Revicivs and Book Notices. 379 



Heroes of Science, by C. R. Gibson. London : Seeley, Service and Co., 

 1913, 358 pp., price 3/-. 



This book is evidently primarily intended as a prize for advanced 

 scholars, and as such is all that can be wished. It deals with the lives and 

 work of the greatest of our scientific men, the frontispiece appropriately 

 being a portrait of Lord Kelvin, with his compass for use on iron ships. 

 As might be expected, the author refers largely to the physicists, their 

 ' lives, sacrifices, sucoesses and failures.' He also deals with the principal 

 discoveries in science, and well illustrates the extraordinary way in which 

 these bear upon our everyday life. The work includes an account of 

 ' University Professors of two thousand years ago.' and among the 

 other ' heroes ' referred to are Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, Newton, 

 Franklin, Priestley, the Herschels, Dalton, Davy, Faraday, Darwin, 

 Kelvin, Maxwell, etc. The various essays are well written, the type used 

 is good, the cover is gaudy, and the paper is poor. 



The Horse and its Relatives. By R. Lydekker. London : G. Allen 

 and Co., 1912, 28() pp., los. 6d. net. 



Some little time ago we had the pleasure of noticing a valuable work on 

 ' The Ox,' by the same prolific writer, and the present may be described 

 as a fitting companion thereto, except, unfortunately, that it is of a different 

 size. But Mr. I^ydekker, with his enormous knowledge and his ready 

 access to the National Collections is naturally able to produce a volume 

 with the latest possible information upon any of the various subjects with 

 which he deals. Primarily the present work is intended for the naturalist, 

 but it will also appeal to big-game hunters, antiquaries, horse-breeders, 

 and even racing men. The chapters refer to the Zoological Position and 

 Structure of the Horse, the Wild Tarpan and its relations. Horses and 

 Ponies in the British Islands, Foreign Breeds, Arab horses, Ferel horses, 

 the Kiang and Onager Group, Zebras and Quaggas, the Ass, Mules and other 

 Hybrids, and the extinct forerunners of the horse. The last chapter 

 appeals to us the most. The volume is particularly well illustrated. 



British Plant Galls. By E. W. S wanton. London : Methuen & Co., 

 287 pp., 7s. 6d. net. 



We were surprised to find from the publishers' announcement that 

 ' here probably for^ the first time, we have a whole volume devoted to those 

 curious excrescenses on leaves and branches which the wayfarer so often 

 notices and so rarely understands,' and disappointed to find that in the 

 author's preface no mention whatever is made of Connold's much more 

 substantial work on ' British Vegetable Galls,' to which, with all due 

 deference, Mr. Swanton must certainly be greatly indebted. Nor does 

 Sir Jonathan Hutchinson, who provides an ' introduction ' to the present 

 volume, appear to be aware of its existence. From the very few and very 

 casual references in the text, however, it is apparent that Mr. Swanton 

 has knowledge of the earlier and larger work. Of cour.se things might 

 have been different if Connold were still among us ; but though he is not 

 here to speak for himself, we hardly think a later worker on the same 

 lines and on the same subject, is justified in so pointedly ignoring what 

 has been done before. After this grumble, which we feel necessary in 

 memory of Connold, we can say that those who have not his work, and are 

 interested in what Mr. Swanton calls ' Cecidology ' (an odd word to escape 

 from an ' Educational Museum ') will do well to purchase the new book. 

 There are nine chapters dealing with the various forms of galls, an ex- 

 tensive catalogue of British gall plants, a bibliography, and an index. 

 There are several photographic and diagrammatic illustrations, including 

 sixteen in colours by Miss M. K. Spittal. It is unfortunate that ' the line 

 intended to serve as an index to the size of the insect is in all cases one- 

 third in excess of the actual length,' especially as many may not notice the 

 little note drawing attention to this rather important fact. 



1912 Dec. I. 



