19: 



NA rURE 



[Al-RIL 15, 1909 



labelled as poisonous, and bear the name and address 

 of the seller ; but the latter need not be a registered 

 chemist, as in the case of the scheduled poisons. 



On the other hand, greater facilities are given for 

 obtaining certain toxic substances used in agriculture 

 and horticulture. In country places there has often 

 been difficulty in obtaining poisonous insecticides, 

 fungicides, and bactericides, as also sheep-dips and 

 weed-killers containing arsenic or nicotine ; it has 

 consequently been enacted that these articles may 

 henceforth be sold by any persons duly licensed for 

 the purpose by the local authority. No doubt this 

 provision will be a convenience in rural districts, and 

 will to this extent assist the farmer in dealing with 

 the pests which encumber agriculture. 



C. SiMMONDS. 



RAINFALL IN ITALY^ 



'T* HE Italian Meteorological Department has issued 

 -'- an important work on the rainfall of Italy. 

 The tabular matter contains the total precipitation 

 and the number of rain-days for each month of the 

 twent3'-six years 1880 to 1905 for 215 of the 700 

 rainfall stations in connection with the Italian office. 

 The records are not complete in all cases, but fifteen 

 years is the shortest period dealt with. The largest 

 annual total is 90 inches, at Gemona, near the 

 Austrian frontier, the smallest i8'6 inches, at Foggia. 

 On looking through the tables we are struck by the 

 fact that no attempt seems to be made to secure uni- 

 formity of exposure for the gauges. The heights 

 above the ground vary between 60 metres and half a 

 metre. A set of excellent coloured plates shows the 

 average rainfall conditions for each month, each 

 season, and for the whole year. 



The seasonal variation of rainfall differs widelv 

 in different regions. In the extreme north we have 

 a single very pronounced maximum at midsummer, 

 while in Sicily there is an equally pronounced mid- 

 winter maximum. The one curve is almost exactlv 

 the reverse of the other. Over the northern plains 

 and in the northern half of the peninsula there are 

 two maxima, one in May, the other in October or 

 November, the latter being the more pronounced. 

 Over the southern half of the peninsula the winter 

 rains make themselves felt, and we find a principal 

 maximum in October and secondary maxima in 

 January and April. The preparation of the work has 

 been in charge of Dr. Filippo Eredia. 



SIMPLE STUDIES IN NATURAL HISTORY. - 



n^HE subject of forest trees is such an attractive 

 -•• one and is just now so much to the fore that 

 the little book at the head of our list ought to have 

 a warm reception. It is well illustrated by thirty-two 

 coloured drawings of trees, their leaves, flowers, and 

 fruits, and the text is simply and w-ell written. For 

 children such a work is invaluable, and will enable 

 them to identify trees with great ease. At the present 

 time, when so much ruthless destruction is being 

 effected in country districts by the wholesale felling 

 of young and old timber, it is urgentlv necessary to 

 emphasise the value of trees. This little book should 



1 " Le pi'ecipltazioni atmosferiche in Ital 

 Jell Ufficio Centrale Meteorologico e Geodi 

 parte i. 



_ - "Trees shown to the Children." By Janet Harvey Kel 

 described by C. E. Smith. Pp. xiv + 131 ; with 32 coloured plate 

 burgh and Lojidon ; T. C. and E. C. lack.) Price 2i ' ' 



" Animals at Home." By W. P. Westell. Pp. 240 

 Dent and Co., 190S.) Price 31. 6rf. 



"Nature Study." By J. R. Ainsivorth Divi^. M..\ 

 (T-ondon : Dent and Co., igo8.) Price zj. 6-i. 



NO. 2059, VOL. 80] 



dal_ 1880 al 1905." Annals 



Itali 



:4 plates. ( 

 Pp. 



ol. 



tan. and 

 , (Edin- 



London : 



xii + 274. 



be especially useful, not only in teaching the different 

 kinds and their uses, but also in nurturing that affec- 

 tion for the noblest of plants which must be more 

 widely entertained if the policy of devastation is to 

 be checked. 



Mr. Westell's stories form a complete contrast to 

 this unassuming work on trees. They consist of re- 

 prints from publications of the Society for the Pre- 

 vention of Cruelty to Animals, and contain a series 

 of sketches of animal life that is disjointed, unor- 

 ganised, and sententious. There are so many good 

 books on this subject suitable for children that it 

 is difificult to see on what grounds this series has been 

 resuscitated. The affection of the author for flies is 



Drinker moth (Onniust/s /ola/nr/a) just emerged from Cocoon. 

 From Prof. Ainsworth Davis's " Nature Study." 



not a very discriminating one. The pupal stage of 

 the house-fly does not last " some weeks," nor is 

 the blue-bottle fly a desirable acquaintance. The style 

 of the author may be judged from the following refer- 

 ence to the feet of the house-fly : — " The adhesive 

 power of our little feet is not impaired when atmo- 

 spheric pressure is removed," a sentence that is fol- 

 lowed by the naive remark, " I have tried to make 

 (this explanation) as simple as possible, and trust I 

 have succeeded " ; or, again, apropos of the lapwing, 

 " Notice the lapping movement carried out, after 

 which we have been accorded one of our English 

 names," a sentence that is as cryptic as it is ungainly. 



