332 

the origin of plant-form and structure as a direct 
response to the stimulation of its environment. 
The book is well illustrated by blocks nearly all 
of which are old friends (though the source is 
rarely indicated; many are borrowed from Johns’ 
“Flowers of the Field”). There are also a 
number of, generally poor, coloured plates. 
(3) Mr. Grove’s pocket synopsis of the families 
of British Flowering Plants is a systematic 
enumeration of the characters of these families 
arranged under their orders and larger groups, on 
the lines of the system adopted by Engler in his 
“Syllabus.”’ It is carefully compiled and “is 
intended primarily to facilitate the determination 
of the families of British plants by students.” 
Most students will, however, probably wish to 
proceed further than the family and will prefer to 
use handbooks already in existence which enable 
them to do this. 
“ai 
TEXT-BOOKS OF CHEMISTRY. 
(1) Intermediate Practical Chemistry for Univer- 
sity Students. By F. W. Atack. Pp. viili+ 204. 
(London: Sherratt and Hughes, 1914.) Price 
4s. net. 
(2) The Manufacture of Organic Dyestuffs. 
By 
Prof. A. Wahl. Translated by F. W. Atack. 
Pp. xiv+338. (London: G. Bell and Sons, 
Ltd., 1914.) Price 5s. net. 
(3) Outlines of Organic Chemistry. A book de- 
signed especially for the General Student. By 
Dr. F. J. Moore. 2nd edition. Pp. xi+325. 
(New York: J. Wiley and Sons, Inc. ; London : 
Chapman and Hall, Ltd., 1914.) Price 6s. 6d. 
net. 
(4) Elementary Practical Chemistry for Medical 
and Other Students. By J. E. Myers and J. B. 
Firth. Pp. vilit+194. (London: C. Griffin 
and Co., Ltd, 1914.) Price 4s: net: 
(5) A Text-book of Inorganic Chemistry. Vol. i. 
Part i., An Introduction to Modern Inorganic 
Chemistry. By Dr J. N. Frend, Ho Hay. 
Little, and W. E. S: Turner: Part ii., The 
Inert Gases. By H. V. A.’ Briscoe: Pp. 
xv+ 385. (London: C. Griffin and Co., Ltd., 
1914.) Price ros. 6d. net. 
(1) HIS little volume presents in some re- 
spects an original method of treating 
practical chemistry. After the usual preliminary 
description of the wash-bottle and its applications, 
etc., a series of above one hundred little qualitative 
and quantitative experiments are introduced, the 
interpretation of which the student is expected to 
supply. These are excellent so far as they go, 
but an occasional grouping of the observed pheno- 
mena might have been introduced with advantage 
NO. 2385, VOL. 95] 
NATURE 

[Jury 15, 1915 

as a sort of sign-post to the student. The usual 
tables are, however, postponed until the student 
is conversant with ‘‘identifications” by the dry 
way. After a very full account of qualitative 
analysis by the wet way, which includes tests for 
the rare metals, a section is devoted to prepara- 
tions of pure substances and to gravimetric and 
volumetric analysis. The book is, in short, 
a very useful compendium of practical inorganic 
chemistry, and for those who intend to become 
professional chemists it may be unreservedly 
recommended. 
(2) This book on organic dyestuffs is a transla- 
tion from the French of Prof. A. Wahl, who fills 
the chair of industrial chemistry in the University 
of Nancy. We have it on the authority of Dr. 
Knecht, who has written a short introductory 
notice, that it supplies a real want, and that it 
was, in fact, at his suggestion that “this excellent 
little book ” was translated. 
It deals essentially with the production of 
the dyes from the raw material, and includes 
an account of the distillation of coal tar and the 
manipulation of the intermediate products. It 
enters neither into the theory of organic chemistry 
nor into the application of the dyes to the fibre. 
The student is therefore recommended to equip 
himself beforehand with a substantial knowledge 
of organic chemistry. Moreover, the book does 
not profess to transform the student into a prac- 
tical colour-maker, for few details of the actual 
manufacture or the character of the plant are 
supplied. We may presume, therefore, that he 
will receive the necessary practical training con- 
currently with the study of the text-book if he 
intends to enter this branch of industry. For we 
cannot conceive how any student of ordinary in- 
telligence can commit to memory the description 
of such a variety of compounds, many of which 
possess highly complex formule, without some 
pegs of practical experimental work to hang his 
information on. 
The publication of this little volume comes at 
an opportune moment, when it is highly desirable 
that the interest of young chemists should be 
stimulated in the direction of colour-making. It 
is noteworthy that at the end of the volume the list 
of books of reference which is given includes a 
substantial number of English and French, in 
addition to German authors. 
(3) Dr. Moore’s ‘Outlines of Organic 
Chemistry,” published originally in 1910, has now 
reached a second edition. The new edition, whilst 
retaining the original character and arrangement, 
represents a thorough revision, and includes the 
description of a number of new substances of prac- 
tical interest, namely, citric acid, the fulminates, 


