Revie7vs and Book jYo^/ces. 261 



will be gflad to have in a collected form. This ofeneral part of the book 

 concludes with chapters on the description and determination of minerals ; 

 but there are two appendices, one on the thirty-two classes of crystals and 

 the other, rather tantalising- in its brevity, on theories of cr\'stal-structure. 



In the second part of the work the author has constantly borne in mind 

 the difference between a text-book and a book of reference, and has 

 judiciously abstained from hampering- the accounts of the several minerals 

 with a mass of details which no student could hope to remember. Thus, 

 instead of a long- list of localities for each species, we have two or three, 

 with some note of the mode of occurrence of the mineral in each case. 

 There is further a due proportion observed in the prominence given to the 

 several minerals, and the relationship subsisting between different species 

 are clearly brought out. A number of tables appended to the volume will 

 be foimd of great value in the discrimination of minerals by mensurable 

 properties. They include tables of mean refractive index, of birefringence, 

 of optic axial angle, and of specific gravity, the minerals being arrang-ed 

 in each case according to the property specified. 



The book is well illustrated throughout. A new and admirable feature 

 is a number of shaded draw-ing-s of actual crystals or groups of crystals, 

 examples of which we are permitted to g-ive here. Another interesting- 

 illustration is a coloured plate of the interference-figure of a section of 

 orthoclase printed by the three-colour collotype process. — A. H. 



— -*^^ 



Country Rambles. By W. Percival Westell. London : H. J. 

 Drane. 1903. los. 6d. This work is apparently a verbatim reproduction 

 of the autfior's diary, kept during the year 1900. It contains entries for 

 ever)- day in the year, which have reference principally to Hertfordshire. 

 The notes are chiefly ornithological, thoug-h, on dates when nothing- unusual 

 has turned up, references to the weather, or the absence of certain birds, 

 etc., are included. A great number of the entries are of a very trifling- 

 character, and make the perusal of even a few pages very irritating- — 

 ' Lovely day. Most birds singing-.' ' I was tempted out in the g-arden 

 early by the brilliant sunshine, and did a bit of gardening-,' etc., etc. The 

 book is exceptionally well illustrated by photographs and drawings, the 

 former being usually very good, though it is difficult to see in what 

 way some are connected with the work. The numerous photographs 

 illustrating- various phases of bird life are particularly interesting-. 

 Photographs of the Punjaub Wild Sheep, Ibex, Tiger, etc., were rather 

 unexpected, but apparently are the result of a visit made by the author to 

 the Zoo. The book has the advantag-e of an index, from which it appears 

 that some of the commoner birds, etc., have been referred to an enormous 

 number of times — in one instance over a third of the number of daily 

 entries. On looking- them up we find usually the bare statement that the 

 bird was, or was not, seen or heard. 'Country Rambles' is evidently the 

 work of an enthusiast, who must be congratulated on having- kept so 

 complete a diaty, and on having- it published. 



*♦♦ ■ 



Part 29 of the Transactions of the Yorkshire Naturalists' Union, issued 

 (tog-ether with Part 28) to the members for 1902, has been published. It 

 contains the Rev. W. Fowler's presidential address for 1901, the 40th and 

 41st Annual Reports of the Union and lists of members, Reports of the 

 Soppit Memorial Committee, and reprints of the 1901 and 1902 excursion 

 programmes. It can be obtained from the Secretary of the Y. N.L^. at the 

 Museum, Hull. The price to non-members is one shilling-. 



*^^ 



The Birming-ham and Midland Institute Scientific Society has issued 

 a most valuable volume of ' Records of Meteorological Observations taken 

 at the Observatory, Edgbaston, 1902,' by Mr. A. Creswell. Price 2s. The 

 volume contains numerous charts. 



1903 July 1. 



