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NOTICES OF BOOKS. 



A Guide to the Identification oe our More Useful Timbers . 

 being a manual for the use of students of Forestry. By 

 Herbert Stone, viii + 52 pages + 3 plates. 8J x 5 incbes. 

 (Cambridge : At tbe University Press, 1920. Price 7s. 6d. 

 net.) 



In tbe preparation of tbis Guide for tbe use of students of 

 Forestry, tbe autbor bas endeavoured to provide information 

 on certain points wbicb is not easily accessible elsewbere. Tbe 

 timbers of some tbirty broad-leaved trees and ten conifers are 

 dealt witb, and in tbe cboice of cbaracteristics every efiort bas 

 been made in favour of points of difference in kind, tbose of 

 degree, sucb as colour, bardness, weigbt, etc., not being found 

 reliable in differentiating tbe species of timber. One of tbe 

 objects of tbe autbor is to train tbe student's powers of observa- 

 tion in recognising tbe essential characters and by tbis means 

 discriminating between one or otber species of timber. To tbis 

 end tbe description of eacb species is followed by a table, giving 

 tbe timbers witb wbicb tbe one under consideration may be 

 confused, and tbose features by wbicb it may be distinguished. 

 In tbe introductory note some useful hints are given in methods 

 of observation. Artificial keys are provided covering the woods 

 dealt with in the course and tbe student is advised to familiarise 

 himself witb their use. The three beautiful collotype plates 

 represent at a uniform magnification of 50 diameters sections 

 of wood .where tbe critical details can only be made out by the 

 aid of tbe microscope. The Guide cannot fail to be of much 

 use both to the student and also to the worker in wood research 

 laboratories. 



Minerals and the Microscope. By H. G. Smith, A.E.C.S., 

 B.Sc, F.G.S. xii -f 116 pages -f 12 plates, coloured frontis- 

 piece and 33 figs, in text. 7J X 4| inches. (London : Thomas 

 Murby & Co., 1919. Price 5s. net.) 



The author's experience as a teacher has led him to tbe con- 

 clusion that tbe initial difficulties of the student of petrology 

 JouRN. Q. M. C, Series II.— No. 86. 12 



