
Sept. 7, 1871 | 
NATURE 
365 

diculare or lamina papyracea. Putting aside the references 
elsewhere made to this point in the course of the descrip- 
tions of the bone, we must praise the very full account 
that is given of its relations in the different classes of 
birds, proving not only that the means of investigation 
at Dr. Magnus’s disposal are extensive, but that he has 
made excellent use of them. 
As an example of the second point, on which we have 
ventured to criticise Dr. Magnus’s work, we may refer to 
the entire section on the bone to which he has applied the 
term Paukenbein, or Tympanic, bone, which, in part at 
least, corresponds to Mr. Parker's Basi-temporal, and the 
relations of which the latter writer has worked out so well. 
Its nature is essentially misunderstood by Dr. Magnus, 
who appears to have drawn his conclusions from heads 
examined at too late a period of development, whilst he 
scarcely makes any reference to its homologies, so im- 
portant in determining a difficult and disputed relation of 
this kind. He Ps 



OUR BOOK SHELF 
The Elements of Plane and Solid Geometry. By H.W. 
Waison, M.A. (Longmans, Green, and Co.) 
THIS is one more Text-book of Geometry. It adopts com- 
pletely the gereral principles of the geometrical reformers 
in England, in the classification of the rems according 
to their subjects, the free use of super-position, the sepa- 
ration of problems from theorems, the art from the science, 
and the avowedly arithmetical treatment of proportion. 
It is distinguished from most that have preceded it by 
its greater length, especially in its treatment of ratios, 
by its somewhat wider range of illustration, and its com- 
prehending the elements of solid geometry. But the book 
is disappointing. A well-trained and well-read mathema- 
tician, with plenty of experience in teaching, and we 
imagine plenty of leisure tor writing, ought to turn out a 
better book. Ina text-book which does not profess to be 
original in its matter, the arrangement and manner are of 
the first importance ; and in both these respects the book 
in our judgment fails, and fails openly. The large num- 
ber of miscellaneous propositions with which several of 
the books open give a reil confusion to the whole volume. 
And it would be easy, if space permitted, to show that 
the arrangement is unnarural in some important points. 
Moreover, some of the demonstrations are very inelegant, 
such as Book [., pp. 11, 17, and Book II., pp. 12, 13; in- 
deed the latter pair are more than inelegant. 
On the who e, therefore, we believe that the book before 
us, though not without merit, is not a very valuable addi- 
tion to geometrical reform. It seems to show very clearly 
what the re‘ormers must aim at, and take infinite pains to 
achieve; the establishment and recognition of a standard 
syllabus of geometry. When this is agreed upon, we shall 
see better text-books than have yet been written, 
Victoria. (1) Mineral Statistics of Victoria for the year 
1870. Presented to both Houses of Parliament by his 
Excellency’s command. (Melbourne: By authority : 
John Ferres, Government Printer.)—(2) Reforts of the 
Mining Surveyors and Registrars. Quarter ending 
March 31, 1871. (Melbourne: By authority: John 
Ferres, Government Printer.) 
THESE reports are models of what such statistical reports 
should be ; the tables are methodically arranged, easy of 
reference, and apparently exhaustive ; the printing would 
be creditable even to a London printer. In the former, 
besides the interesting summary and the appendices, there 
are fifty-three admirably constructed tables, setting forth 
the statistics, from every possible point of view, of the 



mining operations in all the districts, divisions, and sub- 
divisions of Victoria for the year 1870. Of course tne 
statistics relate mainly to gold, the metal most souzht 
after ; but all obtainable information is] kewise given with 
reference to whatever other mineral produces are found 
in the province—s'lver, tin, copper, antimony, lead, cobalt, 
manganese, coal, &c. Every means has been taken to 
make the statistics reliable, and the result, with regard to 
gold, is that there has been a falling off of the produce in 
1870, as compared with 1869, to the extent of upwards of 
40,000 oz., which decrease is largely accounted for by the 
heavy and unprecedented floods of 1870 interrupting the 
mining operations, the decrease in the number of mines, and 
the falling off in the yiel | of gold from several of the deeper 
alluvial mines. [tis stated that during 1870 several scien- 
tific gentlemen volunteered to deliver to the miners gra- 
tuitously lectures on subjects connected with mining, but 
received no encouragement from the district authorities, 
who seem not to have thonght ic worth their while to pro- 
vide aroom. The interests of science are, however, by no 
means neglected. We learn from these reports that 
during last year more than 800 groups of minerals, rocks, 
and fo-sils, were added to the collection of the mining 
department. Efforts have also been made to obtain 
specimens of the mineral products of other countries in 
exchange for native products. Another colony is now 
likely to reap a rich reward, as already many specimens 
have been sent both from Europe and America. We are 
glad to Jearn that Dr. Von Mueller is preparing a report 
on the large collection of native fossils whi-h has been 
made, The second report, for the quarter ending March 31, 
1871, is considerably more interesung than the former, in 
a scientific point of view. Besides full and valuable 
mining statistics, there are two appendices : (A) “ Notes 
on the Rocks and Minerals of the Owen’s District,” witha 
sketch map, by Mr. E. J. Dunn, containing much valu- 
able in'ormation on the geology of the district ; (B) an in- 
teresting paper containing succinct observations on what 
the author, Ferd. Von Mueller, Director of the Melbourne 
Botanic Garden, considers a new genus of Fossil Conif re, 
to which he has given the name Spondylostrobus. It is 
allied to Cupresstnites of Bowerbank. We are sorry we 
have not space to copy the author's description. The 
validity of the genus, Mr, Mueller declares, rests chiefly 
on the extraordinary development of the columella, if so 
it may be called ; this columellar portion forming indeed 
the main body of the fruit, the so-called new genus differ- 
ing in this respect from all other cupressineous genera 
living as well as extinct. The paper is illustrated by a 
beautifully executed lithograph, containing several coloured 
figures, natural size, of the fossil, and also by a plan of the 
field, and sections of the strata in which it is found. We 
have much pleasure in commending these interesting, and 
on the whole, encouraging reports, to the notice both of 
Statisticians and geologists. 


LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 
[The Editor does not hold himself responsible for opinions expressed 
by his Correspondents, No notice is taken of anonymous 
communications. | 
Pendulum Autographs 
HAVING read with much interest Mr. Hubert Airy’s communi- 
cation to NATURE (No. 94), on *‘ Pendulum Autographs,” I 
wish to saya word on the compound pendulum long ago devised, 
I believe for the first time, by Prof Blackburn, of Glasgow. 
I construct the pendulum as follows:—A picce of soft iron 
wire, about #yth of an inch diameter, is fastened by its ends to 
two points in the ceiling, and a heavy bub is hung from its 
middle point. A second wire of the same length is similarly 
attached to the ceiling and to the bob, so that the wires form 
two superposed isosce.es triangles with the line between the sus- 
pension points for their common base. A light deal rod about 
| the same length, more or less, as the distance of the suspension 
