Apeil 30, 1909] 



SCIENCE 



701 



zone.' While leading to some confusion in 

 the resulting effort to separate Transition zone 

 into upper and lower divisions, this error is 

 largely compensated by the fact that the 

 vertical range of each species is given and 

 the zones can be checked up thereby. When 

 the zone-marking species are accurately 

 mapped over voider areas, such local defects 

 are easily eliminated. 



Approximately ninety pages are devoted to 

 notes on the 139 species of birds, and it is 

 only fair to say that few lists of equal length 

 have contained so much important data on 

 distribution, abundance, migration and habits. 

 A chapter on Bird Population and its Modi- 

 fying Influences throws much light on local 

 migrations up and down the mountains in pur- 

 suit of food, while the bird census and the 

 varying abundance of birds in relation to in- 

 sect food show the vital importance of birds in 

 an agricultural region. The great niunber of 

 nesting records, each with date, exact locality, 

 altitude and zonal surroundings, gives for the 

 first time sufficient data for mapping the 

 breeding zones of many of the species in these 

 mountains and furnishes a mine of material 

 for the student of distribution. The nesting 

 habits, food habits, songs, call notes, rare eggs 

 and rare or little known plumages are de- 

 scribed and much information that is actually 

 new is put on record. 



The notes on 35 species of mammals cover 

 twenty-six pages and are practically all first- 

 hand records of observations on distribution, 

 abundance, food and habits. Many of the 

 species that show local variation or interesting 

 peculiarities are described in detail and in 

 some cases tables of measurements are given. 

 All of these notes are of permanent value and 

 contribute toward a fuller knowledge of our 

 native mammals. 



Eleven pages of notes on lizards and snakes 



^ The same error of extending transition zone 

 to tne upper limit of Pinus jeffreyi was made by 

 Dr. H. M. Hall in his otherwise accurate and 

 excellent botanical survey of the San Jacinto 

 Mountains, and in this case also it led to an 

 effort to separate the zone into upper and lower 

 divisions. (See University of California Publica- 

 tions in Botany, Vol. I., pp. 1-140, 1902.) 



are of importance in defense of these inter- 

 esting, useful and much maligned animals. 



Besides the colored zone map and transverse- 

 section of the mountain zones there are twenty- 

 two full-page plates from photographs of 

 mountain scenery, trees, shrubs, birds' nests 

 and snakes. 



The value of such detailed, accurate and re- 

 liable local surveys is appreciated nowhere 

 more than in the U. S. Biological Survey, 

 which is working along the same liaes over 

 wider fields. 



Vernon Bailey 



The Microscope; an Introduction to Micro- 

 scopic Methods and Histology. By Simon 

 Henry Gage, Professor of Histology and 

 Embryology, Emeritus in Cornell Univer- 

 sity. Tenth edition. Pp. 359, 258 figures. 

 The tenth edition of this well-known book 

 on the microscope retains all the meritorious 

 features which' have contributed to the suc- 

 cess of the former editions. It has been the 

 author's constant desire to have his book rep- 

 resent the " present state of knowledge of the 

 microscope and the technique of its employ- 

 ment." All who have had acquaintance with 

 the former editions (and who among micro- 

 scopists has not?) know how successful he has 

 been in accomplishing this end. In the pres- 

 ent edition, besides incorporating discussions 

 of new or improved features of the microscope 

 and its accessories, additions have been made 

 to the sections^ dealing with the manipulation 

 of materials. 



The same general order of presentation has 

 been followed as in former editions. Of the 

 ten chapters which constitute the work, chap- 

 ters I.-Vii., deal with the microscope and its 

 appliances. Chapter VIII. is given up to 

 various methods of photography (including 

 photographing with a microscope, photograph- 

 ing opaque objects and the surface of metals 

 and alloys, enlargements, etc.) and is rich in 

 practical directions and advice, serviceable to 

 the experienced, as well as to the inexperi- 

 enced, worker. Chapter IX. is devoted to the 

 preparation of reagents, the making of micro- 

 scopic mounts, together with notes and com- 

 ments on materials, methods of storing, and 



