October io, 1907] 



NA TURE 



587 



of our population die before the average age of mar- 

 riage. 



The possible remedies for the diseases of our social 

 system are discussed. The increase of suicide, we are 

 told in the very interesting discussion of the subject, 

 is due to want of integration. We live in an age of 

 rampant individualism, for which, however, socialism 

 supplies no remedy. Religion has not the hold on 

 man that it once had. Family life is less strong than 

 it was, and tribes and village communities are things 

 of the past. Men make away with themselves be- 

 cause they have no strong ties and no strong interests. 

 In times of political commotion there are fewer sui- 

 cides, apparently because there is plenty to think about. 

 To a great extent the theory of want of integration 

 explains the facts. But is our author right when he 

 maintains that Roman Catholicism is a stronger inte- 

 grating' force than Protestantism? Is not the form 

 of faith rather a symptom than a cause? The most 

 go-ahead races have seceded from the church of Rome. 

 The Roman Catholic peoples are more primitive and 

 less industrial ; and in this, as in most social ques- 

 tions, there are many factors to be taken into con- 

 sideration. But however much we may disagree with 

 some of Mr. Chatterton-Hill's conclusions, the book 

 is a book to be read. F. W. H. 



OVR BOOK SHELF. 



British Rainjall, 1906. On the Distribution of Rain 

 in Space and Time over the British Isles during the 

 year igo6. By Dr. H. R. Mill. Pp. 100 + 280. 

 (London : Edward Stanford, 1907.) Price Jos. 

 The present volume is the forty-sixth of this valuable 

 and unique publication ; it gives, in various forms, the 

 results of observations made at 4267 points in the 

 British Isles. The plan of the work is the same as 

 last year, being divided into two parts : — (i) original 

 papers and organisation reports, (2) monthly and 

 yearly rainfall tables, particulars of wet periods, and 

 observers' notes on the principal meteorological oc- 

 currences of the year. 



Dr. Mill gives an interesting discussion of the great 

 snowstorm of December 25-26, 1906, illustrated by 

 two maps ; one of these shows the rate of movement 

 across the countn' with greater detail than has prob- 

 ably been previously attempted. The area covered by 

 the storm extended from the north-west of Scotland 

 to the English Channel, the advance being least rapid 

 in the north, where it was 125 miles an hour, and 

 most rapid in the south, where it was about ig miles 

 an hour ; a motor-car could have kept out of the 

 storm without exceeding the legal speed limit. 



The frontispiece is a coloured map showing very 

 clearly the relation of the rainfall of 1906 to the aver- 

 age of 1870-99. Generally speaking, the fall over the 

 whole country in iqo6 was near the average ; .Scot- 

 land had a pronounced excess, and Ireland a scarcely 

 less pronounced deficiency. The timely revision and 

 publication of such a mass of materials is only ren- 

 dered possible by the interest taken by the staff in 

 the work and bv some valued voluntary assistance. 

 The usefulness of the undertaking is recognised by 

 such public bodies as the Meteorological Committee, 

 the Metropolitan Water Board, and others, who pay 

 for the information they receive, but the main burden 

 of expense has been hitherto borne by the observers 

 and those interested in rainfall investigations. We 

 agree with Dr. Mill in thinking that no piece of 

 work of equal magnitude is done so cheaply. 



NO, tq8o, vol. 76] 



Le Feste Giubilari di Augusta Righi. Pp. vi + 143. 



(Bologna : Nicola Zanichelli, 1907.) 

 This little work is a Festschrift in honour of Prof. 

 Righi, giving an account of the ceremony recently 

 held to celebrate the completion of his twenty-fifth 

 year of university teaching. This period really 

 expired in 1905, but it was decided by the committee 

 organising the fetes to postpone the celebration so 

 as to make it coincide with the inauguration of the 

 new Institute of Physics at Bologna, which is placed 

 under Prof. Righi 's charge. The ceremony actually 

 took place on April 12. Prof. Righi delivered 

 his first lecture in the new building, choosing 

 for his subject the " Hypothesis of the Electrical 

 Nature of Matter." Prof. Blaserna, on behalf of the 

 subscribers, then presented the lecturer with a bust 

 of himself in bronze. Congratulatory letters and 

 telegrams received from all parts of the world were 

 subsequently read. The Festschrift contains Prof. 

 Righi 's lecture printed in full, together with all 

 speeches, letters, etc., received; it is illustrated with 

 manv photographs of Prof. Righi and of the new 

 institute. A complete list of Prof. Righi 's scientific 

 publications, numbering two hundred and seventeen 

 in all, and a chronological review of his career are 

 appended. 



The Half-tone Process. By Julius Verfasser. Fourth 

 edition. Pp. 348. (London : Iliffe and Sons, Ltd., 

 1907.) Price 55. net. 

 The author describes his work in a sub-title as 

 being " a practical manual of photo-engraving in 

 half-tone on zinc, copper, and brass, with a chapter 

 on three-colour work." In preparing the new edition 

 he has thoroughly revised the work, and added to it 

 so that it describes as far as possible the making and 

 proofing of half-tone blocks as at present practised. 

 The subject is treated in a strictly practical way, 

 obsolete methods and historical details find no place 

 in it, nor does the author venture into the future. 

 Apparatus that even.' worker must buy is not 

 described with excessive minuteness, but such in- 

 formation as is necessary for using it to the best 

 advantage is clearly set forth. No theoretical con- 

 siderations are introduced, except in connection with 

 such matters as the cross-lined screen and the 

 management of electric arc lights, and then only in 

 the simplest manner as being the best guide to the 

 intelligent use of the apparatus .After ten chapters 

 on appliances, the author describes with all necessary 

 formulae the operations of making the negative, 

 printing, etching, finishing, mounting, and proofing 

 the plates. The chapter on the three-colour half-tone 

 process assumes a general knowledge of the principles 

 involved, and refers onlv to the additional manipula- 

 tion necessarv. The two examples of three-colour 

 work are not much credit to the process, but the 

 other illustrations, which are numerous, are useful 

 and good. 



The Alphabet of the Universe: Notes for a Universal 

 Philosophy. Bv Gurney Horner. Pp. 44. (Lon- 

 don: Haymari, Christy and Lilly, Ltd., 1907.) 

 Price IS. net. 

 The aim of the author of these " skeletonic and in- 

 formal notes " is " to find the one objective ' Some- 

 thing ' — a quest in which humanity has hitherto been 

 baffled and defeated." He is so obviously convinced 

 that notwithstanding " the failure of Plato, Aristotle, 

 and all later philosophers," he has really solved " the 

 problem of the Method of the Universe " that he may 

 perhaps be forgiven for allowing his " epoch-making 

 discoven- " to be announced in language which in- 

 evitably prompts the cautious reader to assure himself 



