Junk 30, 1899.] 



SCIENCE. 



911 



the predictions in the almanacs, which were 

 first printed in Latin and afterwards in the 

 language of the country where they appeared. 

 Such an almanac, the Bauern-Kalender, or 

 peasants' calendar, having symbols to represent 

 the predicted weather, is still published in the 

 Austrian Tyrol. The custom of writing ac- 

 counts of extraordinary meteorological events is 

 very old, and, after the invention of printing, 

 these reports, in pamphlet form or on single 

 sheets, were widely distributed throughout Eu- 

 rope. As they were intended for the people, 

 few have been preserved in libraries, but some 

 of these are here reproduced. 



The volume contains S3 pages of historical 

 and critical introduction and 26 facsimiles of 

 German, French, English, Italian, Spanish, 

 Danish and Dutch tracts, most of them curi- 

 ously illustrated. Probably to no other person 

 than Dr. Hellmann would so many rare works 

 in all parts of Europe be accessible, and his 

 scholarly preface greatly aids the comprehen- 

 sion of these interesting specimens of ancient 

 weather lore. One or two copies of the vol- 

 ume may be obtained for the publisher's price, 

 viz. , 20 Marks, or $5, from the undersigned, at 

 Hyde Park, Mass. 



A. L. RoTCH. 



BOOKS RECEIVED. 



Proceedings of the Fourth International Congress of 

 Zoology, Cambridge, 2-2-27 August, 1S9S. Lon- 

 don, C. J. Clay & Sons. 1S99. Pp. xiv + 422 

 and 15 plates. 15s. net. 



Cinematique et mecanismes poleniiel et mecanique des 

 Jluides. H. PorxcAEE. Paris, Carre et C. Naud. 

 1896. Pp. 385. 



Alaska and the Klondike. Angelo Heilpein. New 

 York, D. Appleton & Co. 1899. Pp. x + 312. 



Leiifaden der Kartenentwurfslehre. Kael Zoppeitz, 

 Leipzig, Teubner. 1899. Pp. x + 178. Mark 4.80, 



Der Gang des 3Ienschen. II part. Otto Fischer, 

 Leipzig, Teubner. Pp. 130 and 12 plates. Mark 8, 



Elektrische TJntersuchungen. "W. G. Hankel. Ah 

 handlung der mathematisoh-physischen Classe der 

 kuniglichen sachsischen Gesellschaft der Wissen 

 sohaften. Leipzig, Teubner. 1899. Vol. 24. Pp, 

 471-97 and 2 plates. Mark 2. 



Practical Physiology. Db. Buegh Biech. Philadel 

 phia, Blakiston's Son & Co. 1899. Pp. x 

 273. $1.75. 



The Steam Engine and Gas and Oil Engines. John 

 Peeey. New York and London, The Macmillan 

 Company. 1899. Pp. viii -f 646. 



Geological Results, based on 3Iatcrial from New Britain^ 

 Neio Guinea, Loyally Islands and elsewhere, collected 

 during the years 1S95-7. Cambridge, The Univer- 

 sity Press. 1899. Pp. 35G and 5 plates. 



SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS AND ARTICLES. 



The Journal of Geology, April-May, 1899. — 

 H. F. Reid, 'The Variations of Glaciers,' pp 

 217-225. Professor Reid presents the fourth, 

 of his summaries of observations on the ad- 

 vance and retreat of glaciers in different parts 

 of the world. While recession is the rule, 

 there are some instances of advance, and some 

 evidence has been gathered of recurrent cycles 

 of maxima and minima. In the case of two- 

 Swiss glaciers the periods proved, respectively, 

 44 and 51 years. 



G. C. Curtis and J. B. Woodworth, Nan- 

 tucket, ' A Morainal Island,' pp. 226-236. 

 The former author describes a recently con- 

 structed model of Nantucket, and the latter its 

 geology. 



Mark S. W. Jefferson, ' Beach Cusps,' pp. 

 237-246. The small cusps along beaches are 

 explained by the action of retreating high 

 waves, whose waters breach the strip of seaweed 

 that is usually present just above the line of 

 ordinary waves, and that binds the shingle 

 together. Between the breaches the cusps 

 gather at intervals of ten to forty feet. 



Walter D. Wilcox, ' A Certain Type of Lake 

 Formation in the Canadian Rockies,' pp. 247- 

 260. Interesting data are given regarding the 

 glacial phenomena of the Canadian Rockies, 

 and particularly regarding Lake Louise. A 

 means of estimating the time since the retreat 

 of the great ice sheet is suggested, but for lack 

 of the necessary apparatus it has not been car- 

 ried out. 



J. P. Goode, 'The Pir.icy of the Yellow- 

 stone,' pp. 261-271. Recent changes in the 

 drainage of Yellowstone Lake are described and 

 explained. The Yellowstone River, as at pres- 

 ent known, appears to be of development in 

 late geological time. 



C. E. Monroe and E. E. Teller, ' The Fauna 

 of the Devonian at Milwaukee, Wis.,' pp. 272- 



