

 these lectures in book form they caused quite a stir in 

 German circles ; and we are pleased that he has under- 

 taken the work of putting the book into English. Although 

 the subject matter is very disjointed, the author has 

 certainly managed to give an account of the chemistry of 

 manufactures of substances used in daily life in a way 

 which would be intelligible to a reader who had no know- 

 ledge of chemistry. It is surprising, when one thinks of 

 it, how much the chemical arts at the present day are 

 interwoven into our daily life, and a book of the character 

 of the one before us cannot therefore fail to be of interest 

 to the general reader. AVhen we mention that argon, 

 X rays, bimetallism, cordite, colour photography, incan- 

 descent gaslights, all receive appropriate treatment, 

 sufficient proof is surely advanced to show that the book 

 is popular and up to date. 



Outdoor Life in Ewjland. By Arthur T. Fisher. 

 (Bentley & Son.) This book is a series of chatty sketches 

 of natural history and sport — chiefly the former. The 

 author conveys his information in a very pleasant way ; 

 and although he tells us that he does not pose as a 

 naturalist, yet his knowledge of nature is both extensive 

 and sound. He writes of many things — animals, birds. 



