October io, 1912J 



NATURE 



159 



written, and the facts are grouped together in a 

 very useful manner. The third chapter practi- 

 cally completes the qualitative portion of the book, 

 and is followed by tables of organic compounds 

 in which the properties and physical constants of 

 a large number of the most generally met with 

 organic compounds are compiled — it is, in fact, 

 a short dictionary. This section will most cer- 

 tainly be found very useful in the laboratory, and 

 has been very painstakingly compiled. 



The rest of the book deals with quantitati\e 

 analysis, combustions, nitrogen determinations, 

 vapour densities, optical rotation, and other 

 methods which are employed in the laboratory. 



I^OCAl. AND GENERAL GEOLOGY. 



(1) Transactions of the Paisley Naturalists' 

 Society. Vol. i. Notes on the Mineralogy of 

 Renfrewshire. By Robt. S. Houston. Pp. 88. 

 (Paisley: Alexander Gardner, 1912.) Price 



. 2x. 6d. net. 



(2) Physiography for Higli Schools. By Albert L. 

 Carey, Frank L. Bryant, William W. Clendenin, 

 and William T. Morrey. Pp. vi + 450. (Boston, 

 New York, Chicago : D. C. Heath and Co. ; 

 London: George G. Harrap and Co., 1912.) 

 Price 45. 6d. 



(3) Structural and Field Geology. For Students 

 of Pure and. Applied Science. By Prof. James 

 Geikie, F.R.S. Third edition, revised. Pp. 

 xxiv + 452. (Edinburgh: Oliver and Boyd; 

 London : Gurney and Jackson, 1912.) Price 

 125. 6d. net. 



(i) A /TR- HOUSTON'S volume, attractively 

 J.VX produced and excellently printed, can- 

 not fail to arouse interest in local mineralogy. A 

 preface is given on the geology of Renfrewshire, 

 and we are reminded of the famous specimens of 

 prehnite and analcite from the Boylestone Quarry, 

 near Barrhead. New analyses are given of several 

 minerals, including phosphatic nodules (p. 72) 

 from three localities, and a greenish kaolin (p. 71). 

 The name "lithomarge" is misprinted in three 

 places, and we do not like the term "carbonated " 

 on p. 78 in place of "carbonised." But consider- 

 able care has evidently been given to the book, 

 which serves as a model for the work of local 

 naturalists. 



(2) We now possess several good English books 

 on physiography, and have received much 

 stimulating aid from the United States. Hence it 

 is questionable if another American work is likely 

 to find a free place in our schools. Four high- 

 school masters, however, have collaborated in New 

 York City in producing a clearh' written account 

 of natural phenomena, illustrated with views and 

 maps from the wide field a\ailable in the I'nited 



xo. 2241, VOL. go] 



States. L'nlike Huxley, they set aside the 

 biological aspects of physiography, and they omit 

 in consequence a good deal that would interest a 

 schoolboy in the surface-features of his country- 

 The work is terse and lucid, but seems somewhat 

 cold and uninspiring; its method of construction 

 has prevented any one of the authors from im- 

 pressing on it the mark of personality. A few 

 good books of scientific travel would probably set 

 young pupils thinking to far more purpose about 

 the earth. Physical geography in the high-school 

 stage already runs the risk of becoming stereo- 

 typed. Certain set names for phenomena require 

 certain definitions. Meanwhile, the rock is re- 

 moved out of its place and the waters wear the 

 stones, while the eye of the pupil, made for wonder, 

 remains fixed upon the printed page. 



(3) Prof. James Geikie's " Structural and Field 

 Creology " now reaches a third edition. In its fine 

 use of full-page photographic plates it aims at 

 accurate illustration of what will be encountered 

 in the field. No one can convert these pictures 

 into diagrams for the note-book ; they are, ar. 

 the author intends, direct encouragements to 

 observe. Rocks are photographed from actual 

 specimens, and the landscapes and field examples 

 are largely derived from the series of views 

 brought together by the Geological Survey. The 

 book is a broad treatise on physical geology, 

 written with a remarkable absence of technicali- 

 ties. It goes, perhaps, too far in avoiding chemical 

 considerations, such as those involved in the 

 formation of laterite (p. 58) and cornstones (p. 70), 

 and in omitting even chemical formulae, which 

 would be helpful in the description of the silicates. 

 Methods of testing minerals and rocks are intro- 

 duced as they happen to be required, and it is clear 

 that the work should be read continuously. Among 

 its best features are the drawings of block-models 

 of faulted strata (pp. 162 and 166), which explain 

 many of the puzzles of geological maps. The 

 trough-faults in Fig. 53 might gain by a cross- 

 reference to their explanation in Fig. 54. 



The principles of geological surveying receive 

 unusually full treatment, and attention is given to 

 economic questions and to the broad characters of 

 soils. Chapter xxv., on geological structure and 

 surface features, might, of course, be greatly 

 elaborated. The twenty-three lines devoted to 

 coast-lines seem inadequate in comparison with 

 forty-five pages given to ore-formations in chapter 

 xvi., a subject not closely related to structural 

 geology. Prof. James Geikie's book, so hand- 

 somely set before us, will long remain our best 

 introduction to geological phenomena as they 

 actually present themselves to the observer. 



Gkexville A. J. Coi,^ 



