338 
NATURE 
[AucusT 7, 1902 
_“Sehr auffallend muss es erscheinen dass die namentlich 
fiir physikalische Formeln ganz unbehilfliche Fahren- 
heitsche Skala noch jetzt bei Mannern der Wissenschaft 
eae ee Gndet. aes B.” Buchanan, in Nature, 
Gat 28 hid ead tie 
Fatrankevcene Seon Sir John Murray ist fiir die 
The words are few, but they give a remarkably vivid 
picture of the present position of a very important 
question, and the example is quite typical of the author’s 
style. 
When an author with this power of concise representa- 
tion deals with the present state of our knowledge of the 
composition of the atmosphere, solar radiation and its 
measurement, the general circulation of the atmosphere. 
the thermodynamics of the atmosphere and the modern 
developments of atmospheric electricity, it will be evident 
that he has gone far beyond the limitations of an 
introductory text-book and addresses himself to mature 
students. 
In order to deal more completely with the theoretical 
side of the subject, an appendix of sixty-eight pages is 
devoted to the exposition of some of the most important 
mathematico-physical theories of meteorology and their 
applications. In this are included (1) the calculus of 
periodic phenomena ; (2) the distribution of heat in the 
ground ; (3) thermal distribution in the atmosphere ; 
(4) nocturnal changes of temperature and the coefficient 
of radiation of atmospheric air ; (5) the vertical distribu- 
tion of pressure and its relation to temperature and 
moisture ; (6) measurement of height by the barometer. 
These involve an adequate knowledge of mathematical 
processes and may be found difficult by those who are 
not familiar with mathematical physics. 
For this reason the book must be regarded as encyclo- 
peedic rather than didactic. The beginner who reads it 
will be conscious that he has much to learn, and even 
the expert will realise that there are many things he 
would like to pursue further. Yet the style is happily 
chosen. It will be recognised that means of obtaining 
the necessary information are everywhere available for 
students who desire it, and to have amplified the work 
‘by including instruction in the indispensable preliminary 
knowledge would have spoilt it. Dr. Hann is entitled to 
the sincerest congratulations on the rapid completion of 
so thoroughly comprehensive a treatise. There can be 
no question that the publication of so complete a summary 
of meteorological knowledge must lead to important 
developments from the many points of scientific and 
practical interest which are exhibited. It is indeed 
fortunate for the science that the University of Vienna 
is able to afford to so distinguished a meteorologist 
opportunity for the prosecution of this important work. 
W. N. SHAW. 
THE FIBRE INDUSTRIES. 
The Textile Fibres of Commerce. By William S. 
Hannan. Pp. x + 236. (London : Charles Griffin and 
Co., Ltd., 1902.) Price gs. net. 
HE title of this work raised a hope that the author 
had seized the opportunity open to any specialist 
of carrying on the critical labours of Vetillart, Wiesnet, 
Hugo Miller, J. Christie, Otto Witt, and the experts of | 
NO. 1710, VOL. 66] 
the Colonial and Indian Exhibition, now almost of 
ancient history. The opportunity is a great one ; for the 
subject-matter is vast, the interests involved are 
stupendous, while the first principles of the subject 
are few, very few, and so are they who recognise 
them. The opportunity is one, not merely for a book 
enunciating in one comprehensive view the relationships 
of our highly developed textile methods to one another 
and to the properties of the ultimate spinning units, but 
for a definite forecast of the progressive future, which is 
of obvious commercial moment. 
The book before us, however, neither aims at nor 
claims to reach the pioneer standard of technical 
literature, and must be judged accordingly. The author’s 
labours have no doubt been exhaustive and minute. But 
the failure to attain to the ideal standard is self-predicted 
by the opening sentence of the introduction :— 
“The vegetable and mineral fibres of commerce may 
be arranged in four groups, viz. (1) plumose fibres ; (2) 
stem and leaf fibres; (3) fruit fibres (all derived from 
plants) ; and (4) mineral fibres. These groups are re- 
presented by the fibres used in various important in- 
dustries, and by other vegetable fibres which at present 
are of special interest from a scientific point of view 
only.” 
This classification has no morphological basis and is 
devoid of technical significance. The sentence stands 
immediately beneath the title “The Textile Fibres of 
Commerce,” and the reference to these “other fibres,” 
which are, in fact, from the point of view of commerce or 
industry, mere lumber, introduces us to the supposed 
antithesis of science to commerce, which is archaic, but 
in these days misleading, and were better left out. The 
introduction, in short, prepares us for the plan actually 
followed in the book, which is that of alphabetical 
sequence of the conventional or trivial names of the 
fibres; perhaps the best in the absence of a positive, 
critical basis and consequent classification. The reader 
is thus prepared to find the book a non-critical com- 
pilation, and although the title suggests the subordination 
of the matter to commercial, that is industrial,proportions, 
the expert will be disappointed and the lay reader will 
get little instruction in the fractical sczence of the 
subject. 
Of course, be it understood, a book os 230 pages, upon 
such a subject, and containing 150 illustrations, mostly 
the original work of the author and friends, affords 
much interesting reading. This interest belongs to the 
| subject, which is fascinating from whatever point of 
view it may be handled. We have no wish to depreciate 
the author’s evident aim to popularise the subject ; on 
the contrary, we wish for the book a successful run, and , 
that a second edition may see a considerable improve- 
ment in the matter. But as we take the request in the 
preface for “any suggestions that will enable me to add 
to the utility of this work” as an honest invitation to the 
critic, we feel we should be wanting in honesty and ina 
duty to the technical public if we shirked the task of 
pointing out by a few examples the author’s want of 
precision in handling fundamental questions. We cite 
first the introductory sentence of ‘the section ‘“‘ Vegetable 
Fibres,” p. 3, “‘ Physical and Chemical Properties,” which 
reads, “The principal vegetable fibres are plumose and 
