September 12. [918 



VATURE 



is .1 valuable contribution, l>\ Capt. A. W. Hill, to 



our knowledge of a genus which yields two drugs 



ich importance as strychnine and brucine. A 



1 communication on the study of plant dis- 



eases is embodied in Mr. W. 15. Brierley's account 



of th the fungus Botrytis cinerea in 



ng the death of .1 tree ol [esculus Pavia in 



the Royal Botanii Gardens. There are also si 



articles embodying the results of the systematic 



lical work oi the Kew Herbarium; and a short 



1 1 «•!! the ilora of the 



Somme battlefield (abridged in Nature of Feb- 



i| last). \ number of miscellaneous notes 



in items of economic or general or spei ial 



il interest. 



THE M I/' IS 1 NEW EDUCATIONAL 

 IXSI Rl WENT. 



.1/ii/> Work. By Major V. Seymour Bryant and 

 Lieut. T. 11. Hughes. Pp. 174. (Oxford: At 

 the Clarendon Press, uiiS.i Price 5-s. net. 



\FTER reading through "Map Work," one is 

 drawn back irresistibly to the Introduction, 

 in which the authors direct attention to the great 

 ' .ilue of map work both in its utilitarian and its 

 educational aspects, and put forward a convincing 

 claim for its inclusion in the school curriculum. 

 Even in the narrow work of the school itself it 

 provides material for the better understanding of 

 mathematics, geography, and history, the last- 

 named being a subject which demands a much 

 greatet appreciation ol the relief map than is 

 usually conceded; it gives exercise in the various 

 branches of "drawing," and lastly it gives a 

 rational and legitimate stimulus for the getting of 

 11 j . 



In a wiiler sense it provides a congenial method 

 of education to many for whom the ordinary 

 1 subjects hold little that is attractive when 

 the period of adolescence is reached ; and now 

 that we are soon to he fared with a considerable 

 influx of adolescents drawn from schools of widely/ 

 differing aims and attainments, and where the 

 examinational aspect ol the various subjects has 

 not been catered for to any great extent, it will 

 be hecesary in open up new avenues of attractive- 

 ness, and map work is certainly one of those that 

 should have serious consideration. 



Finally, there is the question of the understand- 

 ing of the landscape by the ordinary layman, 

 dly this is held to lie the domain of the 

 artist. The foreground can he made to fit the 

 map by most people, but the background is too 

 often "blue hills" or "purple mountains," inter- 

 esting; as part of a picture, but otherwise a form- 

 less and meaningless confusion. 



Map-making, in conjunction with the seemingly 

 difficult, though really simple, art of panorama- 

 hing, should provide a sun method of intro- 

 ducing lorni and meaning into the landscape. 



The principal aim of "Map Work" is to teach 

 map-reading bj means ol map-making. Generally 

 .ins,'-, it bridges the gulf 1h.1t exists bet" 

 NO. 2550, VOL. I02] 



the very elementary work of the practical geo- 

 ihies on on md the technical 



ttises of tlm profi ona surveyor and map- 

 maker on the other. It is suitable for O.T.C.'s 

 and cadet units and for the Oxford Senior Locals, 

 but its value to the get nt is very great 



.!. Only the topographical map is dealt 

 with, more especially the Ordnance map, but 

 every aspect of this map is adequately and con- 

 1 isely treated, with special chapters on the various 

 methods of surveying, map enlargement, field- 

 sketching, and panorama-sketching. The appen- 

 dices, which are of considerable length, give an 

 excellent scheme of practical work with much 

 valuable information on the use of materials and 

 the making and use of apparatus. The whole has 

 been read by Col. Close, of the Ordnan* e 

 Survey, and is full of practical suggestions. 



There is one further suggestion that might be 

 made in regard to setting the map by the sun. If 

 the pin or pencil used to cast the shadow be held 

 in angle, approximately that of the latitude, 

 a better result is obtained than by holding it ver- 

 tically. E. J. Orford. 



OUR BOOKSHELF. 

 Flora of the Presidency of Madras. By J. S. 



(iambic. Part ii. Pp. 201-390. (London : 



Adlard and Son and West Newman, Ltd., 



1918.) Price 8s. net. 

 The second part of the flora of the Presidency of 

 Madras has followed fairly soon on the first, and, 

 like its predecessor, has been very carefully pre- 

 pared. The natural families dealt with are all 

 those from the Celastra?cae to the end of the Papi- 

 lionatae sub-family of the Leguminosae. 



As with the previous part, there Is a careful 

 description of each natural family, including 

 details of fruits and seeds, and this is followed by 

 a key to the various genera. . Each genus likewise 

 is furnished with a full description and followed 

 by a thoroughly comprehensive key to the 

 several species. These specific keys, together 

 with the ample generic description, convey so 

 much information about the different plants that 

 only a line or two of description are needed under 

 each species in addition to the particulars about 

 its habitat, local name. etc. 



The flora, it will lie noticed, contains several 

 new species which have been discovered by Mr. 

 Gamble in his re-examination of the material at 

 his command. The majority of the new species 

 have been previously described iii the Ke-w Bul- 

 letin. 



The war has naturally hampered the preparation 

 of the flora, and unfortunately prevented 

 valuable Madras collections from being senl home 

 lor examination. For this second part, however, 

 the Calcutta specimens have been available, as 

 well as the extensive collections at Kev and else- 

 where. 



For the third part Mr. Gamble pro] oses to work 

 nh the material available in this country, 



