NA TURE 



145 



PROF. GIGLIOLI'S COLLECTION ILLUS- 

 TRATING THE STONE AGE. 

 Matetiali per lo Studio dell a " Eta delta Pietra" dai 

 tempi preistorici all' epoca attuale. Origine e sviluppo 

 delta mia collezione. By Enrico Hillyer Giglioli. 

 Pp. 248. (Florence : S. Landi, 1901.) 



THE publication of a detailed description of the 

 private collection formed by Prof. Enrico Giglioli 

 is a welcome and important event, and one to which 

 students of archaeology and ethnology have long looked 

 forward. Even to those who have not enjoyed the 

 privilege of visiting Prof. Giglioli at home and seeing his 

 treasures, it has been known by many indications that a 

 scientific collection of no ordinary calibre was being 

 brought together by the energetic professor. The actual 

 wealth of material accumulated, as revealed by the 

 present publication, is, however, somewhat startling, and 

 one can but admire the perseverance and success with 

 which he has pursued his hobby. One must refer to his 

 studies and investigations in the fields of archaeology and 

 ethnology as a hobby, since Prof. Giglioli is a zoologist by 

 profession, his official time being occupied in his pro- 

 fessorial duties and his work as director of the important 

 Zoological Museum in Florence. His private collection 

 and the studies connected with it are the results of his 

 leisure time labours, and one may readily infer that he 

 has never indulged in that doubtful luxury "an idle 

 moment." "Chi vive lavorando non ha mai tempo ab- 

 bastanza," he laments, but he has utilised his available 

 time to the utmost, by methodically devoting his day- 

 time to zoology and his evenings to his collection. In 

 the formation of his very extensive collection, he has 

 kept always in view the definite object with which in 

 1883 he commenced to collect. His primary aim has 

 been throughout to elucidate so far as possible the " Age 

 of Stone" by means of comparative study ; and to this 

 end it has been his endeavour to secure as complete a 

 collection as possible of objects illustrating, not only the 

 life and arts of prehistoric Stone-age man in all countries, 

 but also the conditions of culture of recent savage and 

 barbaric races, whose developmental progress has from 

 various causes been arrested or retarded, and who, there- 

 fore, may be regarded as survivals from various early 

 stages in the general development of the human race. 

 The bringing together of archaeological and ethnological 

 material into close association for purposes of scientific 

 study, to the end that the specimens in the one class may 

 serve to elucidate those in the other, has now long been 

 recognised as of the greatest scientific value. Colonel 

 Lane Fox and Mr. Blackmore were early pioneers in this 

 field of inquiry, and the lessons which they taught still 

 hold good and are increasingly appreciated. 



Prof. Giglioli's publication is primarily a descriptive 

 guide to his private collection, drawn up methodically 

 under geographical headings and subheadings. The work 

 is, however, more than a mere detailed catalogue, as its 

 scientific value is enhanced by a running commentary of 

 considerable interest to the archaeological and ethnological 

 student. While approving the general form and scope of 



NO. 1729, VOL. 67] 



the work, one cannot but note one serious defect, tending 

 greatly to reduce the utility of this otherwise valuable 

 guide. There is no index to contents. A work of this 

 nature should certainly be furnished with a good index ; 

 it should, in fact, be doubly indexed, on the one hand 

 under geographical, and on the other under subject head- 

 ings. The labour of producing the index would be well 

 repaid by the appreciation with which this important 

 feature would be received, and we may still hope that 

 the author will issue an index in full which may be bound 

 up with the work. There are several very fair illustra- 

 tions in the text. It would be impossible within the 

 limits of a short notice to give an idea of the richness of 

 this collection. Many of the rarer objects are represented 

 by good series, as, for instance, the New Zealand hei 

 tiki, of which there are ten of nephrite, one, perhaps 

 unique, of diorite, and others of bone. There are no 

 fewer than 177 toki or stone adzes from the same region. 

 Witness also the remarkable series of hafted stone axes 

 from South America and the thirty-two ceremonial adzes 

 with elaborately carved handles from Mangaia. Among 

 the less rare forms, the numbers run high, and there are 

 no less than 325 stone adzes and chisels from the New 

 Guinea region. Both the art of war and the arts and 

 industries of peace are well illustrated. Many of the un- 

 common localities which are included in the very com- 

 prehensive list of carefully localised specimens are but 

 very rarely represented in even the more important 

 museums, a fact which would of itself place this collection 

 in the front rank. In his descriptions, Prof. Giglioli has 

 given brief notes upon the races and tribes dealt with 

 their geographical position. &c. Wherever possible, he 

 has given the native names of the objects, and details as 

 to manufacture and other points of interest are touched 

 upon, rendering the work (especially if indexed) a valuable 

 book of reference to ethnologists and collectors. 



One may readily endorse the hopes expressed by the 

 maker of this remarkable collection that it may eventually 

 find a permanent home in a public museum and be pre- 

 served in its entirety. It would be almost a crime to 

 allow the dispersal of a collection so complete and so 

 systematically and laboriously brought together. 



EXPLOSION MOTORS. 

 Les Moteurs d Explosion. By G. Moreau. Pp. xii -t- 



444. (Paris : Libraire Polytechnique, Ch. Beranger, 



1900.) 

 Theorie des Moteurs a Gas. By G. Moreau. Pp. 224. 



(Paris : Ch. Beranger, 1902.) 



THE extraordinary developments which have attended 

 the application of explosion engines to motor 

 vehicles, and the rapidity with which the constructors of 

 these light and powerful engines have carried their de- 

 signs well within measure of practical perfection, forms 

 one of the most noteworthy achievements of modern 

 engineering. 



The time has, however, arrived when practice must 

 be tempered with a sound knowledge of theory, in 

 order that further advances along the existing lines of 

 construction may be achieved. 



With this object in view, M. Moreau has compiled two 



H 



