102 



NA TURE 



[December 4, 1902 



dimensions are thus placed within easy reach of the 

 student. 



Although so rich in material, one or two omissions 

 might with advantage be remedied in a future edition. 

 In the chapter on measurement of pressure, no apparatus 

 such as the differential manometer suitable for the 

 measurement of very small pressures is described. The 

 methods and apparatus so frequently employed in the 

 investigation of transition phenomena of different kinds 

 should also find a place. Such are the use of the Bremer- 

 Frovvein tensimeter, the dilatometer, the electric transi- 

 tion cell, &c. Apart from these omissions, the book is 

 undoubtedly excellent. It will be found invaluable to 

 teacher and student alike, and should find a place in every 

 chemical and physical laboratory. H. M. D. 



London Birds and Other Sketches. By T. Digby Pigott. 

 New and enlarged edition. Pp. xiii + 256 ; illustrated. 

 (London : E. Arnold, 1902.) Price ys. 6d. 



Mr. Pigott is of opinion that every man, especially as 

 he grows older, ought to have a " hobby," his own being 

 the observation of birds in their native haunts. That he 

 has recorded the results of these observations in a 

 manner acceptable to the public taste may be taken for 

 granted from the fact of his book having reached a third 

 edition. Whether, indeed, he is treating of the wood- 

 pigeons in Kensington Gardens, of the gulls and 

 cormorants on the ornamental water in St. James's Park, 

 of London insects, of the bearded tit in the Norfolk fens 

 or of the sea-birds of the Shetlands and Fame Islands, 

 the author is equally interesting ; while the exquisite 

 frontispiece by Mr. Thorburn and the other illustrations 

 confer an additional attraction on a very charming little 

 volume. In several instances, as in the case of gulls 

 essaying to perch on the trees in St. James's Park, Mr. 

 Pigott has new facts regarding bird life to place before his 

 readers. The statement that rooks are not likely again 

 to build in Kensington Gardens will be read with regret 

 by all. On the other hand, bird-lovers will learn with 

 pleasure that the bearded tit is on the increase in the 

 Norfolk reed-brakes. Among the most interesting 

 chapters in the volume are those on birds nesting in the 

 Shetlands and bird life in St. Kilda. 



It is, perhaps, a pity that the author did not get some 

 professional ornithologist to look through his proofs. 

 Had this been done, we should not have found the king- 

 fisher, the swift and the nightjar classed as " Passeres " 

 (p. 253) or <" Regulus'' given as the name of the wren 

 (p. 22), while the statement (p. 5) that the shrikes form a 

 link between other passerines and the birds of prey 

 would perhaps have been modified. R. L. 



How to Buy a Camera. By H. C. Shelley. Pp. xii 4- 144. 



The "How to Buy" Series. (London: George 



Newnes, Ltd., 1902.) Price is. 6d. net. 

 THERE are no doubt many people who would have con- 

 tinued to practise photography if they had had the advice 

 contained in this handy little volume. The amateur has 

 been, and is now, too often led to invest his money in a 

 camera the size and bulk of which renders it impossible 

 for him to carry it about and use except with great incon- 

 venience. The utility, and therefore the value, of a 

 camera to the average photographer is gauged by its 

 facility of erection, lightness and portability, and when 

 these qualities are combined with good workmanship in 

 every respect, photography becomes a pleasure. In the 

 present book, the author gives some very sound advice 

 to the would-be photographer, and he has not forgotten 

 to bear in mind the different sizes of pockets which have 

 to be considered. Chapters are devoted to each of the 

 principal items that the photographer requires, and the 

 author seems to have shown a very fair and impartial 

 judgment in his suggestions as to the best or most ser- 

 viceable articles to be purchased. A thorough perusal of 



NO. 1727, VOL. 67] 



this book will effectively help anyone who wishes to take 

 up this delightful subject, either as a hobby or as an aid 

 to some portion of his dailv work. 



Recent Advances in Science. By A. E. Ikin, B.Sc. 



Pp. 83. (London : Normal Correspondence College 



Press.) Price is. net. 

 According to the preface, this book has been written 

 mainly with the object of giving pupil teachers an 

 opportunity of obtaining some general information on 

 the advances made in the past ten or twelve years. Un- 

 fortunately, the author shows only a superficial knowledge 

 of his subject, and much of the information is in con- 

 sequence incorrect. A good deal of it is also out of 

 date, some of the inventions described having long since 

 passed out of use. It may also be objected that technical 

 terms are used much too freely in a book intended for 

 those having no technical knowledge. Mr. Ikin's object 

 in providing the pupil teacher with a sort of general 

 guide to modern scientific progress is a very laudable 

 one, but we fear it will not be realised by the book he 

 has written. A correct description, in non-technical 

 language, of present-day practice in the various branches 

 of applied science would be far more valuable than a 

 book such as this, which is likely, we fear, to do more 

 harm than good to its readers. M. S. 



Agricultural Industry and Education in Hungary. 

 Compiled by T. S. Dymond. Pp. 177; with 98 illus- 

 trations. (Chelmsford : John Dutton, 1902.) Price 

 2s. 6d. net. 

 This is an account of a visit, arranged under the auspices 

 of the Essex Technical Instruction Committee, made by 

 the Essex farmers' party to Hungary in May and June 

 of this year. The tour was conducted by Mr. Dymond, 

 the lecturer in agricultural chemistry in the Essex County 

 Technical Laboratories at Chelmsford. It would appear 

 from these pages that excellent results are likely to follow 

 the opportunities then given to Essex farmers to acquaint 

 themselves with agricultural methods in Hungary. The 

 visitors were impressed by the good farming, the 

 abundant grain and forage crops, the breeding of ex- 

 cellent horses and cattle, the organisation of agricultural 

 industries and the complete measures taken by the 

 State to foster agricultural improvements of every kind. 

 One of the pleasantest pieces of reading in the volume 

 is that describing the hearty welcome extended to the 

 party by the Hungarian authorities and people generally. 

 A guide book, edited by the Minister of Agriculture, con- 

 taining an itinerary of the journey planned under his 

 direction, and descriptions in English of Hungarian 

 agriculture, was, at Vienna, presented to each visitor. 

 The party was accompanied throughout the fortnight's 

 journey by Mr. Gyorgy, Dr. Gogerand Mr. Szilassy, who, 

 as Hungarian experts in agriculture, gave invaluable 

 assistance. 



Le Ciment Arme el ses Applications. By Marie-Auguste 

 Morel. Pp. 15S. (Paris: Masson et Cie., 1902.) 



This book, belonging to the well-known " Aide- 

 memoire" series, deals briefly with structures pro- 

 duced by the association of cement with iron or 

 steel, distributed in such a manner as to utilise to 

 the fullest extent the special characteristics of each. 

 The volume opens with a description of results ob- 

 tained in this field of work by numerous French en- 

 gineers. Among other matters dealt with are the 

 principal systems of applying this plan of construction 

 to floors, girders, arches and pillars, and the materials 

 employed. The book concludes with a set of mathe- 

 matical expressions for the forms of structure approved 

 by engineers. The text is simplified by the hundred 

 illustrations, which, with a few exceptions, are very 

 clear, and the book is provided with a bibliography. 



