Jan'uary 11, 1918] 



SCIENCE 



45 



deavor to imitate the author's infinite capacity 

 for taking pains to overcome every difiiculty 

 and eliminate every source of error. By such 

 work modern science is placed on a sure 

 foundation, and besides new avenues of re- 

 search are opened up. It is a mistake to sup- 

 pose that investigations of high precision do 

 not lead to new discoveries. Lord Rayleigh's 

 exact measurements of the densities of the 

 common gases resulted in the discovery of 

 argon, and many similar exaniijles could be 

 given. It would be truer to say that inexact 

 work often leads to discoveries being missed 

 which ought to have been made and besides 

 rough work generally leads to erroneous con- 

 clusions which others have to waste valuable 

 time and energy setting right. Millikan, for 

 example, has had to spend considerable time 

 setting right the erroneous conclusions of 

 Ehrenhaft on the existence of a " sub-electron," 

 conclusions which oiight never to have been 

 drawn. 



Millikan's new book is admirably printed 

 and illustrated and seems very free from typo- 

 graphical errors. It is dedicated to Michel- 

 eon and Eyerson and forms a record of work 

 ■worthy of the inspiration of the former and 

 the generosity of the latter. H. A. W. 



MINERALS OF JAPAN 



Valuable service has been rendered to min- 

 eralogy by Dr. Wada in his editorship of the 

 " Beitrage zur Mineralogie von Japan," the 

 articles in which, in spite of the German 

 title, have been almost all in English. The 

 latest issue^ contains two articles on the min- 

 erals of Korea by Nobuyo Fukuchi, describing 

 specimens of sixty different minerals (pp. 207- 

 228). Other papers treat of prismatic sulphur 

 from Formosa, by Masakiehi Suzuki; the 

 optical properties of danbvirite from Bungo 

 ProviTicc, Japan, by Mikio Kawamura; epidote 

 crystals from Iwaki Province, by Kinzo Naka- 

 shima; ferberite from Kai Province and 

 hiibnerite from Shimotsuke Providence, by Ko- 

 tora Jiimbo. A paper of special interest is 

 that on the aragonite cones formed at the 



1 ' ' Beitrllge zur Mineralogie von Japan, ' ' ed. by 

 T. Wada, No. 5, November, T0ky8, 1915 (pp. 207- 

 305 of the series, one plate). 



Kurujama Geysers, in Yuzawa, Shimotsuke 

 Province, Japan. A cone 30 cm. in height 

 was formed by the hot water of one of the 

 geysers in a period of ten months. 



In his work on '' The Minerals of Japan," 

 Dr. Tsunashiro Wada' gives in concise and 

 systematic form characterizations of the va- 

 rious mineral forms that had been observed 

 in Japan up to the date of his treatise. His 

 thorough training in European methods added 

 to his familiarity with the geology of his na- 

 tive land make this book a trustworthy source 

 of information. The crystallographic details 

 are quite fully given and constitute one of 

 the most valuable features of the work for the 

 mineralogical student. 



As to the metals of Japan, Dr. Wada notes 

 that the richest gold deposits are those on the 

 island of Formosa (p. 12), the chief locali- 

 ties being Zucho Kinkwaseki near Taihoku, 

 in the northeastern part of the island. Quartz 

 veins traversing a volcanic rock are sometimes 

 found bearing a large quantity of native 

 gold. Frequently the yellow surface has a 

 coating of limonite formed by the decomposi- 

 tion of pyrites. There are also alluvial gold 

 deposits in Formosa. In Japan proper the 

 rich placers in the Hokkaido are extensively 

 worked; one crystal from the mining district 

 of Esashi measured 6—10 mm. along the edges 

 of its octahedron. The largest nugget was 

 found in 1900 at the Usotannai in Esashi; it 

 weighed 769.2 grams (2 poimds 15 2/3 dwts. 

 Troy), the dimensions being 106X63X25 

 mm. (p. 13) and the intrinsic value about 

 $500. The oldest known gold mine in Japan 

 is that of Sado. 



As in many parts of the world, platinum 

 is foimd in association with gold in Japan, 

 for example in the Tubari-gawa and Pechan 

 rivers in the Hokkaido, and it occurs with 

 gold and iron sands in Nishi-Mikawa. Cop- 

 per and silver are also met with in a number 

 of localities, but crystallized silver has never 

 been found in Japan. 



Of the ornamental or gem stones the ame- 



2 Tsunashiro Wada, ' ' Minerals of Japan, ' ' 

 transl. by Takudzi Ogawa, TOkyO, 1904, vu + 144 

 pp., 30 pis., 8vo. 



