268 



NA TURE 



[July i8, 1907 



nature with an opened eye, and a little correct seeing^ 

 must surely inspire him with the desire to under- 

 stand, and to Icnovv nature as the sculptor knows the 

 human body. The anatomy of scenery cm only be 

 fully grasped by industrious study, and every land- 

 scape painter should be put, as a prime essential, 

 through properly devised courses of meteorology, 

 botany, and geology, since they are the only clues to 

 the working of the bones and muscles of the world. 



OUR BOOK SHELF. 



The Hills and Valleys of Torquay : a Study in Valley- 

 Development and an Explanation of Local Scenery. 

 By A. J. Jukes-Browne. Pp. viii+104. (Torquay: 

 Published by the Author, Floriston, Torquay, 1907.) 

 Price 35. 6d. 



This is a pleasantly written but withal scientific ex- 

 planation of the sculpturing of the land which forms 

 the Torquay promontory. The natural attractions of 

 the region are great, and Torquay itself is said to 

 spread over eight hills. .Among these, Lincombe and 

 Warberry Hills, formed of red Devonian grits, rise 

 from 400 to nearly 500 feel ; while the coast scenery is 

 diversified by the limestone crags and cliffs of Tor- 

 quay and Babbacombe, the slates of Ilsham, the dark 

 igneous rock of Black Head, and the red conglomer- 

 ates, sandstones, and clays of Watcombe and Liver- 

 mead. 



In describing the various stages and processes that 

 have led to the present scenery, the author has en- 

 deavoured to make his work as simple as possible, but 

 the reader who has hitherto paid no attention to 

 geology must give earnest application to the intro- 

 ductory geological chapters in order to understand the 

 subject. * 



The author shows how the present features were 

 gradually developed after the Bovey Beds of Eocene 

 age had been spread over an eroded surface of older 

 recks. The rivers then took their courses over soft 

 strata, and cut channels through this covering into 

 the Permian and Devonian rocks beneath. In process 

 of time all traces of Bovey Beds have been removed 

 from the area, and there have been revealed the 

 remnants of old rock-platforms like that of Babba- 

 combe. trenched in places by river action, before the 

 present outlines of the coast were shaped. 



The work, which will be of special interest to resi- 

 dents and visitors, is illustrated b)' a number of 

 excellent pictorial views, and by a series of maps, 

 based on those of the Geological Survev. The 

 student may with advantage colour by hand the 

 different geological formations represented on these 

 maps. The author would have done well to mention 

 the Geological Survey memoir on the country around 

 Torquay by Mr. W. A. E. Ussher, a work which must 

 form the basis of future research in the area. 



.Ammonia and its Compounds. By Dr. J. Grossmann. 



Pp. X + 151. (London and New York: Harper and 



Bros., 1906.) Price 2S. 6d. net. 

 This is the first volume of a series of handbooks on 

 chemical technology which, so the preface informs us, 

 are not intended to be highly elaborated treatises, but 

 are rather to afford a general survey of the subject 

 and to serve as guides to the larger standard works. 

 Although the author of the present volume disclaims 

 either originality in the subject-matter or completeness 

 inthe compilation of his materials, the careful reader 

 will soon realise that whatever defects the book may 

 possess, it is written by one who is not only familiar 

 with his subject, but combines a full knowledge with 



NO. 1968, VOL. 76J 



the power of clear and concise exposition. A more 

 comprehensive treatise may possess the advantage of a 

 work of reference for specialists, but a small volume 

 like this will no doubt attract a wider circle of readers, 

 and should find its way to the shelves of the student 

 of general chemistry. We can only express a hope 

 that the succeeding volumes may maintain the high 

 standard of excellence attained by the pioneer volume 

 of the series. 



But if the publishers are to be congratulated on 

 their new venture, we must candidly express regret 

 that so admirable a little volume should have been 

 printed on such inferior paper. It may be desirable to 

 buy a good book .-it a low price, but no one would 

 grudge a small additional cost if it enabled him to 

 decipher the lines of the illustrations. We would 

 specially direct attention to the figure on p. CS5, in 

 which, owing to the character and surface of the 

 paper, all the fine lines are obliterated, and the draw- 

 ing rendered quite worthless as an illustration. 



J. B. C. 



\'entilation. Heating, and Lighting. By VV. H. Max- 

 well. Pp. vi+151. Second edition, revised and en- 

 larged. (London : The Sanitary Publishing Co., 

 1907.) Price 3s. net. 

 The simple principles and practice of ventilation, heat- 

 ing, and lighting are described in this volume from 

 the point of view of the sanitary engineer. It would 

 be to the advantage of the community if every archi- 

 tect and sanitar}' engineer were not only familiar with 

 the physical laws upon which successful ventilation, 

 heating, and lighting depend, but also based their 

 work upon them. Usually, the provision made to venti- 

 late and heat a building is quite inadequate; .and when 

 anv means arc provided they are constructed according 

 to rule-of-thumb methods, with little consideration for 

 the possiblv peculiar nature of the building to which 

 they are adapted. .\ few new devices and systems are 

 described by Mr. Maxwell, and the views of authorities 

 on requirements and efficiency are freely cited. The 

 student and tlie pr.ictical man will find the book easy 

 to understand, and a useful guide to success in e.\- 

 amiYiations or in building construction. 



Practical Physiological Chemistry. By Dr. Philip B. 



Hawk. Pp. xiv + 416; illustrated. (London: J. 



and A. Churchill, 1907.) Price i6,s-. net. 

 Dr. Hawk's name is well known as an investigator 

 in the subject of physiological chemistry. The present 

 volume testifies to his ability as a teacher of the 

 subject. .'Mthough there is nothing strikingly original 

 in his presentation of the subject, the book he has 

 produced is free from error, is clearly written, is- 

 practical, and sufficiently full for most purposes. The 

 recent work published by Fischer and his colleagues 

 on the question of protein cleavage products is given 

 with special fulness; the urine, also, is naturally a 

 subject which occupies considerable space; indeed, 

 ncarlv half the book is devoted to this' important 

 secretion. The volume is admirably illustrated and 

 well printed. ' W. D. H. 



R^.^istance des Carenes. By M. Fricker. Pp. 170- 



(Paris : Gauthier-VlUars ; Masson et Cie., 1407.) 

 This latest addition to the series of little volumes 

 known as " Encyclop^die scientifique des .Aide- 

 Memoire," to which attention has often been directed 

 in these columns, deals with the propagation of waves 

 and questions of resistance of liquids to motion through 

 them, with particular reference to the motions of 

 ships. The problems considered are treated theoretic- 

 ally and experimentally, and the student of naval 

 architecture with some knowledge of the calculus 

 should find the book useful. 



II 



