464 



NATURE 



[October 13, 1910 



POPULAR BOOKS ON BIOLOGICAL 



SUBJECTS.' 



(i)'T^ HE first of these books forms vol. iv. of the hand- 



'■ somelv got-up and well-illustrated "Science in 



.Modern Life." The first eighty-eight pages are a 



Fig. I. — Transference of pollen to the bodies of insects by means of mechanism of the percussive type. 

 (i) Part of an inflorescence of Salvia glnthwsa ; the right-hand flower is being visited by a humble- 

 bee, and the pollen-covered anther is in the act of sttiking the insect's back. (2) Another part of the 

 same inflorescence with three "open flowers in different stages of development : the lower flower on the 

 left-hand side is being visited by a humble-bee which carries on its back pollen from a younger flower 

 and is rubbing it off on to the deflexed stigma. (3) A stamen of Sah'ia gliitiiiosa with rocking 

 connective. (4) Longitudinal section through a flower of the same plant. The arrow indicates the 

 direction in which humble-hees advance towards the interior of the flower. (5) Same section ; the 

 lower arm of the connective lever is pushed backward, and in consequence the pollen-covered anther at 

 the end of the other arm of the lever is defle.\ed.— From " Science in Modern Life." 



continuation of the account of botany begun in the 

 previous volume, and deal with geographical distri- 

 bution as influenced by climate, &c., followed by a 

 general systematic survey of the vegetable kingdom. 

 So much of the space is filled by illustrations (usually 

 very good) that the letterpress is exceedingly con- 

 densed, and makes the style rather that of an en- 

 cyclopaedia than of a book to be read, but the sub- 

 stance is good. 



The section on zoology (114 pages) includes si.x 

 pages on the history of the science, and ten on a 

 general survey of the animal kingdom, and these are 

 so much condensed as to be almost meaningless with- 

 out further reading. The remainder is devoted to an 

 account of the evolution of animals as revealed by 

 their fossil remains. In this way descriptions are 

 given of all the chief orders of animals, but short 

 diagnostic descriptions of groups, sometimes with no 

 illustration, convey little definite impression to the 

 reader, and the general effect is distinctly disappoint- 



1 (i) "Science in Modem Life." .\ Survey of Scientific Development, 

 Discovery and Invention, and their Relations to Human Progress and 

 Industry. Vol. iv. Edited by Prof. J. R. Ain'wonh Davis ; Botany 

 (continued), by J. M. F. Drummond ; Zooh^gy, by Prof. J. R. Ainsworth 

 Davis ; and Science and the Sea Fisheries, by Dr. J. Travis Jenkins. 

 Pp. x+236. (London : Gresham Publishing Co., n.d.) 



(2) "A Bush Calendar," By Amy E. Mack (Mrs. L. Harrison). Pp. 

 vi-l-109. (Sydney : .\ngus and Robinson, Ltd. ; London : Australian Book 

 Company. 1909.) Price v. 6<i. net. 



(3) " Nature Studies "by Night and Day." By F. C. Snell. Pp. 319. 

 (London : T. Fisher Unwin. n.d.) Price 2.t. 



(4) "Insect Wonderland." By Constance M. Foot. Pp. xi-f-i96. (London: 

 Methuen and Co., 1910.) Price 3.(. 6rf. net. 



(5) " The Landscape Beautiful." A Study of the Utility of the Natural 

 Landscape ; Its Relation to Human Life and Happiness, with the Applica- 

 tion of these Principles in Landscape Gardening, and in .'\rt in General. 

 By F. A. Waugh. Pp. 336. (New York : Orange Judd Co., 1910.) 



(6) " Bees for Prolyl and Pleasure." By H. Geary. Farm and Garden 

 Handbook.s. Edited by T. VV. Sanders. Pp. 114. (Lo..don : W. H. 

 and L. Collingridge, n.d.) Price is net. 



ing. The physiological side of zoology, in which its 

 relation with " motlern life " is perhaps closest, is not 

 dealt with. 



The pages devoted to fisheries are the most readable 

 in the volume. The style is necessarily very concise, 

 but the author succeeds in picking out the salient 

 features and in making the 

 subject interesting. The 

 volume is provided with a 

 full list of contents, but no 

 index. 



(2) "A Bush Calendar" 

 consists of a series of 

 articles on nature in the 

 neighbourhood of Sydney, 

 reprinted from the Sydney 

 Morniiif; Herald. They are 

 pleasantly written descrip- 

 tions of the birds, flowers, 

 &c., seen, with observations 

 on their habits and haunts ; 

 and although to most Eng- 

 lish readers the names will 

 not convey any clear idea, 

 to those living in that part 

 of .Australia it should be a 

 useful little book. It is 

 illustrated with pretty 

 photographs, and for each 

 month a list is given of the 

 flowers, migrant birds, and 

 nests which may be found. 

 ■An Englishman is at once 

 struck with the fact that 

 there is no month in which 

 some bird does not breed. 

 One small blemish is that 

 generic names should be 

 written with initial capi- 

 tals. 

 (3) " Nature Studies by Night and Day " does not 

 claim originality, and consists of a series of discon- 



FlG. 2 —Tadpole before th. 

 fourth limb. — From 

 Night and Day." 



_ rgence of the 



Nature Studies by 



nected chapters on well-worn subjects — the opening 

 and closing of flowers, protective coloration, the sun- 

 dew, &c. The photoi^raphi are not very well repro- 



NO. 2137, VOL. 84] 



