374 
entitled ‘Die Mechanik des Geisteslebens,” in 
which the modern theory of neurons is brought to 
bear upon a wide range of nervous and psychical 
processes, from memory and will to fatigue, sug- 
gestion, and hypnosis. Among other works of 
this series we may mention a charming volume 
on the origin of the universe and the earth ac- 
cording to legend and science, by M. B. Wein- 
stein; several anatomical volumes by K. von Bar- 
deleben; a useful volume on the microscope by 
Prof. W. Scheffer; a book on radium by Dr. 
Centnerszwer; some volumes on steam and heat 
engines by Prof. Vater; and a very readable and 
up-to-date volume on aeronautics, ‘Die Luft- 
fahrt,” by Dr. R. Nimfihr. 
(3) The ‘“ Naturwissenschaftliche Bibliothek” is 
frankly intended for juvenile readers. The books 
are very attractively produced, and some of them 
leave nothing to be desired as regards simplicity 
and clearness. This is notably the case in Hahn’s 
“Chemisches Experimentierbuch” and _ Heller’s 
“Das Aquarium.” Otto Krieger’s “Wie ernahrt 
sich die Pflanze?” is well written, but more 
adapted to adults, and this may be said more 
emphatically of Gothan’s ‘“Vorgeschichte der 
Pflanzen” and Reukauf’s “ Mikroskopische Klein- 
welt unsrer Gewasser.”” The special volumes on 
aquatic insects (Ulmer), bees and wasps (Scholz), 
and singing birds (Voigt) are very readable books, 
without any striking or original features. 
(4) Messrs. Tempsky’s manuals are intended 
for the various stages of the gymnasien, madchen- 
gymnasien, realschulen and realgymnasien of the 
complex German and Austrian system of second- 
ary education. In some of them, such as Graber’s 
“Leitfaden der K6rperlehre und Tierkunde,”’ 
coloured plates are judiciously supplemented by 
colouring specially important illustrations in the 
text, an innovation which deserves to be more 
widely adopted. The volumes form a highly credit- 
able set of schoolbooks, covering geology, miner- 
alogy, botany, zoology, chemistry, and hygiene. 
Unlike the other three series, they are printed 
in Roman type. 
OUR BOOKSHELF. 
Veroffenilichungen Preussischen 
des Kéniglich 
Meteorologischen Instituts, No. 273. Beitrage 
zur Geschichte der Meteorologie. Von G. 
Helinann Nr wi—5. Pp. 148. \ (Berime 
Behrend and Co., 1914.) Price 5 marks. 
FoR many years past meteorological bibliography 
has been greatly enriched by the laborious and 
painstaking researches of Prof. G. Hellmann on 
the origin of observations and instruments. The 
volume now before us forms No. 273 of the 
“Publications of the Royal Prussian Meteoro- 
logical Institute,’’ and contains five contributions, 
NO. 2328, VOL, 03) 
NATURE 
| 
( 
(JUNE“I1;. 19m4 
the first of which occupies ninety-eight quarto 
paves, with many facsimile extracts and plates, 
and refers to the reign of astro-meteorology. A 
masterly account is given of the extraordinary 
literary controversy caused all over Europe by 
J. Stéffler’s prediction of a deluge in February, 
1524, due to an unusual number of conjunctions 
of the planets in the Constellation Pisces. This 
prediction was contained in the Almanach nova, 
published at Ulm in 1499, with ephemerides in 
great detail down to 1531 (thirty-two years in 
advance). Needless to say, the prophecy was not 
fulfilled ; some of the astrologers maintained, how- 
ever, that it was correct in: theory, and the Arab 
doctrines required amendment to take into account 
the promise made to Noah. The two following 
articles refer to the oldest meteorological obser- 
vations in Germany (Hanover, 1678), and the 
oldest printed description of aurora borealis (1527), 
both of which dates are a few years earlier than 
previously stated. These are followed by a first 
attempt at arranging the combined literature of 
meteorology and theology, in so far as the titles 
give aclue to the contents, e.g. special sermons, 
etc. The last contribution is a very interestirg 
account of the predecessors of the Mannheim 
Meteorological Society (1780-95), the first really 
successful establishment of an_ international 
meteorological system of observations. The first 
attempt was due to Ferdinand II, Grand Duke of 
Tuscany, about 1654. 
Photography in Colours. A Text-book for 
Amateurs and Students of Physics: with a 
Chapter on Kinematography in the Colours of 
Nature. By Dr. G: \L.” Johnson) sSecend 
edition. Pp. xv+243. (London: George Rout- 
ledge and Sons, Ltd., 1914.) Price 3s. 6d. net, 
A REVIEW of the first edition of Dr. Johnson’s 
book will be found in the issue of Nature for 
February 23, 1911 (vol. lxxxv., p. 539). The volume 
has been subjected to a thorough revision. Most 
of the best-known colour processes are described ; 
an extra chapter has been added dealing with the 
“Utocolor”’ process of printing in colour direct 
from colour photographs; and an outline of 
modern views as to the nature of light and colour 
is now included. 
Poems of Human Progress and Other Pieces: 
including One Hundred and Fifteen Sonnets. 
By J. H. West. Pps xii-328)) (Boston ime 
Tufts College Press Publishers, 1914.) Price 
1.50 dollars. 
Tue first of Mr. West’s poems, ‘‘ Man’s Triumph- 
Era,” was the Phi Beta Kappa poem read at 
Tufts College, in 1906, at a meeting of the Delta 
Chapter of Massachusetts, and depicts a walk with 
college men, with discourse on human progress. 
The second extended effort, ‘““The Epic of Man,” 
was read in 1908 in Boston, at the annual conven- 
tion of the Free Religious Association of America. 
The poems and sonnets may be commended as 
affording a favourable example cf contemporary 
American verse. 
