340 



NA TURE 



[August io, 1905 



the fate of the nucleus in the epidermal cells of Alnus 

 incana, which appears very doubtful. In a few other 

 points doubts have also arisen in the writer's mind 

 whether certain appearances described may not have 

 been due to imperfect fixation. 



The discussion concerning the attraction which the 

 nucleus apparently exerts on the haustoria is reverted 

 to in the section dealing with Puccinia Adoxae, and 

 the solution arrived at seems natural and satisfactory. 



Space will not permit us to mention many other 

 points of interest which the reader will find in this 

 little book. .A perusal thereof will, it is believed, 

 repav the mycologist, who, even if he doubts a few 

 of the facts or considers the conclusions often some- 

 what forced, will at all events find the subject treated 

 from a new point of view, and will thereby gain a 

 stimulus for his own researches. 



E. R. BURDON. 



OUR BOOK SHELF. 

 Kefiort nil the Injurious Insects and other Aiiiniah 

 observed in the Midland Counties during 1904. By 

 Walter E. Collinge, M.Sc. Pp. v + 64. (Birming- 

 ham : Cornish Bros., 1905.) 

 This is the author's second report. It deals with 

 injurious insects and other animals which have been 

 forwarded to him by various correspondents in the 

 midland counties during 1904. 



The work is not bulky, but contains in its sixty- 

 nine pages a great amount of valuable matter, cover- 

 ing a wide ground. Its value is enhanced by twenty- 

 nine illustrations ; many of these are those used in 

 the Board of .Vgriculture leaflets, and some could 

 certainly be improved on, such as Fig. 17, the winter 

 moth, and Fig. 22, the codling moth. The original 

 illustrations are e.\cellent, including those of the goat 

 moth, the birch gall mite, crane flies, and yellow 

 underwing larvs. .Among the most interesting notes 

 are those on a supposed new apple mite (Eriophyes, 

 sp.) and on carnivorous slugs. 



\\'ith regard to the latter, the author tells us that 

 living specimens have been introduced into green- 

 houses and nursery gardens with- very beneficial 

 results. This kind of work is most valuable, and we 

 Tiope Mr. Collinge will have a larger supply to dis- 

 pose of among nurserymen in future. 



There is a detailed and able account of the pear 

 midge (pp. 42-49), but amongst the supposed remediaJ 

 measures we find it recommended " to deeply trench 

 the ground beneath the trees." This has probably 

 crept in by error. The goat moth is treated in a 

 short, concise manner, and this paper is excellently 

 illustrated with photographs. 



.Amongst other fruit pests that the author has had 

 reported from the midlands may be mentioned the 

 apple blossom weevil, codling moth, the plum bark 

 beetle, winter moth, the currant clearwing, magpie 

 moth, and, needless to say, one of the most serious 

 pests in Herefordshire, the apple sucker. A few 

 short notes are also given on parasitic diseases of 

 animals, such as scaly leg in fowls, gapes in poultrv, 

 and the pig louse. 



In the appendix the use and employment of hvdro- 

 cyanic acid gas and bisulphide of carbon are dealt 

 with, and a general account of insects and the classifi- 

 cation briefly referred to. The author divides the 

 Hexapoda into fourteen orders. 



.As this report should fall into the hands of practical 

 men, we regret to see new generic names are given 

 in the text. Scientific names have rather a frighten- 

 NO. 1867, VOL. 72] 



ing effect, and when we keep changing them it makes 

 matters worse. Probably it would be better if we 

 kept to popular names only in the te.xt of such re- 

 ports, and referred the reader to the scientific names 

 in an appendix. The farmer and gardener want 

 these matters put before them in as simple a way as 

 possible. 



We look forward to another of these reports with 

 pleasure, and hope they will appear annuallv for the 

 benefit of grower and economic zoologist alike, for 

 the contents of the pages of the one before us are 

 both scientificallv accurate and preeminentlv practical. 



F. V. T. 

 Studies of the Museums and Kindred Institutions of 



New y<irk City, Albany, Buffalo, and Chicago. 



with Notes on some European Institutions. By 



A. B. Meyer. Rep. U.S. Nat. Mus. for 1903. 



Pp. 311-60S; plates. (Washington, 1905.) 

 Dr. Meyer's valuable notes and comments on the 

 museums of America and Europe are alreadv familiar 

 to our readers bv the notices published in our columns 

 of the issues of the original German text. Of that 

 text the present volume is a translation, revised bv 

 the author himself, arid with all the original illus- 

 trations reproduced, although in some instances on a 

 smaller scale. Since the author's tour of inspection 

 was primarily undertaken for the purpose of learning 

 all that was to be learnt from .American museums, the 

 consideration of which occupies bv far the greater 

 portion of the report, it was onlv right and proper 

 that an English translation of the latter should be 

 issued in America rather than in this countrv, and 

 the Smithsonian Institution deserves the thanks of all 

 interested in museums for the excellent manner in 

 which it has carried out its self-imposed task. 



The translation will indeed be fullv as acceptable 

 in England as it can be in .America, for Dr. Mever 

 is an outspoken critic who does not mince his 

 opinions, and some of his views with regard to the 

 organisation, installation, and conservancv of 

 museums in this country cannot fail, from this same 

 outspoken and candid manner, to have a permanent 

 value. 



Especially important are his opinions with recrard 

 to the deteriorating effect of light on the collections 

 of recent zoology in the Natural History Mu.seum in 

 Cromwell Road. 



"Everywhere in England," he writes, "the collec- 

 tions are exhibited during the entire dav, and it is 

 said that this custom must continue, otherwise the 

 money for expenses will not be forthcoming. I think, 

 however, that this is an error. If the ofticials them- 

 selves were only convinced that the collections 

 intrusted to their keeping: are really being injured, 

 they would be able to impress this fact upon tlie 

 trustees. . . . The public would soon become accus- 

 tomed to shorter hours of opening if there were some 

 wav of making them generally known." Would 

 they? 



^^"hether or no we accept all the author's views and 

 criticisms, there can be no doubt that the issue of :^n 

 edition of Dr. Meyer's " museum survey " rn Enp-lish 

 is a matter for all-round satisfaction. R. L. 



Notes on Assaying and Metallurgical Laboratory Ex- 

 periments. By Prof. Richard W. Lodge. Pp. 



viii-l-287. (New A'ork : lohn \\'ilev and Sons; 



London : Chapman and Hall, Ltd., U)04.) Price 



12.S-. firf. net. 

 Prof. Lodge has brought together in this book the 

 notes which have been in use for many years by the 

 third-year students in assayinp- at the Massachusetts 

 Institute of Technology and part of the notes given 

 to fourth-vear students. The book may therefore be 



