DECEMBER 10, 1903] 
NATURE 
125 
attention to the fact that since the inauguration of 
this process its product has been distinctly eclipsed by 
steels manufactured in several famous Sheffield works. 
Mr. Woodworth’s book has been written by an able 
man, thoroughly interested in his craft, and it is to be 
hoped that it will find its way into the hands of a 
large number of British artisans. 
J. O. ARNOLD. 
OUR BOOK SHELF. 
Macedonian Folklore. By G. F. Abbott, M.A. 
xii+372. (Cambridge: University Press, 1903.) 
Tuts somewhat dainty little volume on Macedonian 
folklore, with its blue and white binding, will be 
welcomed by many readers, first, because the print 
and paper are good, and next, because the work is 
pleasantly written, and every paragraph is of interest. 
The results collected in the work before us by Mr. 
G. F. Abbott, of Emmanuel College, Cambridge, are 
the fruits of a series of researches into the folklore of 
the Greek-speaking parts of Macedonia, carried on by 
the author under the auspices of the electors to the 
Prendergast studentship of the governing body of 
Emmanuel College, Cambridge, and there can be no 
doubt that the materials here gathered together amply 
justify the selection of Mr. Abbott for his mission by 
the powers that be. : 
The reader or student who is familiar with the sound 
and solid work of Prof. E. B. Tylor, and the wonderful 
volumes of his friendly rival, Mr. J. G. Frazer, will 
not expect to find in this monograph the vast know- 
ledge and mature thought which are so characteristic 
of the works of these eminent scholars, but it is 
pleasant to see that the influence of both of them is 
visible in Mr. Abbott’s treatise, and we therefore look 
forward to other works from his pen with confidence. 
““Macedonian Folklore ’’ contains nineteen chapters, 
Bpe 
six appendices, and an index; the last-named section is | ; : eds . 
| book or be given in a preliminary demonstration. 
very short, and we think it should have been made 
fuller. After a short description of the sources of the 
facts which he prints, and a narrative of some amusing 
personal experiences, Mr. Abbott proceeds to deal with 
the folklore of the Macedonian year, which he treats 
in four chapters. Many of the saws are familiar 
enough to us in other forms, but there are several 
auguries and prophecies about the weather which are 
worthy of note for comparative purposes. 
The section on divination is of considerable interest, 
and it seems that the Macedonians divine by means of 
coffee, instead of by tea as Europeans in the west do. 
The expert will have no difficulty in tracing a connec- 
tion between some of the divination practices here de- 
scribed with those of many nations, but there are 
many which have no parallels among other peoples, 
so far as we know, and these, of course, form one of 
the most valuable parts of Mr. Abbott’s book. 
The chapters on birth, marriage, and funeral rites 
are lengthy, but very interesting, and the numerous | 
extracts which we have from the songs of the people 
enable us to judge of the accuracy of the deductions | 
set forth in them. The original Greek is given, in all 
cases, with an English translation, and this plan is a 
handy one and one to be commended. We cannot refer 
to details, for want of space forbids, and we therefore 
pass on to mention the chapters on Alexander the 
Great and Philip in folk-tradition, to the series of pretty 
bird-legends which are printed on pp. 291-294, to notes 
on the game of morra, fire-ordeal, the perils of por- 
traiture, &c., and to the collections of riddles, mystic 
poems, love-couplets, &c., which bring the book to an 
end. Mr. Abbott’s contribution to the science of 
NO. 1780, VOL. 69] 
Macedonian folklore is opportune, and the modesty of 
the work and the care with which it has been per- 
fermed merit praise. 
Practical Physics for Schools. _1. Mensuration, 
Mechanics, and Hydrostatics. Pp. 72. II. Light 
and Heat. Pp. 79. By C. J. L. Wagstaff, M.A., 
and G. C. Bloomer, B.A. (Cambridge: W. Heffer 
and Sons, 1903.) Price 1s. 6d. each. 
Tue authors say in their preface that these notes have 
been used for the teaching of practical physics at the 
Bradford Grammar School during the last three years, 
and the presumption is that experience has proved their 
usefulness and suitability. An examination of the 
volumes, however, suggests that the notes have in 
practice probably been supplemented by judicious 
additions by the teachers, or the results of the instruc- 
tion would have been less satisfactory. The volumes. 
contain no illustrations to show pictorially the arrange- 
ments of the apparatus described ; one page only seems. 
to be devoted to the plotting of curves, and on this 
page there is by no means enough explanation to ex- 
plain to a young student the method and meaning of 
such graphic representation; and, more than this, 
under the section Boyle’s law, the pupil is instructed 
to plot a curve connecting P and 1/V, and in another 
place to plot a curve connecting the square root of 
the length of a pendulum and the time of swing, 
though the only remarks on curve plotting, instead of 
preceding these instructions, follow in another experi-— 
ment. In several places, too, the verbal instructions 
seem inadequate to the needs of beginners. In de- 
scribing the screw gauge the authors content them- 
selves by saying that the zero error must be ascertained 
carefully, and give no directions as to how this should 
be done. The account of the vernier is similarly too 
brief. To secure the best results in a physical labor- 
atory the student should be in possession of directions 
explicit enough to avoid the waste of time caused by 
waiting for the master to arrive to clear up a difficulty, 
and these directions should be obtainable from the 
Notwithstanding the remark of the authors that ex- 
perimental work in sound is only suitable for a later 
stage, there are many experiments in this branch of 
physics that interest young people and are understood 
by them. On the whole, however, the course is com- 
prehensive and generally in accordance with the ex- 
perience of good laboratory practice. 
Flora of the Upper Gangetic Plain and of Adjacent 
Siwalik and Subhimalayan Tracts. Vol. i., part i- 
By J. F. Duthie, B.A., F.L.S. Pp. xvii + 403- 
(Calcutta : Office of the Department of Government 
Printing, 1903.) Price 15s. 
Ir is only by a very liberal interpretation of the term 
that this bool can be referred to as a local flora, seeing 
that it deals with an area of 196,000 square miles, 
which includes not only the North-West Provinces up 
to the Subhimalayan slopes, but extends southwards 
to the Vindhaya Mountains, and thus takes in portions 
of some dependent States. But as a comparative term, 
when contrasted with Sir J. Hooker’s ‘‘ Flora of 
British India,’”? the expression has been applied both 
to this flora and also to Dr. T. Cooke’s ‘‘ Flora of the 
Bombay Presidency.’? A very satisfactory feature of 
the book is the facility which is offered for obtaining 
information quickly and easily. A synopsis of the 
natural orders is given, arranged on principles similar 
to those which are so well known from Hooker’s 
‘* Student’s Flora,” arrangement being based primarily 
on the characters of the ovary. For each order and 
genus full descriptions and determining keys are pro- 
vided, and for the species references, synonyms, locality 
