NA TURE 



[June 20, 1907 



area. Much of Mr. Harrison's material is embodied in 

 the present volume, having been personally cominuni- 

 cated to the author and the associated contributors. 



The earlier chapters deal with the physical and 

 geological features of the area, and in them the 

 student will find ample material for extended surveys, 

 made easier bv the careful descriptions and directions 

 given. Debatable points are at times introduced, but 

 where the author's conclusions run counter to those 

 of other authorities, the actual field evidence in support 

 thereof is submitted. 



The development of flint implements, with illustra- 

 tions drawn from those found by Mr. Harri.son, and 

 others, in this area, and the several epochs of the 

 Stone age are next discussed, the seventh chapter 

 being devoted to a description of the megalithic monu- 

 ments which are to be found in the district. It is to 

 be regretted that, in regard to the latter, more definite 

 results have not been educed. Stone circles, dolmens, 

 and the remains of viae sacrae arc mentioned in a 

 general way as being possible sites of prehistoric wor- 

 ship, but although the district teems with objects 

 which mav prove of the greatest value to the student 

 of earlv Britain, and is situated in a home county, no 

 one appears to have yet succeeded in discovering and 

 elucidating alignments such as the labours of Sir 

 Norman Lockver have established for somewhat simi- 

 lar monuments in Cornwall, Devon, &c. Yet we read 

 on p. 47 of recent vandalism which bids fair to obliter- 

 ate for ever these unique traces of the early inhabitants 

 of the district. .Surely the time has now arrived when 

 a Government which carefully preserves records of 

 ancient Babylon and Egypt should take efTective steps 

 to protect the only records we have of prehistoric 

 Britain. 



The remainder of the book deals with the general 

 history of the Ightham district, and is pregnant with 

 interest both for the historian and the general reader. 

 The illustrations are from excellent photographs taken 

 especially for this work, and one puts the book down 

 with a deep feeling of regret that similar records for 

 the scores of other interesting areas in which rural 

 England abounds are as vet unwritten. 



W. E. R. 



The Wit of the Wild. By E. Ingersoll. Pp. xi + 

 288; illustrated. (London: Unwin, 1907.) Price 

 6s. 6d. net. 



As Mr. Ingersoll is always interesting and generally 

 accurate, his writings may be commended to the 

 attention of the reader in a manner which would not 

 be safe in the case of all works on popular natural 

 history. To recapitulate the titles of the two dozen 

 articles which go to form the present volume will be 

 unnecessarv — more especially as some of them are of 

 a rather cryptic nature — and it must accordingly suf- 

 fice to mention that they cover a wide field, ranging 

 from an account of the jelly-fish picturesquely named 

 the " Portuguese man-of-war " to an inquiry whether 

 animals can rightiv be charged with suicidal propen- 

 sities. All have appeared in the form of periodical 

 literature, but thev are none the worse for this, especi- 

 ally as manv were first published in America. The 

 article in which we have been most interested is one 

 on the death-feigning instinct in the opossum — an 

 instinct which in this particular case the author 

 suggests has been inherited from long dead ancestors 

 to the animal's own disadvantage. That the " col- 

 lapse " which occurs when an opossum is suddenly 

 seized is not due to some form of hysteria the author is 

 firmly convinced; and if it be a death-feigning instinct 

 designed for protection it certainly fails in its object, 

 as the unhappy creature is mauled and done to death 

 by quite a number of animals when in this condition. 



NO. 1964, VOL. 76] 



The reader should. Iur,vever, peruse the chapter for 

 himself, in order to form his own judgment, and 

 having done this he will scarcely " skip " the re- 

 mainder of a very interesting volume. 



(1) Technical Electricity. By H. T. Davidge and 

 R. \\". Hutchinson. Pp. x + 502. (London : Uni- 

 versity Tutorial Press, Ltd.) Price 45. bd. 



(2) Klemcntary Electrical Engineering. By John H. 

 .Shaxbv. Pp. vii + ic)2. (London: Blackie and 

 Son, Ltd.) Price y. net. 



(i) This book is intended chiefly for the use of 

 students of electrical engineering, .ind covers the 

 London City and (iuilds preliminary examination in 

 electric lighting and power, and also the necessary 

 technical work for stage ii. of the Board of Educa- 

 tion examination in magnetism and electricity. 



The question of the various units and systems of 

 units has been given very careful attention, and the 

 absolute and practical units are taken side by side .so 

 as to enable the student thoroughly to understand the 

 relationships between them, and should help to 

 mitigate the difficulties which generally arise when 

 dealing with these units. The same idea is applied 

 in the description of the construction of laboratory 

 and practical measuring instruments, all the most 

 modern forms which are in present-day use being 

 carefully described, both as to their construction and 

 action. 



Examples of calibration and testing are fully 

 given, but perhaps chapter xxiv., on " indoor wiring 

 and jointing," is one of the best. This subject is so 

 fullv dealt with and clearly explained by diagrams 

 showing the various systems of wiring that it is one 

 of the chief chapters in the book, although it need not 

 be taken up for either of the examinations mentioned 

 above. 



(2) Mr. Shaxbv has written a book which he hopes 

 will assist the home reader and evening-class student. 

 The latter mostiv consist of men who during the 

 d;iv are employed on electrical machinery, the theory 

 of which is little known to them. Consequently, Mr. 

 Shaxby has written his book in the simplest and 

 clearest manner, and mathematics are avoided as 

 much as possible. The first part of the book deals 

 chieflv with the theoretical side of electrical work, and 

 the question of primary batteries is very fully gone 

 into. 



Alternating-current machinery is so very largely 

 emploved in works and inills at the present day that 

 it does not surprise us to find the author devoting 

 three chapters to the subject of alternating currents 

 and alternating-current machinery. The author gives 

 an adequate but simple explanation of their chief 

 properties, and also supplies illustrations of modern 

 generators and motors. J. L. M. 



Keinia, Dcnkversiiche. By O. K. Kremer. Pp. 420. 



(Vienna and Lei|)zig : E. Beyers, 11)07.) 

 This book is not likelv to appeal to many readers of 

 N vruRR. " Neinia," or Xein-Ja, represents the wish 

 of the author to recognise any and every point of view 

 as equaUx' legitimate, although he personally pro- 

 fesses to be an eneniv of mystic metaphysics and a 

 friend of materialism.' He belongs to no particular 

 philosophical school, but desires to think merely for 

 the sake of thinking, without intending to prove_ any 

 more or less unconsciously preconceived notions. 

 This thinking cannot lead to any positive conclusion, 

 and the book ends, characteristically enough, first 

 with the sentence, " I believe nothing and there- 

 fore I believe evervthing," and then with the colo- 

 phon, " C.S.W. ad infill." The author claims for 

 his book the advantage that one may begin to read it 



