366 
gratitude of 
group by The 
editors of ‘* Das are to be congratulated 
on the latest addition to the exceedingly useful series 
of monographs issued under their direction. 
Win Ate (Ge 
and he has earned the 
the 
Tierreich ’ 
time to come, 
all students of its publication. 
OUR BOOK SHELF. 
Incubation, or the Cure of Disease in Pagan Temples 
and Christian Churches. By Mary Hé milton. Pp. 
223. (London: W. C. Henderson and Son; Simp- 
kin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent and Co., 1906.) 
Price 5s. net. 
“In the ancient science of divination, 
methods were commonly practised. 
four working 
Revelations of 
the future were deduced from natural portents, from 
the flight of birds, from the entrails of sacrificial 
victims, or from dreams. Incubation was the 
by which men sought to entice such dreams.”’ 
These sentences from the introduction indicate the 
substance of this work. The bool is divided into 
three parts :—(1) incubation in pagan temples, e.g. 
the cult of Asklepios at Epidauros, Rome, Athens, 
&c., and at the Oracles, Amphiaraos, and others; 
(2) incubation in Christian churches during the 
Middle Ages; and (3) the practice of incubation during 
modern times in Italy, Austria, Greece, and the 
Greek islands. Translations are given of the various 
stele which describe the cures wrought and_ the 
methods employed in procuring them. The _ bools 
forms a useful summary of the subject, valuable both 
to archeologists and to historians of medicine. 
methoc 
Manual of Wireless Telegraphy. By A. F. Collins. 
Pp. x+232. (New York: John Wiley and Sons; 
London: Chapman and Hall, Ltd., 1906.) Price 
6s. 6d. net. 
Tue present writer ventured to suggest, in an article 
in Narure a short time ago, that with the publication 
of a really standard book on any particular branch of 
electricity the issue of further literature on the same 
subject should cease. If this recommendation had 
been adopted the present volume would never have 
seen the light. It does not profess to be anything 
more than a manual specially adapted for those who 
are, or desire to become, wireless telegraph operators. 
There are already numerous books covering almost 
identically the same ground, and we are of opinion 
that the useful information contained in any of them 
could be much more effectively learnt in an hour’s 
practical instruction. Compared with other books 
of its kind, it may be pronounced a favourable speci- 
though a trifle too American for our 
men. The style, 
taste, is simple, and the diagrams are numerous and 
clear. The illustrations are also plentiful and well 
reproduced. A list of stations and ships equipped on 
the various systems forms a distinct feature of the 
book, which will probably remain up to date for a few 
weeks longer. Mois: 
Catalogue of the Lepidoptera Phalaenae in the British 
Museum. Vol. vi., Noctuidee. Pp. xiv+532; pls. 
XCVi-CVil. (London': Printed by order of the 
Trustees, 1906.) Price 25s 
Tue present volume is the third of those devoted to 
the great family Noctuidae, and includes the subfamily 
Cucullianee, with 111 genera and 693 species, a con- 
siderable number of both genera and species being 
described as new. In addition to the coloured plates 
there are 172 plain illustrations in the text, generally 
representing the body and left wings of a specimen, 
the right wings being denuded of scales to show the 
neuration, To the right of this again is the outline 
NO. 1946, VOL. 75| 
NATURE 
[ FEBRUARY I4, 1907 
of the thoracic crest and head in profile, the latter 
showing an antenna, eye, palpus, &c. The first text 
figure, “however , represents the larva of Cucullia ver- 
basci. Opposite p. 2 is a large table, showing the 
relationship of the genera regarded as belonging to 
the Cucullianze with one another. The general ar- 
rangement and character of this volume differ little 
from those which have preceded it. Full tables are 
given of genera and species, and the descriptions are 
quite sufficiently long for most practical purposes. 
Brief notices of larvae and food plants are added, when 
known. 
It is very creditable to alf concerned that this im- 
portant work should be carried on so steadily, a 
volume appearing about every two years. It may be 
interesting to notice the dates of the prefaces of each 
of the six volumes already published :—Vol. i. (Syn- 
tomida), September 30, 1898; vol. ii. (Arctiadz : 
Nolina, Lithosiane), January 20, 1900; vol. iii. 
(Arctiada : Arctiana, and Agaristida), June 20, 1901; 
vol iv. (Noctuidae: Agrotina), June 20, 1903; vol. \ 
(Noctuidae: Hadeninae), February 24, 1905; vol. vi. 
(Noctuidae: Cucullianas), November 1, 1906. 
Die meteorologischen Elemente und ihre Beobacht- 
ung, mit Ausblicken auf Witterungskunde und 
Klimalehre. By Otto Meissner. p. vito94; with 
33 illustrations. (Leipzig u. Berln: B. G. 
‘Teubner.) 
Tis very useful text-bools, intended for higher schools 
and for self-instruction, forms part vi., vol. ii. , of the 
collection of scientific treatises published ‘by O. 
Schmeil and W. B. Schmidt. It explains the physical 
laws necessary for clearly understanding meteor- 
ological processes and apparatus, and contains 
valuable footnotes, together with the derivation of all 
technical terms employed in the text. Many points, 
such as the difference between periodical and non- 
periodical oscillations of meteorological elements, 
‘variability ” of temperature, the use of the cloud- 
mirror, &c., which are frequently puzzling to ob- 
servers, and are generally only dealt with in treatises 
of greater pretensions, are made quite clear by means 
of examples. We recommend the perusal of the worls 
to any meteorological students who are acquainted 
with the German language. 
The Treatment of Diseases of the Digestive System. 
By Prof. Robert Saundby. Pp. viii+133. (London : 
Charles Griffin and Co., Ltd., 1906.) Price 3s. 
net. 
Tus unpretentious little boolk will serve to bring 
before the practitioner the salient points in the 
diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the digestive 
tract. The dose of bismuth in many cases might 
be larger; useful drugs such as salol, bismuth sali- 
cylate, and ipecacuanha are not mentioned; and no 
precautions are detailed in the use of thymol in 
ankylostomiasis. Otherwise the teaching throughout 
seems to be sound and commonsense. 
The Plants of New South Wales. By W. A. Dixon. 
Pp. xxxiv+322. (Sydney: Angus and Robertson, 
1906.) Price 6s. net. 
Tuts is a handy little book providing a compact guide 
for naming flowers in the field by means of analytical 
tables on similar lines to Gremli’s well-known flora 
of Switzerland, but localities are omitted. The author 
lays stress on the extensive use made of vegetative 
characters for identification, with which there can only 
be entire agreement so long as the characters are 
determinative. 
While a condensed guide of this kind is of the 
greatest service for carrying about, sooner or later 
the botanist is sure to require a flora giving fuller 
