208 



KNOWLEDGE 



[September 1, 1899. 



mammals. It generally remains asleep during the day in its 

 self-built holes within the river banks. When feeding in 

 the mire of a river it rakes up the mud with its flat duck- 

 like beak, or it hunts for grubs, worms, snails, and mussels. 

 These it stows away in its cheek-])Ouches for future consumption. 

 It is a toothless animal, like echidna. Its thick horny jaws 

 which take the place of teeth are well adapted for cracking 

 mussels and similar food. During the warmer sea.son the 

 ornythorhynchus exclusively uses the nights for its visits to the 

 river in its neighbourhood, and sleeps in its burrows during 

 daytime. 



Dr. Semon had to exercise great patience in his search for 

 ceratodus and its eggs. His method of catching the animal. 



Figure of the Lnngfish {Cere/oiJns Forsferi), from "In the Australian Bush." (MacmiDan.) 



as well as subsequent dissection, completely disproves what has 

 liitherto been believed about the vegetarian proclivities of 

 the Australian lungfish. It limits itself to fresh water. 

 In its general behaviour ceratodus resembles a newt. It has 

 an ally, Protoptervs aiuifcteii^, in tropical Africa, which dift'ers 

 from ceratodus, however, in taking a long summer sleep, having 

 first protected itself in a sort of cocoon made out of its own 

 slime. In dealing with echidna, the other oviparous mammal, 

 the author summarises what is known about this member of 

 the monotremata. It is well to remember that its distribution 

 is by no means so limited as that of ornithorhynehus. The brain 

 of echidna is conspicuous for its size, considering the lowly 

 position of the animal in the zoological scale. The animal is 

 itself most remarkable for its excessive shyness, a fact which 

 makes it appear dull and stupid in captivity. Euough has 

 been written to show that the author of this book is justified 

 in hoping that it may prove " a friendly companion to a reader 

 wishing to wile away the leisure hour.' We have spent many 

 hours with it, and heartily recommend it to the notice of all 

 who are interested in biology. 



My Tour hi Palesti/ip iiml S//rki. By F. H. Deverell. 

 (Eyre & Spottiswoode.) Illu.strated. "My," in the title of this 

 work, is a word which, to the author, represents a brilliant 

 triumph — the realization of a dream of youth. To read works 

 of travel in the Holy Land was not sufficient for Mr. Deverell ; 

 his religious environment in early life led him to regard a visit 

 to Palestine as " the crowning visit of all possible visits," and 

 we have here a beautiful setting of all his ex])eriences 

 charmingly illustrated with jihotographs of excellent character. 

 The journey out to Jaffa commenced on the 2l8t March, 1895, 

 and from thence Jerusalem, the central point of interest, was 

 reached direct by train — a distance of fifty-four miles which 

 occupied four hours ; altogether, the tour extended f)ver a 

 period of about two months, and "the journey has, I believe, ' 

 says the author, " tended to deepen rather than to destroy ray 

 previous conception of Palestine's jilace in universal history, 

 and the Bible's place in universal literature." Being a perfectly 

 independent production, embodying the impressions of a mind 

 deeply imbued with scriptural subjects and written in a tranquil 

 and unvarnished style, the book presents a very realistic picture 

 of the ijlaces visited and the people now occupying the country j 

 which is of such unparalleled interest to all mankind. Some 

 scientific readers will find matter of value in the meteorological i 



and other natural phenomena observed by the author during his 

 tour and here incorporated. 



A Retrospect of Eight Decades. By Rev. Edward L. Berthon, 

 M.D., F.n.A.s. (George Bell & Sons.) Illustrated. 5s. Mainly 

 autobiograpliical, this book gives us glimpses of many phases 

 of life and the transformations which applied science have 

 effected during the last eighty years. The author, born in 1813, 

 was intended lor the medical prof ession, and ultimately became 

 a clergyman ; bnt, judging from his inventive proclivity, it is 

 probable he would have made a more imposing figure as an 

 engineer. In his book, the main fault of which, if we may 

 term it such, is its brevity, he gives us a vivid impression of a 

 bygone age — the age which preceded steam and electricity, 

 and all those innovationswhich, taken 

 together, form such a conspicuous line 

 of demarcation between the Victorian 

 era and the centuries, separating us 

 from the ancient civilisations of 

 Greece and Rome. A keen and strictly 

 scientific observer, the astounding 

 stories he tells of surgery as practised 

 in the first half of the century are 

 well calculated to make us thankful 

 for the more rational system which 

 now prevails. Mr. Berthon, among 

 other things, has invented the screw 

 propeller, collapsible boats and pon- 

 toons, and portable hospitals. 



Early Wnrk in Phitoriraphy. By 

 W. E. Henry, C.E. (Dawbarn and 

 Ward), 1ms reached a second edition. 

 It is a text-book for beginners, and 

 treats in a very lucid manner the first 

 steps in photography, even intro- 

 ducing an actual positive and negative 

 on celluloid, to aid the tyro in his efforts. The ])rice is Is. net. 



T]ie Juurnal of tlie Society of Companitire Lee/ialatioii. (John 

 Murray.) 5s. The second volume of the new series is remark- 

 able for some short memorial articles on the late Lord Herschell, 

 which have been contributed by Mr. Victor A. Williamson, 

 Lord Davey, Lord James of Hereford, and two others. Of 

 these, the most interesting is the brief appreciation by Lord 

 .Tames of a colleague with whom he served in the arduous work 

 of the Parliament of 1880-85, when Herschell was appointed 

 Solicitor-General, and Sir Henry .Tames, as he then was, became 

 Attorney -General. " Full confidence he gave me— a confidence 

 that enables me to declare that never has a public man more 

 strenuously striven a true part to play and fully his duty to do 

 than did Farrer Herschell." We cannot too highly commend 

 the object of this important periodical in comparing and con- 

 trasting the problems of civil and criminal law and procedure 

 as they appear to legislatures other than our own ; and the 

 urgent importance of gathering together such material is ap- 

 parent when we reflect upon the fact that " no fewer than a 

 hundred legislatures in English-speaking countries alone are 

 engaged in experiments more or less instructive." 



Our attention lias been directed to a new " look-out " telescope, 

 fitted with terrestrial and astronomical eye-pieces, as well as a dark 

 glass for observing the sun, just put on the market by Messrs. Newton 

 & Co. The instrument is provided with a very good three-inch object 

 glass mounted in a forty-two incli bi'ass tube, which is carried on a 

 trijiod five feet high. The metal cradle bearing the telescope projects 

 outwards at an angle which admits of a free sweep in altitude, and there 

 is an adapter for rough adjustment of distance, with a rack motion for 

 final focussing. Altogether it is an admirable piece of work. We 

 notice that this firm has opened a new factory in Little James Street. 



BOOKS RECEIVED. 



Support Annuel siir L'efaf de L' Observatory de Paris pour 

 L'Aniiee 1S9S. Par M. M. Loewy. 



Fortii-sixth Report of the Department of Science and Art, 1899. 

 (Eyre & Spottiswoode.) Is. 7d. 



Remington TiipewHter Manual. By R. T. Nicholson. (Pitman.) 



On the Physiuloqical Perception of Musical Tone. Boyle Lecture. 

 By John Gray McKendriek. (Frowde.) Is. 



Remarkable Eclipses. By W. T. Lynn. (Stanford.) 6d. 



Bird Life in an Arctic Spring. By Dan Meinertzhageu. (R. H. 

 Porter.) Illustrated. 49. net. 



The Studio. August, 1899. Is. 



