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THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



Brain-Eest. By J. Leonard Corning, M. D. 

 New York : G. P. Putnam's Sons. Pp. 

 103. Price, $1. 



Dr. Corning's treatment of this impor- 

 tant subject consists first of an examination 

 of the nature and phenomena of sleep, and 

 of the relation of the blood-supply to the 

 activity of the brain. Then follow some 

 practical directions in regard to sleeping, 

 and a discussion of the nature of several 

 varieties of insomnia. Finally, some meth- 

 ods of diminishing the cerebral circulation 

 are described, one of them being the " ca- 

 rotid truss," an invention of the author's for 

 lessening the supply of blood through the 

 carotid arteries. 



On the Conservation of Solar Energy. 

 By C. William Siemens, F. R. S., D. C. L., 

 etc. With Illustrations. London : Mac- 

 millan & Co. Pp. 111. Price, fl.'TS. 



This volume contains Dr. Siemens's Royal 

 Society paper on this subject, the substance 

 of which is included in his article entitled 

 "A New Theory of the Sun," published in 

 the " Monthly " for June, 1882. Other papers 

 are, letters by MM. Faye and Him, T. Sterry 

 Hunt, C. A. Young, and others, criticising 

 his theory, and Dr. Siemens's replies to the 

 same. There is also a paper " On Electri- 

 cal Discharges in Vacuum-Tubes, and their 

 Relation to Solar Physics," being an extract 

 from a presidential address by the author 

 before the British Association. The appen- 

 dix comprises a paper entitled " On the 

 Electric Furnace," by C. William Siemens 

 and A. K. Huntington ; one on " Sunlight 

 and Skylight at High Altitudes," by Cap- 

 tain Abney ; " Remarks of Professor Lang- 

 ley on Ceptain Abney's Paper " ; and " Dis- 

 sociation of Attenuated Compound Gases," 

 by Professor Liveing. 



A New Theory op the Origin op Species. 

 By Benjamin G. Ferris. New York : 

 Fowler & Wells. Pp. 278. Price, $1.50. 

 The author first examines Darwin's the- 

 ory, and endeavors to show that the causes 

 it assigns for the production of new species 

 are insufficient. Some of his arguments are 

 based on the non-production of new types in 

 recent time, and on the great changes that the 

 ape of to-day would have to make to develop 

 into the man of to-day. He next discusses 

 the nature of life, and the difference be- 



tween human and brute life. A chapter is 

 devoted to the question of the existence of 

 a First Cause, which the author is disposed 

 to answer in the afiirmative. Finally, he 

 proposes his new theory, which is, that, as 

 " every living organism within historic times 

 has required a receptacle or matrix for its 

 conception, gradual development, and final 

 birth, ... if species are reproduced by this 

 ordinary process, then it is fair to conclude 

 that they must have originated not by an 

 'unusual birth,' but by an extraordinary 

 generation" — that is, the first members of 

 each new species were produced from a 

 mother of another species by the influence 

 of a " direct creative influx" — i. e., by a sort 

 of miraculous conception. 



The American Citizen's Manual. Part II. 

 The Functions of Governments (State 

 and Federal). By Worthinoton C. Ford. 

 New York : G. P. Putnam's Sons. Pp. 

 184. Price, $1. 



The purpose of this series — to make 

 citizens at large acquainted with the theory, 

 functions, and operations of the State and 

 national governments, and with their rights 

 and duties — is admirable, and the concep- 

 tion of the several books is well adapted to 

 further it. The present volume treats of 

 protection to life and property ; the func- 

 tions of the Federal Government in the mat- 

 ters of war, foreign relations, regulation of 

 commerce, naturalization, post-offices and 

 post-roads, Indians, the public lands, and 

 patent and copyright laws ; the functions of 

 the State government in reference to corpora- 

 tions, education, charitable institutions, and 

 immigration ; and State finances. 



Dr. B. C. Faust's Laws of Health. Edited 

 by Dr. S. Wolffberg. Translated and 

 improved by Herman Kopp. Brooklyn : 

 H. Kopp & Co. Pp. 37. Price, 20 cents. 



This work is a collection of more than a 

 hundred and fifty admirable maxims tersely 

 expressed, embodying sound hygienic prin- 

 ciples and practical instructions for the pres- 

 ervation of health. Its peculiar merit is the 

 conciseness with which the rules are phrased, 

 whereby they are more sharply stamped up- 

 on the memory and borne in mind. The trans- 

 lator has arranged the manual with particu- 

 lar adaptation to its use in the fourth-reader 

 grade of schools and for self -instruction. 



