160 
NALORE 
[June 15. 1899 
Councils of Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Dorsetshire, and Hamp- 
shire, subsidies being granted by these bodies to the College to 
meet the expenses. The experiments were chiefly concerned 
with manuring and the rotation of crops, and furnished results 
which ought to be useful to farmers. Only one disease of 
cultivated crops, the “ finger-and-toe,” appears to have been 
attacked. Experiments on the cultivation of the sugar-beet in 
the neighbourhood of Reading gave good results. We notice 
that the staff of the College engaged on the field experimental 
work comprised two lecturers in agriculture, a lecturer in 
chemistry, an assistant chemist, a lecturer in geology and 
meteorology, and the director of the agricultural department, 
but no botanist or entomologist. 
MAny admirers of Tyndall’s writings will be pleased to know 
that the volume entitled ‘‘ Hours of Exercise in the Alps,” 
which has been out of print for some years—the last edition 
(the third) having appeared so far back as 1873—-has been re- 
printed. Many adventures in the Alps and elsewhere are 
narrated therein, and the volume has as much freshness and 
vigour now as ever it had. Messrs. Longmans, Green, and 
Co. are the publishers. 
A NEW volume of the ‘‘ Year-Book of the Scientific and 
Learned Societies of Great Britain and Ireland” has just been 
published by Messrs. Charles Griffin and Co. The volume con- 
tains, not only particulars as to officers, meetings, and member- 
ship of learned societies, but also lists of papers read before, or 
published by, every Society of importance throughout the 
kingdom during 1898. Asa convenient work of reference, the 
volume only needs to be known to be used. 
THE current number of the Phofogram contains as a supple- 
ment a very excellent reproduction of a snow scene, entitled 
“* A Winter’s Night,” on special rough velox paper. The same 
number also contains the spectrum of iron and the solar com- 
parison (on a slightly reduced scale), which has recently been 
obtained direct 9n a film thirty inches long at one exposure at 
the Solar Physics Observatory, South Kensington. 
As Rugby was the first of the Public Schools to afford facilities 
for the study of science, we look to the Natural History Society 
of the School for a good report ; and the one just issued is not 
disappointing. A prize essay, by Mr. P. H. Bahr, on ‘‘ The 
Birds of Staffordshire and North Wales,” is included in the 
report, together with reports on the work of various sections, 
and Mr. G. M. Seabroke’s report on the observations made at 
the Temple Observatory in 1898. 
THE course of study in technical electricity, arranged by M. 
Eric Gerard for the Montefiore Electro-technical Institute of 
the University of Liége, formed the basis of a volume of 
‘*Lecons sur l’Electricité ” written by M. Gerard, and published 
several years ago by MM. Gauthier Villars et Fils. The first 
volume of the sixth edition of this work has just been received. 
The subjects dealt with are the theory of electricity and mag- 
netism, electro-magnetic induction, electrical measurements, 
thermo-electricity, dynamo-electric machines, transformers and 
alternating currents. Many changes have necessarily been made 
in order to include some of the more important inyentions and 
discoveries of the past few years. The volume now runs into 
819 pp., and is illustrated with 388 figures. 
MAny practical hints for photographers are given by Dr. E. 
Vogel in his ‘t Taschenbuch der praktischen Photographie,” the 
sixth revised and enlarged edition of which has just been pub- 
lished by the frm of Gustav Schmidt, Berlin. Among the 
additions to the volume is a description of the preparation of, 
and printing with, potassium bichromate paper (Gummidruck). 
Concise notes on the materials and methods available for the 
production of good negatives and various kinds of prints form a 
NO. 1546, VOL. 60] 
characteristic of this photographer's pocket-book. —Another pho- 
tographic publication just published by the firm of Gustav 
Schmidt is a new part of the fourth edition of the late Dr. H. 
W. Vogel’s ‘‘Handbuch der Photographie,” edited by P. 
Hanneke. The subject of the new section is photographic 
printing by different kinds of processes. 
“*PicruRE Taking and Picturing Making” is the title of a 
neat and clearly printed little book of 115 pages, published by 
the Eastman Kodak Company. The object of this guide, as 
we may call it, is not to deluge the reader with theories and 
technicalities of photographic optics and formule, but to state 
clearly the main features regarding the production of good 
negatives, prints, and lantern slides. Parts of the book are 
somewhat familiar, in that they have appeared in the small 
Kodak manual ; but the reader will find much that is new and 
useful. Needless to say, there are numerous and well-reproduced 
illustrations. 
In the ‘‘ Year-Book of Photography and Amateurs’ Guide” 
the reader will find that the 650 pages of which it is composed 
contain a mine of information that should be of the greatest 
service to the photographer, whether he be amateur or pro- 
fessional. The five sections of the book, which bring before 
us progress and practice, being a collection of helpful articles 
by practical photographers, the tourists’ companion and holiday 
guide from the photographic point of view, winter work, facts 
and formulz, and, lastly, novelties of the year, contain useful 
and valuable information suitable for every one. Not less im- 
portant is the collection of fine reproductions from negatives, 
on many different subjects, taken with several kinds of cameras 
and shutters, which lends an additional charm to this year’s 
volume. The author has succeeded in presenting his readers 
with, not only an interesting volume to read, but one that 
should be at the side of every amateur for reference. 
A SECOND edition of ‘‘ The Aborigines of Tasmania,” by Mr. 
H. Ling Roth, has been published by Messrs. F. King and Sons, 
Halifax. Ina supplementary note to the preface, Prof. E. B. 
Tylor points out that since the publication of the first edition, 
nine years ago, noteworthy progress has been made in the an- 
thropological study of,the Tasmanians. He adds, ‘‘ That these 
rude savages remained within the present century representatives 
of the immensely ancient Paleolithic period, has become an 
admitted fact. . . . That the workmanship of the Tasmanians 
may be generally taken as below that of the Palzolithic Drift 
and Cave men, is apparent from the absence of any Tasmanian 
implement comparable to the symmetrical pointed picks worked 
on both sides, characteristic of the Mammoth Period in Europe.” 
The additional information and figures referring to the position 
of the Tasmanians in the history of the human race make Mr. 
Ling Roth’s volume of exceptional interest to students of 
anthropology. 
THE additions to the Zoological Society’s Gardens during the 
past week include a Sooty Mangabey (Cercocebus fuliginosus, 2 ) 
from West Africa, presented by Mr. G. Le Tantt; a Bonnet 
Monkey (Macacus sinicus,9) from India, presented by Mrs. 
C. Tarrant ; two Slender Loris (Zors graczls) from Ceylon, 
presented by Mr. Stanley S. Flower; a Leopard (fe/zs 
pardus, ) from Ceylon, presented by Mr. Edward Booth; a 
Black-backed Jackal (Canis mesomedas) from South Africa, pre- 
sented by Mr. David D. Keith; a Two-spotted Paradoxure 
(Nandinia binotata) from West Africa, presented by Mr. 
Arthur Knights; a Vervet Monkey (Cercopithecus Jalandit) 
from South Africa, presented by Mr. G. Marson; a Brown 
Gannet (Su/a deucogastra) from Accra, presented by Miss 
Williams; a White-backed Piping Crow (Gymnorhina leuconota) 
from Australia, presented by Mr. G. T. Harris ; two Common 
Vipers ( Vipera bervus) from Hampshire, presented by Mr. Chas. 
