JuLY 11, 1912] 
NATURE 
475 
devoted to this order. In dealing with the 
Culicide (mosquitoes), Colonel Alcock’s good 
sense is shown by his retention for this much 
“classified” family of the original subdivision 
into the two subfamilies Corethrinze and Culicine ; 
it should be noted, however, that, in deference to 
the principle that designations of groups of equal 
value should have similar terminations, the author 
has since adopted for the four groups into which 
tae Culicine are divided a nomenclature somewhat 
different from that given by him in this book. 
Another detail worthy of mention is the treatment 
of the Anopheline mosquitoes as belonging to the 
single genus Anopheles, instead of to more than 
twenty so-called genera; whatever genus-makers 
may say, this course is undoubtedly convenient 
for the medical officer, besides being for the most 
part in strict accordance with the principles of 
true taxonomy. 
Exigencies of space forbid us from referring at 
length to other classes and orders, and it must 
therefore suffice to state that while groups ad- 
mittedly noxious, such as the fleas, lice, bugs, 
ticks, and scorpions, receive adequate considera- 
tion, the reader who wishes to learn something 
of friendly or neutral Arthropods will not refer to 
this volume in vain. Derivations and explana- 
tions of generic and other names are a useful 
feature of the book, which is copiously illustrated 
with clearly-drawn figures, and is distinguished 
wherever possible by a literary touch too often 
conspicuously absent from zoological text-books. 
By the compilation and publication of this volume 
Colonel Alcock has placed students of tropical 
medicine under a debt of gratitude which they will 
not find it easy to repay, and every medical and 
sanitary officer in the tropics may confidently be 
recommended to add the book to his necessarily 
limited library. 1D, 185 5 
TRANSFORMER DESIGN. 
The Design of Static Transformers. By H. M. 
Hobart. Pp. xv+174. (London: Constable & 
Co., Ltd., 1911.) Price 6s. net. 
ra 
BOOK from the pen of Mr. Hobart invariably | 
commands respectful attention and, we may | 
add, is invariably pleasant reading. The volume | 
before us is no exception, and moreover presents | 
the results of Mr. Hobart’s wide experience—that 
is to say, within the range of subjects taken up in 
| detail in the most valuable manner. 
this volume—with great conciseness. Perhaps one — 
of the most valuable parts of the book is that | 
labelled “Introductory,” which occupies the first 
eleven pages. The last nine of these pages con- 
stitute a survey of the development of the “static” 
transformer, and the survey is, to the engineer 
NO. 2228, vor. 89] 
| 
| 
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| to progress. 
whose recollections carry him back over the period 
covered, freshingly interesting, and to the 
student it is full of instruction. Beginning with 
reference to the pioneer investigations of other 
workers, to which student and engineer alike are 
exhorted to give heed, Mr. Hobart culls from his 
own past experience and recollections incidents 
which illustrate in the most striking way what is 
really a typical sample of the commercial develop- 
ment of a scientific piece of apparatus. No better 
example than Mr. Hobart’s experience with watt- 
meters could be given to impress students with the 
way in which difficulties should be met and with 
the way in which, when so met, they lead invariably 
We cannot leave this excellent part 
of the book, all too brief as it is, without expres- 
sing hearty approval of the statement that 
| “the subject of transformer design cannot be 
covered by the enunciation of rules, formule and 
constants, but that the designing of a transformer 
. will for many years continue to afford ample 
scope for careful thought and work.” 
There is some inconsistency in the remark on 
page 16 that “it is rare to find a graduate who 
has the remotest idea of how to proceed in design- 
ing a commercial transformer” with the state- 
ment a few lines below that “there are very many 
practical points based on long experience” and “‘it 
| is particularly true of transformer designing that 
past experience goes a long way.’”’ Mr. Hobart, 
however, puts at the disposal of the inexperienced 
graduate a digest of his own lengthy and valuable 
experience. 
Of that part of the book which constitutes the 
| main reason for its existence, in our opinion the 
chapter on ‘“‘ The Design of the Windingss and In- 
sulation ”” is the weakest, and not only so, but is 
distinctly weak. The whole matter is dismissed 
in 54 pages, of which one whole page and prac- 
tically three others are occupied by illustrations. 
The method of arriving at the dimensions of the 
secondary conductor is entirely skipped, and no 
reference whatever is made to any requirements in 
the way of insulation beyond that made in the 
vaguest of terms in the text and the details stated 
in bare terms upon the drawings. To go to the 
other extreme, we find in the chapter on the “ Heat- 
ing of Transformers ” the most excellent treatment, 
the subject being dealt with both broadly and in 
The chapter 
on “Cases and Tanks” is also one which will fill 
a very decided gap in the literature relating to 
transformers. 
We cannot dismiss reference to this work, so 
excellent in itself, without deploring the occurrence 
of grammatical and similar inaccuracies and in- 
consistencies. 
