14 



NA TURE 



those of glacial, lacustrine, fluviatile and even wind-borne 

 origin. The author describes the methods of manufacturing 

 brick and drain tile, and then proceeds to record in detail his 

 observations on the clays, and the local modes of working and 

 manufactures in Wisconsin. In appendices he notes the methods 

 employed in the examination of the clays in the field and in the 

 laboratory, and he gives numerous analyses. A map and many 

 other illustrations accompany this work. 



Mkssrs. John Whelijon &; Co. announce the publication 

 of the first volume of the " Botany of the F^'roes," edited by 

 Prof. E. Warming. The present volume is occupied by the 

 land and freshwater flora (phanerogamic and cryptogamic) ; 

 the remaining volume will be devoted to the marine flora, to 

 agriculture and gardening, and to other general subjects. 



The publication of the Kew Bulletin of Misallaneoiis Infor- 

 mation has been resumed, with Nos. 175-177, containing in- 

 stalments of the Diagnoses Africans, Decades Kewenses, New 

 Orchids, and Fungi Exotici. The Bulletin records, with regret, 

 the retirement of Mr. George Nicholson from the curatorship 

 of the Gardens, in which post he is succeeded by Mr. Wm. 

 Watson. Mr. Nicholson had devoted himself largely to the 

 extension and improvement of the arboretum, and was compiler 

 of the hand-list of trees and shrubs grown in it. 



The Journal of Applied Microicofy and Laboratory Methods 

 (published by the Bausch and Lomb Optical Co., Rochester, 

 N.V.) for October gives a full description, with photographic 

 illustrations, of the botanical laboratory and the botanical 

 garden of the Tokyo Imperial University, Japan. The Univer- 

 sity buildings comprise a herbarium, library, laboratories, 

 museum, lecture-room, and rooms for a professor and three 

 assistants. Special facilities are given for the study of bacteri- 

 ology and fermentation. The curriculum for lectures comprises 

 courses in morphology and physiology, in systematic botany, 

 and in advanced physiology. The laboratory work includes 

 courses in classification, morphology, histology, physiology, and 

 embryology, as well as special research work. It is .an important 

 feature of the University curriculum that exclusive specialisation 

 is not encouraged. Students who specialise in botany are re- 

 quired also to take courses in zoology, including histology and 

 embryology, geology, paln;ontology, mineralogy, physiological 

 chemistry, and bacteriology. There are special courses in the 

 agricultural college of the University in forestry and agriculture. 

 The botanic garden has been established for about two hundred 

 and twenty years, and is about five acres in extent. In the same 

 number of the Journal of Applied Microscopy is an account, 

 with photographic illustrations, of the course of study in 

 invertebrate zoology in the marine biological laboratory at 

 Wood's Holl. 



Messrs. Jordan and S.nyder continue their valuable 

 review of Japanese fishes in the Proceedings of the U.S. Museum, 

 the last part we have received dealing with the so-called cardinal 

 fishes (Apogonida;). Two new species of the typical genus 

 Apogon are described, while a new generic type receives the 

 name Telescopias gilherli. 



Nos. 1246 and 1247 of the Proceedings of the U.S. Museum 

 contain lists, by Messrs. Robinson and Lyon, of mammals and 

 birds recently collected in La Guaira, Venezuela ; while in No. 

 1248 Dr. Stejneger deals with the reptiles and batrachians of 

 the same locality. No. 1250 of the same serial is devoted to a 

 r eview of the Atherine fishes of Japan, by Messrs. Jordan and 

 Starks. In No. 1252 Dr. Stejneger describes a new bull-frog 

 from Florida; and in the succeeding part Mr. N. Banks treats 

 of certain spiders and other arachnids from Porto Rico. 



The U.S. Department of Agriculture has sent us Nos. 20 

 and 21 of the "North .■\merican Fauna," the former contain- 

 ing a revision of the typical skunks, by Mr. H. A. Howell, and 

 NO. I 67 I, VOL. 65 J 



[November 7, 1901 



the latter an account of the natural history of the Queen 

 Charlotte Islands and Cook Inlet, Alaska, by Mr. W. H. 

 Osgood. The chief feature in the first article is the proposed 

 substitution of the name Chincha for the familiar Mephitis. In 

 treating of the Queen Charlotte group Mr. Osgood mentions 

 that although a supposed new species of reindeer has been 

 recently described from Graham I.sland, it is more than doubtful 

 whether any of those animals inhabit the group. 



Messrs. Townson and Mercer, of Camomile Street, 

 London, E.C. , have prepared a series of standard colour tubes 

 — specially for the use of the wine trades — to which purchasers 

 of sherry or other wine may refer any particular sample. As 

 one of the factors in the sale of wine is a certain colour, it will 

 be seen that if a trustworthy standard is established for com- 

 parison considerable expense and inconvenience will be saved. 

 It is claimed that the tubes are absolutely permanent in colour 

 and brightness, having been sterilised and made antiseptic, and, 

 so far as we have been able to test it, the liquid in the her- 

 metically-sealed glass cylinder forwarded to us has undergone 

 no change. There is much to be said in favour of these standard 

 tubes. It is much more trustworthy to refer a purchase to an 

 accepted standard colour than to some tint which one endeavours 

 to carry in the eye, or to a stored sample that may have under- 

 gone change. It is evident, however, that the range of colour 

 lubes must be fairly extensive, particularly if they are to cover 

 more than one class of wine ; must be permanent in tint and 

 brightness ; and must have the approval of the wine trades. 



The brief description of the Hammer-Fennel tacheometer 

 given in our issue of October 17 (p. 598) contains a sentence 

 which Prof. Hammer desires to correct. Referring to the use 

 of the instrument, the reviewer remarked :— "The diagram and 

 mechanical adjustments are so arranged that by multiplying the 

 observed displacement of the line from the zero by 20, the 

 difference of altitude in metres will result, while another displace- 

 ment multiplied by 100 gives the distance." This is not exactly 

 the case. Prof. Hammer informs us that it is "not the displace- 

 ments of any lines which have to be multiplied, but the section 

 of the rod or stadia contained between the zero-line (horizontal 

 wire) of the diagram and two other points of the diagram ; 

 these two points are indicated automatically in the diagram by 

 raising or dipping the telescope." 



A practical aid to reasonable instruction in geography is 

 provided by the Geographical Teacher, the first number of 

 which has just been published. The new periodical is the 

 organ of the Geographical Association (which exists for the 

 purpose of improving the teaching of geography), and it is 

 edited by Mr. A. W. Andrews and Dr. A. J. Herbertson. Mr. 

 Douglas W. Freshfield, president of the Association, contributes 

 an introduction, in the course of which he says that the aim will 

 be to show that the question which Dr. Jowett once put to 

 him, " Can you teach geography so as to make people think?" 

 can be answered in the aflirmative. The contributions to the 

 first number substantiate this opinion. Among the subjects are 

 methods of teaching geography, with their limitations and possi- 

 bilities, the study of maps, geography of the world, photo- 

 graphy as an aid to geography, and school excursions. The 

 journal will be published three times a year by Messrs. George 

 Philip and Son. 



A TRANSLATION, by Dr. W. H. Thompson, of Prof. 

 Paivlow's lectures on " The Work of the Digestive Glands," 

 embodying the results of researches which were recently 

 awarded the Nobel Prize of 11,000/., will be published immedi- 

 ately by Messrs. Charles Griftln and Co. This edition will 

 include the later volume, entitled " The Experiment," &c., 

 together with the notes of the most recent researches of Prof. 

 Pawlow. 



