July 2, 1908J 



NA TURE 



197 



OUR BOOK SHELF. 



The Geology of Coal and Coal-Mining. By Walcot 



Gibson. Pp. x+341. (London : Edward Arnold, 

 190S.) Price 7.S. bd. net. 

 This book is the first of a series of worlds on economic 

 geolcfgy under the general editorship of Dr. J. E. 

 Marr, F.R.S. The author is a recognised authority 

 on the coal-bearing rocks of this country and of South 

 .\frica, and his introduction to the geology of coal 

 is a welcome addition to technical literature that can- 

 not fail to ])rove of great educational value to mining 

 students. General principles of practical significance 

 are dealt with in detail, and the world's coalfields 

 are briefly described. The chemical and physical 

 characters of coal are clearly explained, and chapters 

 are devoted to coal as a rock, the formation and 

 origin of coal, the distribution of coal, fossils as zonal 

 indices, prospecting, the study of an exposed coal- 

 field, and the study of a concealed coalfield. The 

 coalfields of Great Britain are described in three 

 chapters, dealing respectively with the southern, 

 midland, and northern districts, whilst the remaining 

 four chapters are devoted to the coalfields of Con- 

 tinental Europe, the North .'\merican coalfields, the 

 coalfields of .-Vfrica, India, Australia, and .South 

 .America, and the coalfields of China, Central Asia, 

 Japan, New Zealand, and the Dutch East Indies. 



The book is illustrated by eight well-reproduced 

 plates of fossils. The pateontological chapter will 

 undoubtedly prove most useful, as many mining 

 engineers still fail to appreciate the value of fossil 

 evidence, and the information given by the author 

 ' will enable the student to see how far one part of 

 the Carboniferous formation may be distinguished 

 from the other. Besides the plates, there are in the text 

 thirty-seven sl<etch-maps and sections of the various 

 coalfields. .Although somewhat crudely executed, 

 these illustrations are clear and instructive. The least 

 satisfactory chapter in the book is that describing the 

 coalfields of Continental Europe, which is disfigured 

 by a number of typographical errors, such as " Tap- 

 litz " for Teplitz, " Peckkohle " for Pechkohle, 

 " Creusot " for Le Creusot, " Asturia " for Asturias, 

 and by eccentricities in geographical nomenclature, 

 such as " Pologne " for Poland, " Cracovie " for 

 Cracow, and " the province of Oviedo in Asturia " 

 for the province of Oviedo, or, as it was formerly 

 termed, Asturias. 

 Die Vegetation der Erdc. \TII. Grundziige der 



Pfianzenvcrbrcitung in Chile. Bv Dr. Karl Reiche. 



Pp. xiv + 374. (Leipzig : W. Engelmann, 1907.) 



Price 30 marks. 

 The first half-dozen volumes of the series were con- 

 cerned with European regions, then followed a mono- 

 graph on West .Australia, after which comes the 

 volume under notice. The State of Chile has been 

 frequently visited by explorers, and among the early 

 writings the histories by Padre Ovallo (1646) and 

 von Diego de Rosales (1647) both claim attention for 

 their phytogeographical descriptions. Subsequently 

 the flora of the country has been studied by manv 

 scientific men, including Sir William and Sir Joseph 

 Hooker; but to R. A. Philippi and his son must be 

 accredited the first place in the exploration and iden- 

 tification of the botanical resources of the country, while 

 in recent years the author has contributed in no small 

 measure to a better and more accurate knowledge. 



.Apart from the consideration of characteristic plants 

 arranged according to their orders, ecology is presented 

 under the various aspects of vegetation forms, plant 

 formations, biology and sketches of the vegetation. 

 The latter are too detailed to convey definite impres- 

 sions to the general botanist, being more suited to the 

 traveller on the spot ; but the morphological notes 



NO. 201S, VOL. 7S] 



and catalogue of plant forms present a good idea of 

 the most striking features met with in Chilian plants. 

 Many of the parasites are remarkable, such as the 

 species of Phrygilanthus and Cuscuta, and especially 

 the unique Piloslylcs Bcrtcrii, that lives entirely inside 

 its host except when it thrusts out its small flowers; 

 lianes abound, and various other climbing plants, 

 while epiphytes are not so numerous, but the genus 

 Tillandsia is interesting. The remarks on devices for 

 checking transpiration are supplemented by drawings 

 of leaf-sections, and the notes on the biology of the 

 flowers and fruits are attractive. Comparisons are 

 instituted with the floras of California, New Zealand, 

 and the .Argentine as a prelude to a discussion of the 

 origin of the flora. 



The author deserves a full measure of praise for 

 the excellent and careful manner in which he has 

 summarised the enormous amount of information con- 

 tained in more than six hundred contributions. Two 

 distribution charts and fifty reproductions of photo- 

 graphs add to the completeness of the work. 

 From a Hertfordshire Cottage. By W. Beach 



Thomas. Pp. viii-l-294. (London : '.Alston Rivers, 



Ltd., 1908.) Price 35. 6d. 

 This recent addition to the numerous English books 

 dealing with what has come to be known as nature- 

 study is evidently the work of a careful observer of 

 natural phenomena. To a first-hand knowledge of the 

 open-air life of the country Mr. Thomas adds the 

 power of clear and pleasing expression, and his col- 

 lection of essays deserves to be read widely. The 

 volume is in no sense a text-book; its design is rather 

 to attract attention to the beauties and Wonders of 

 familiar natural objects. Some of the essays are 

 suft'icient evidence that scientific subjects can be de- 

 scribed pleasingly in literary language. 



The Open Air. By Richard Jefi'eries. With illustra- 

 tions by Rulh Dollman. Pp. xii-(-234. (London : 

 Chatto and Windus, igoS.) Price S-^- net. 

 .All lovers of nature know the writings of Richard 

 Jefferies, and admire his power of bringing a breath 

 of country air, as it were, to accompany the reading of 

 his essays. Many nature students, whether they have 

 previously made the author's acquaintance or not, will 

 delight in this volume. Miss Dolman has succeeded 

 by her well-chosen and skilfully executed pictures in 

 adding charm to work which was already beautiful. 



School Hygiene. By Robert A. Lyster. Pp. viii+360. 



(London : W. B. Clive, University Tutorial Press, 



Ltd., 1908.) Price 35. bd. 

 This book " largely consists of the material of the 

 various courses of lectures to teachers " in the West 

 Riding and Midlands. But the chapters have none of 

 the looseness usually associated with lectures. On the 

 contrary, the book is succinct and well arranged. It 

 incorporates much of the most recent work. It is well 

 adapted for the training of teachers in school hvpiene 

 generally, as well as in the special personal hygiene 

 that forms an indispensable preliminary to an effective 

 system of medical inspection of school children. 



The Ethics of Nature. By M. Deshumbcrt. Trans- 

 lated from the French by I. M. Hartmann. With 

 an introduction by Henry James. Pp. 144. (London : 

 D. Nutt, 1908.) Price not stated. 

 This little volume is filled with common-sense teach- 

 ing. The morality advocated is based upon natural 

 laws, errs rightly on the side of severity, and indi- 

 cates many conflicts in w'hich the best of men even 

 will find effort enough necessary. Many problems 

 are discussed w-hich have engaged the attention of 

 moralists in every age, and even if they are not solved, 

 the method of dealing with them provides abundant 

 food for thought. 



