January 4, 1900] 



NATURE 



22 



Though the books have only recently been placed 

 upon the British market, they have attained a wide 

 popularity in America, and we shall be much surprised 

 if their attractiveness does not lead to their becoming 

 favourites in this country. 



It is always interesting to compare dictionaries, and 

 some of the results of a comparison of those before us 

 with one largely used in English schools will not be 

 out of place. The first word, the meanings of which 

 were placed side by side, was steelyard. In the school 

 volume under notice was found " a simple device for 

 weighing, consisting of a scale beam, counterpoise, and 

 hooks,'' while the book with which it was compared gave 

 " a balance for weighing bodies, consisting of a single 

 weight shifted backwards and forwards on a graduated 

 beam." But it is only fair to add that a small cut, of a 

 not very intelligible kind, illustrates the American 

 definition. The second word looked up in both volumes, 

 this time using the student's edition of the Standard 

 Dictionary, was nebula. In the dictionary under review 

 is to be found: — (i) "Any lummous cloud-like object 

 in the sky, as a distant star cluster ; (2) A supposed 

 gaseous body of unorganised stellar substance "' ; that 

 m the familiar dictionary on our table: — (i) "An 

 appearance as of light gauzy cloud amongst the stars, 

 usually only seen through a telescope, often resolvable 

 by a powerful instrument into clusters of stars ; (2) A 

 white spot or opacity in the cornea." Neither of the 

 definitions is altogether satisfactory, for a nebula is not 

 a star cluster any more than an amoeba is a star-fish. 



The new volumes have, however, several commendable 

 characteristics, and will doubtless find a place in schools. 

 Outlines of Bacteriology. By Dr. L. H. Thoinot and 

 E. J. Masselin. Translated by W. St. Clair Symmers, 

 M.B. Pp. 318. (London : C. Griffin and Co., Ltd., 

 1899.) 

 This little volume, bound in leather, is evidently calcu- 

 lated to stand hard wear, and is put together in the hopes 

 of becoming a bacteriologist's vade mecum. It differs 

 from many such compressed manuals by the introduction 

 of numerous quotations from the original memoirs ; 

 these extracts would have gained in value had the source 

 been acknowledged in all cases instead of in certain 

 instances only, one of the principal advantages of such 

 references being to encourage the intelligent student to 

 consult such memoirs for himself, and so e.xtend his 

 knowledge of the subject beyond the necessarily confined 

 limits of a small text-book. 



The authors are medical men, and it is for the medical 

 student that the book has been written, and for this pur- 

 pose it appears to be admirably suited ; industrial bacteri- 

 ology is not touched upon, and we think, therefore, the 

 title is somewhat misleading, inasmuch as the authors 

 deal with but one branch of bacteriology. It is clearly 

 printed and copiously illustrated. 



l.chrbuch der Experivienfal Physik. By Adolph Wullner. 

 Fifth edition, vol. iv., part 2. Pp. xii -1- 530. (Leipzig : 

 Teubner, 1899.) 

 .\ TRE.^TISE on physics which, by the issue of the above 

 part, has now completed its fifth edition must evidently 

 have been found useful ; and it may safely be said 

 that this edition will be found still more useful than its 

 predecessors. The book has been fully revised and 

 onsiderably enlarged ; the additional matter repre- 

 inting the more recent advances in physics. The 

 -ection which now lies before us treats of the propaga- 

 tion and perception of light, interference, diffraction, and 

 polarisation phenomena and theories. 



The thirty additional photographs in this edition are 

 mainly owing to the advances in the electromagnetic 

 theory of light, and to the increase of our knowledge 

 with regard to the relations between light and magnetism 

 (Zeeman effect, &c.) These and indeed all the parts of 



NO. 1575. VOL. 6(] 



the book are treated with great lucidity, thoroughness, 

 and accuracy. We may call particular attention to the 

 chapters dealing with polarisation ; they specially please 

 us. Those diagrams which represent three-dimensional 

 phenomena in the plane of the paper do so in such a 

 manner that the intention of each is evident at a glance \ 

 and the mode of dealing with the optical properties of 

 the crystals selected for illustration of the general theory 

 is such as to give a very complete view of the cited 

 cases, and strikes us when contrasted with the treatment 

 in certain other text-books which might be mentioned. 

 Altogether, although the volume shares the fault of so 

 many German books— viz., that it is not always free 

 from dryness — we recommend it heartily as a thoroughly 

 sound and modern text-book suitable for the use of the 

 senior students in our university colleges. A. W. P. 



Proceedings of the Eleventh Annual Meeting of the 

 Association of Economic Entomologists. {Bulletin 

 No. 20, New Series, U.S. Department of Agriculture ; 

 Division of Entomology.) Pp ni. (Washington, 

 1899.) 

 This publication includes a series of useful and interest- 

 ing articles on injurious insects, by Profs. Howard, 

 Marlatt, Felt and other well-known entomologists. For- 

 tunately, injurious insects seem to have their day of 

 destructiveness, and then cease to do much mischief; at 

 least, for a time, owing to natural or artificial checks. 

 Thus, respecting the much-dreaded San Jose Scale, Prof. 

 Marlatt writes : " It is not especially feared to-day in 

 California, and, in fact, it is looked upon by some of the 

 largest fruit-growers (as I am informed by Prof. Wash- 

 burn) as having been of positive advantage, the yearly 

 treatment of trees having necessitated a system of regular 

 short pruning, which has greatly improved the quality of 

 the fruit, and much lessened the expense of gathering." 

 He, therefore, argues against undue alarm and excessive 

 preventive measures respecting sudden and perhaps 

 temporary insect attacks. Prof. Howard prints a trans- 

 lation from the Russian, by Dr. Fireman, of a paper by 

 Porchinski, respecting the destruction of Tabanida^ by 

 pouring kerosene into the pools to which they resort to 

 drink. Other articles deal with caprification in California ; 

 the destruction of hairy caterpillars by birds ; the pro- 

 gress of the never-ending campaign against the Gipsy 

 Moth in Massachusetts, tic. W. F. K. 



Elementary Dynamics. By W. M. Baker. Ch. xix. 



Pp. 251. (London : George Bell and Sons, 1899.) 

 Although necessarily similar in subject matter to the 

 many existing treatises on this subject, the above little 

 work will recommend itself by many convenient minor 

 originalities. The descriptions are exceedingly minute 

 and clear, and are in most cases followed by more 

 worked-out typical examples than usual. 



In addition to a set of examples at the end of each 

 chapter, there is a useful compilation of more difficult 

 problems at the end, selected from past examination 

 papers. The scope of subject included has been chosen 

 chiefly for the benefit of students preparing for Woolwich 

 and Sandhurst, or reading for scholarships at the 

 Universities. 



Handbook of Physics and Chemistry. By H. E. Corbin 

 and A. M. Stewart. Pp. vi-l-424. (London : J. and A. 

 Churchill, 1899.) 

 Without attempting any originality of style or subject 

 matter the authors of this work have culled from the many 

 authoritative sources the requisite information necessary 

 for students preparing for the First Examination in 

 physics and chemistry of the Conjoint Board of the Royal . 

 Colleges of Physicians and Surgeons. The book will also 

 be useful to those working for the Pharmaceutical Society 

 and the Royal Veterinary College, the syllabuses pre- 

 scribed by these institutes being fully covered. 



