ii2 Northern News, etc. 



Nature Study Lessons Seasonably Arranged, by J. B. Philip. Cambridge 

 University Press, 147 pages. 2s. 6d. net. This book belongs to a clas& 

 which should never be written — a nature study book to be placed in the 

 hands of children. ' Nature Study ' should be a study of nature, not of 

 somebody's talk about it. There is nothing in the book to commend it 

 to anybody. In his preface, the author claims a sequence for his lessons ; 

 it goes no deeper than talking about fruits in autumn, flowers in summer, 

 and germination in spring. There is an amazing lack of grasp of the 

 mental capacity of a child of eleven to fourteen betrayed in the choice of 

 subjects and the range of questions. If it is profitable to stimulate a 

 child's intellect by telling it that the stalk of an apple performs two services — 

 first to fasten the apple to the tree and second to enable it to drop off — it 

 is surely far beyond the same child's powers to investigate in detail the 

 structure of a cocoa-nut, discover its ' homologues ' as compared with the 

 apple, and in turn compare the latter with the orange. Will a twelve-year 

 old really follow the reasoning which goes to show that the dots in the 

 pulp of the apple are ' vestigial structures ? ' The book is said to represent 

 a session's work; the first chapter alone describes all the physiological 

 processes of plant life, and, from the material of four Snapdragon plants 

 supplied to the Class, elicits information not only about every normal 

 plant organ, but about spines, tendrils, suckers, stings, flower sheaths. 

 As examples of some of the exercises set, the following are typical : — (1) 

 Write the names of the red and yellow paints in your paint box. (2) 

 Pound an apple stalk in a mortar, tease the material out in water, examine 

 under a microscope to detect the sap-tubes. (3) How are shop window 

 apples polished ? (4) Make a microscopic examination of the green sub- 

 stance in the interior of a cabbage leaf. Are both types of question 

 sensible ? The writer is very fluent. 



We notice the price of two of our monthly entomological magazines is 

 now 9d. net per month. 



In Animal World for February is an illustrated note on ' Swans and 

 Swanneries,' by F. M. Burton. 



The Journal of Conchology for January contains a part of the Presi- 

 dential Address of Mr. R. Standen ' On the Calcareous Eggs of Terrestrial 

 Mollusca.' 



Three interesting abnormalities of the beetle Prasocuris fund, from 

 Barnard Castle, are recorded in The Entomologist's Monthly Magazine 

 for February. 



The Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society for 191 5 contains 

 four parts, one of which was issued in September, 191 5, two during 191 6, 

 and one in January, 1917. 



In The Zoologist for December, the editor informs us that the necessary 

 increased support from subscribers has not been forthcoming during 

 1916 ; consequently the publication ceases. 



We regret to record the death of Mr. Harvy Sheppard, F.E.I.S., head- 

 master of the Craven Street Higher Grade School, Hull, at the age of 66. 

 He was the pioneer of Science teaching in Hull. 



In the Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society, No. 284, Messrs. 

 W. H. Wilcockson and R. H. Rastall write on ' The Accessory Minerals 

 of the Granitic Rocks of the English Lake District.' 



The Board of Agriculture and Fisheries has issued three special leaflets 

 Nos. 67-9, dealing with ' Economy in using Potatoes,' ' Hints on Purchasing 

 " Seed " Potatoes,' ' The Culture of Early Potatoes Under Glass.' 



The Annual Report of the Spalding Gentlemen's Society for 1916, 

 contains particulars of many valuable additions to the Society's Museum 

 and Library, and we are glad to notice particular attention is paid to the 

 objects relating to the Spalding district. 



Naturalist 



