NA TURE 



457 



A NEW STANDARD DICTIONARY. 



A Sttinditrd Dictionary of the English I.nnguage. \'oI. 

 ii. Prepared under the supervision of Dr. I. K. P'unk, 

 Dr. F. A. March, and Dr. D. S: Gregory. (New York 

 and London : Funk and Wagnall Co., 1895.) 



SINCE the appearance of the first volume of this 

 work, noticed in N.\TURE, vol. I. p. 146, we have 

 often had occasion to refer to it, and have formed 

 opinions as to its merits and faults. In many respects 

 the dictionary is a very good one within its compass, 

 though it does not contain much that is really new. 



Before going further, it may be well to state briefly the 

 magnitude of the work, and to give a general idea of its 

 characteristics. The two volumes run into 2338 pages 

 and contain 301,865 vocabulary terms, embellished by 

 5000 illustrations. A point upon which great stress is put 

 is that more than two hundred editors ana specialists 

 have assisted in the production of the work, though it is 

 not clear to what extent this assistance was given. Their 

 services, with those of the five hundred readers for 

 quotations, who are said to have been engaged upon this 

 work, have helped to bring the cost up to one million 

 dollars ! Considering how little there is in the dictionary 

 that is not in the " Centuiy," "International," and other 

 American dictionaries, one wonders where the money has 

 gone. This, however, is by the way, and we only mention 

 the matter because the large amount stated to have been 

 spent in the production of the dictionary is put forward 

 as a claim to favour. 



A few definitions from the work will be the best means 

 of indicating its merits. A whole column of the dictionary' 

 is taken up with definitions, and examples, of the use of 

 the word science and its synonyms. The first tuo of the 

 six definitions given are as follows : — 



Science. — (i) Knowledge gained and verified by exact 

 observation and correct thinking, especially as methodic- 

 ally formulated and arranged in a rational system ; also, 

 the sum of universal knowledge. 



(2) .Any department of knowledge in which tlie results 

 of investigation have been worked out and systematised ; 

 an exact and systematic statement of knowledge con- 

 cerning some subject or group of subjects ; especially, a 

 system of ascertained facts and principles covering and 

 attempting to give adequate expression to a great natural 

 group or division of knowledge. 



The sciences are divided in the dictionary into (i) the 

 mathematical, treating of quantity; (2) the physical, treat- 

 ing of matter and its properties ; (3) the biological, treat- 

 ing of the phenomena of life ; (4) the anthropological, 

 treating of man ; and (5) the theological, treating of the 

 Deity. All the divisions are fully treated under their 

 respective heads. Thus, under physical sciences, the 

 classification of them as sciences of energy is given ; the 

 biological sciences are fully tabulated and their relation 

 to one another shown with all their sub-divisions, and 

 anthropology is made to embrace all the sciences relating 

 to man. The departments of anthropology presented in 

 the dictionary are {<>) Somatology, {/>) Ethnology, {c) 

 Archivoloyy. It is worth while printing the definition 

 NO. 1350, VOL. 52] 



of the third of these for the benefit of unscientific 

 archicologists. 



Archceology. — The science of antiquities ; in its widest 

 sense, the branch of anthropology, embracing archaio- 

 graphy, concerned with the systematic investigation of 

 the relics of man and of his industries, and the classifi- 

 cation and treatment of ancient remains and records of 

 any or every kind, whether historic or prehistoric, of 

 ancient places, customs, arts, &c. 



In popular signification, archaeology refers mainly t» 

 the collection or investigation of the materials from which 

 a knowledge of the particular country under investigation 

 may be obtained, which materials may be divided into- 

 written, monumental, and traditional. .Scientific archit- 

 ology is (l) general, including (a) the geology of the 

 epoch of man and (b) the prehistoric ages ; and (2) special, 

 including the study of separate nations and areas. 



These examples, w-hich could be multiplied many times, 

 are sufficient to show the generally trustworthy character, 

 and the fulness, of the definitions, so far as science is con- 

 cerned. The work has an attractive appearance, anc5 

 offers every facility for consultation, and is altogether a 

 desirable addition to a library. 



THE CHEMISTRY OE LIGHTING. 

 Chemical Technology, or Chemistry in its Applications to 

 Arts and Manufactures. Edited by C. E. Gro\es, 

 F.R.S., and W. Thorp, B.Sc. \'ol. ii. Lighting. 

 (London : J. & A. Churchill, 1895.) 



THE second volume of this important work pos- 

 sesses great intrinsic worth. Section i., dealing 

 with fats and oils, by W. Y. Dent, contains much 

 information concisely and clearly expressed. It may 

 be noted that, in connection with the determination of 

 specific gravity, the -Sprengel tube is described, but no 

 mention is made of the modification of this apparatus 

 having the capillary arms at right angles and provided 

 with expansion bulbs, although the latter form would 

 always be used where accuracy combined with ease of 

 manipulation were desired. When specific gravities are 

 given to four significant figures, correction to a vacuum 

 is necessary, or the fourth figure has no meaning. No 

 mention is made of this in the text, and the specific 

 gravities given are termed densities, a misuse of the 

 latter term which occurs much too often. 



The second Section, on stcarine, by J. Mc.Arthur, puts 

 forth the main processes for the decomposition of fats in 

 a very explicit form. The writer wisely confines the 

 term "saponification •' to decomposition by means of a 

 base. 



The account of the candle manufacture, by L. and F. .-\. 

 Field, given in Section iii., is highly interesting, and will 

 be read with profit by many who have no connection with 

 such matters, as well as by specialists. Producers of gas 

 may well believe that their product will be in increasing 

 demand when the candle industry flourishes in spite of 

 the introduction of later forms of lighting. Doubtless 

 candles owe their present hold on the public favour 

 largely to the great improvements in quality effected by 

 recent advances in the methods of manufacture. How 

 great these advances are may be gathered from even a 

 rapid perusal of the pages before us. 



The description, in Section iv., of the p'etroleunv 

 industry, by Boverton Redwood, is both graphic and 



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