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REVIEWS AND BOOK NOTICES. 



Symbiosis : A Socio -Physiological Study of Evolution, by 

 H. Reinheimer. Headley Bros., 295 pp., 15/- net. This is a solid and 

 somewhat technical exposition of the author's theories that ' good (i.e., 

 symbiogenetic) survival tends more and more towards pacific and equal 

 interchange and increase of the means of life ; bad survival is on the down- 

 ward path of destructive despoliation of or parasitism, and is doomed in 

 the long or short run to extinction.' Without clearly grasping all his 

 arguments, we can gauge the nature of some of his opinions from the 

 statement (p. 164) that 'views similar to the co-operative interpretation 

 of evolution for which I have now for some years contended, have recently 

 been advanced by . . . the editor of Country Side,' etc. 



Well-boring for Water, Brine and Oil: A Manual of Current 

 Practice. By G. Isler. London : E. and F. N. Spon. 3rd edition. 

 259 pp., i6s. net. The fact that this book has reached its third edition 

 is some evidence of its value. It is the work of a practical man, and 

 the numerous illustrations of the various methods of boring show that 

 the author is qualified to write on the subject. An idea of the scope of 

 the volume can be ascertained from the following titles to the eleven 

 chapters : — Preface — -Geological Considerations — Dug Wells — Driven 

 Tube Wells — Bored Tube Wells — Kind-Chaudron Deep-boring System 

 —Dm Deep-boring System — Mather and Piatt Deep-boring System — 

 American Rope-boring System — Deep-boring with Diamond Drills — ■ 

 Raising Water — Table of Aqueous Formations in the United Kingdom 

 and Notes of Districts where such Formations exist. 



The Place-Names of Northumberland and Durham. By Allen 

 Mawer. Cambridge University Press, pp. xxxviii.-|-2 72. 20s. net. 

 Students are greatly indebted to the Cambridge University Press for a 

 number of scholarly works dealing with the place-names, to which is 

 now added the volume before us. The author has received much infor- 

 mation from the late Prof. Moorman, to whom he dedicates the book. 

 Prof. Mawer deals with the Celtic, English, Scandinavian and French 

 elements in the place-names ; there is a chapter on ' Names in -itig,' a 

 fine bibliography, and then an alphabetical list of the place-names, with 

 various scholaraly comments thereon. The second part of the book 

 deals with ' Elements found on the second part of place-names or used 

 by themselves ' ; and part 3, ' Personal names found as the first element 

 in place-names.' There is much of interest to the naturalist, geologist, 

 and archaeologist in the volume, which is one of the best of its kind 

 in the English language. 



A New Activity? A treatise on Mrs. Dickinson's Discovery of a 

 ' New Radio-activity,' with some notes on Radium, by F. A. Hotblack. 

 Jarrold, Ltd., 195 pp., price 10/6. We believe we have met the author 

 of this book, we have certainly met the lady whose portrait appears as 

 frontispiece, and we have often chatted with Mr. A. W. Oke, who, we 

 are informed in large type, ' contributes a Foreword,' (such ' foreword ' 

 occupying less than four lines), in which Mrs. Dickinson's researches are 

 described as ' Radio-Activity in the Service of Man.' Yet with all these 

 advantages, and a perusal of the volume, we regret we cannot say what 

 is the precise nature of the ' discovery.' Some crystals found on some 

 tissue paper under the lid of some cream soap preparation were found to 

 be ' radio-active,' and by their aid wool has been cleaned, yeastless bread 

 has been produced, corroded water pipes have been cleaned ; they mark 

 glass, burn the skin, aerate water, arc antiseptic, make cement and con- 

 crete, improve the heating power of coal, preserve fruit, improve plant 

 seeds, make hair grow, soften and disintegrate ores, clean paper, stimulate 

 animal life, improve wine, improve tobacco, felt and clay, preserve 

 milk, heal wounds, etc., and even (p. 168) we learn that ' after 24 hours 

 [in the cold store, the temperature being 27° F.] the sample of Mrs. 

 Dickinson's water was found to be an unfrozen liquid.' As we have said, 

 we can't make out what the new discovery is, but it must be wonderful. 



Naturalist 



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