112 



KNOWLEDGE. 



[May 1, 1899. 



the upper regions of the atmosphere ; Martin's utilization of the 

 Falls of Niagara ; Le Conte's earth-crust movements and their 

 causes ; Michael Foster's recent advances in science and their 

 bearing on medicine and surgery ; and Schweinitz's war with 

 the microbes, are all here reprinted from various sources. 

 These papers, and many others, beautifully illustrated, form a 

 miscellaneous collection, embracing a considerable range of 

 scientific investigation and discussion ; they depict the more 

 remarkable and important developments in physical and 

 biological discovery, and follow concisely the prominent 

 features of recent jjrogress in astronomy, geology, mineralogy, 

 anthroijology, and, indeed, every branch of science. 



Chemical Analysis, Qnalitatire and Quantitative. By William 

 Briggs, M.A., and R. W. Stewart, D.sc. (London : W. B. Clive.) 

 3s. tid. The addition of a single chapter of thirteen pages on 

 volumetric analysis is hardly sufficient justification for referring 

 to this little book as one on quantitative analysis. The first six 

 chapters, of one hundred and fourteen ]iages, deal with ordinary 

 test-tubing, which it would appear is still required in some of 

 the examinations for wliich Mr. Clive specially caters. As a 

 guide to the analysis of a simple substance the book is as good 

 as many others which have been published, but it is in no sense 

 an educational introduction to practical chemistry, 



Cres.ii/ and Poictiers, or the Stori/ of the Black Prince's Page. 

 ByJ. G.Edgar. Illuatrated. (London : Ward, Lock & Co., Ld.) 

 3s. 6d. The publishers are to be congratulated upon this 

 handsome re-issue of the late J. G. Edgar's splendid story of the 

 conqueror of Cressy and Poictiers. 



Practical Work in Phi/sics. Part 4. — Maqnetism and Elec- 

 tricity. By W. C. WooUcombe, M.A., B.sc. (Oxford University 

 Press.) Illustrated. 2s. If the art of criticism be the 

 art of praise we cannot criticise this book. The initial 

 statement is inaccurate, or at best incomplete. The first 

 experiment contains a reference to the sixth, and the 

 sixth page contains a reference {ria a foot-note) to the 

 twelfth. The arrangement tlu-oughout is bad. On p. 7 it is 

 stated that if a compass needle lie along the magnetic meridian 

 it is unaffected by the earth's field. The author appears unable 

 to differentiate between the exact meanings of the expressions 

 "at right angles to," "perpendicular to," and "normal to." The 

 second portion of the book is slightly better, though it contains 

 such errors as (p. 54) " indirectly proportional " for " directly 

 proportional," etc. There are too many notes, and too many 

 references, both to them, to the diagrams, and to the appen- 

 dices. A list of the E.M.Fs. of primary cells is given, matters 

 being in this connection taken to the second place of decimals. 

 If ever a note or a caution were needed, surely it is here. But 

 the illustrations are good, and we find some ingenious suggestion 

 as to the putting together of simple apparatus. 



The Renaissance of Girls' Education in England : A Record of 

 Fifty Years' Progress. By Alice Zimmei'n. (Innes & Co.) .^s. 

 There is no more interesting legacy which the nineteenth 

 century can bequeath to its successor tlian the ]n-esent position 

 of women in all fields of human activity, and in no direction 

 have they achieved more than in the department of education. 

 The subjection of women, which John Stuart Mill so brilliantly 

 resisted with tongue and pen thirty or forty years ago, has given 

 place to their emancipation, and they stand upon the threshold 

 of the new era — free. For this emancipation they are in nowise 

 indebted to the lords of creation, but just to their own patience, 

 skill, and perseverance, and the well conceived and admirably 

 written volume before ns traces the history of the movement 

 during a fifty years' progress. That movement has effected a 

 peaceful revolution of the highest import for the future, and we 

 do not know a more encouraging story. Miss Zimmern has done 

 her work thoroughly well, and we heartily commend the volume. 



The Practical Electrician's Pocket Bonk and Diary, 189'.l. 

 Edited by H. T. Crewe, m.i.mech.e. (London : S. Reutell & 

 Co.) Illustrated, Is. nett. This little book contains a vast 

 deal of really useful information. There are 130 pp. of just 

 such hints, tables and diagrams, as men engaged on practical 

 work frequently require. The information conveyed is sound, 

 but we trust that in futui'e editions more attention will be paid 

 to the arrangement. And Mr. Crewe must refrain from the 

 building up of sentences which contain two hundred words 

 each ! We believe that an edition de luxe, say at half-a-crown, 

 would find a ready sale, for while the matter is good, the manner 



is bad, albeit good at the price. Besides the text and the diary 

 there are other useful features — as, for instance, detachable esti- 

 mate and requisition forms, and small sheets of squared paper. 

 On the whole an excellent shillingsworth. 



West African Studies. By Mary H. Kingsley. With illus- 

 trations and maps. (London : Macmillan.) 21s. As the 

 authoress of " Travels in West Africa," Miss Kingsley acquired 

 a reputation for smart and vivacious writing, and the present 

 volume not only maintains her character in this respect, but shows 

 her competency to deal with problems of a graver character 

 connected both with politics and ethnology. Miss Kingsley holds 

 a brief on behalf of English traders and the native population. 

 She has strong views against the present system of governing 

 Crown colonies in which she hopes to make the public participate. 

 She has an alternative method of administration to advance ; 

 but her views would probably receive more attention from 

 high authorities if she gave less play to her vein of humour. 

 We can have little to do here with political questions and 

 the fittest form of colonial government, but Miss Kingsley's 

 enquiries into forms of nature, religion, and behef , are within our 

 province. In this portion of the book the author is at her best. 

 There is evidence of wide reading of recognized authorities, and of 

 acute and painstaking observation. The district throughout which 

 enquiries were prosecuted, extended from Sierra Leone to 

 Loanda on the West Coast with occasional visits to the interior, 

 where the Oil Rivers, the Ogowe and the Lower Congo, offered 

 facilities. It is evidence of the care with which the question 

 was studied, that Miss Kingsley was able to recognize four main 

 schools of West African Fetish. The Tshi and Ewe school, 

 which Ellis has described, the Calabar school, and those of 

 Mpongwe and the Fjort .schools. Classification necessarily 

 implies discriminating and careful work. We have, of course, 

 not space to enter into the details of Fetish, which the author 

 defines as the religion of the natives of the West Coast, where 

 they have not been influenced either by Chi-istianity or Moham- 

 medanism. Growing out of this subject we have the questions 

 of witchcr.aft and of native medicine in relation to West African 

 religious thought. These chapters will well repay careful study. 

 Two appendices are added to the book, which should by no 

 means be .skipped. These are written by M. le Comte C. de 

 Cardi, and Mr. John Harford, of Bristol, authorities on the 

 subjects of which they treat. The illustrations are good ; the 

 index might have been more complete. 



First Lessons in Jfodern Geology. By the late A. H. Green, 

 F.R.S., edited by J. F. Blake, m.a. (Clarendon Press.) Illus- 

 trated. 3s. 6d. This book is practically a primer, as one might 

 infer from the title. It has been prepared from manuscript left 

 by the late Professor Green. There is nothing in the style or 

 arrangement to differentiate it from other books of the same 

 kind so far as we are able to discover. From beginning to end 

 the book lacks individuality ; it bears a striking likeness to 

 other well-known primers of good reputation. 



BOOKS RECEIVED. 



The Art of Writing English. Bj J. M. D. Meiklejohn, M.A. 

 (A. M. Holden, London.) 



True Tales of the Insects. By L. N. Badenoch. (Chapman &, 

 Hall.) Illustrated. 



My Tour in Palestine. ByF. H. DeveroU. (Eyre& Spotfciswoode.) 

 Illustrated. 



On Suds and Stipules. By the Rt. Hon. Sir John Lubbock, Bart., 

 P.B.s. (Kegan Paul.) Illustrated. 5s. 



The Journal of the Society of Comparative Legislation. New 

 Series. No. 1, March, 1899. (Murray.) 5s. net. 



Society for the Protection of Birds. Eighth Annual Report, 

 January to December, 1898. 



Sonsdon Observatory : Variable Star Notes, No. 4 — S Cygni and 

 ^ Cygni. By Sir C. E. Peek. 



Journal of the Lssex Field Club. Edited by Wm. Cole. No8. 

 1-24. 63. per annum. 



The Studio : An Illustrated Magazine of Fine and Applied Art. 

 No. 72. Is. monthly. 



" 4.S Sours " Lisp lite— July, 1897, to January, 1S9S. (The 

 Engineering Employers' Federation.) 



Report of S. P. Langley, Smithsonian Institution, for the Year 

 ending June HOth, 1S9S. 



China, Anglo-America, and Corn. A Lecture. By Granville 

 Sharp. {Hong Kong Laily Press Office.) 



