112 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. II. No. 30. 



plants pentose molecules are formed in com- 

 plex molecules of liexosans in which a part 

 or all of the aldehyde groups have been 

 bound by condensation, and are thereby 

 preserved from further oxidation. He con- 

 siders the pentoses to be formed from hex- 

 oses by the end alcohol group being oxidized 

 and then losing carbon dioxide. The in- 

 vestigation was onlj" carried far enough to 

 show that probably the hexosans are oxi- 

 dized to the aldehyde. 



H. C. Jones publishes the results of a 

 method that can be used for the determina- 

 tion of formic acid by oxidizing it with 

 potassium permanganate. The method he 

 used was as follows : After making the 

 formic acid solution alkaline with sodium 

 carbonate, it was treated with an excess of 

 a standard solution of potassium permanga- 

 nate. The formic acid was all oxidized to 

 carbon dioxide and water. The solution 

 was then acidified and a measured volume 

 of osaUc acid run in until the solution be- 

 came clear, and the excess of acid deter- 

 mined by the permanganate solution. The 

 two solutions were then compared and the 

 necessary data secured for calculating the 

 amount of formic acid. 



Several reviews of books on chemistry are 

 included in this number, the principal one 

 being the review of Palmer's translation of 

 ISTernst's ' Theoretical Chemistry.' 



J. Elliott Gilpin. 



NEW BOOKS. 

 'Zeit- unci Streitfragen der Biologie. Oscar 

 Hektwig. Vol. I. Jena, Gustav Fischer. 



1894. Pp. iv+143. M 3. 



Report of the International Meteorological Con- 

 gress. Pt. II. Edited by Oliver L. Fas- 

 siG. Washington, "Weather Bureau. 



1895. Pp. 583. 



The Gospel of Buddha. Paul Carus. Chi- 

 cago, The Open Court Publishing Co. 

 1895. Pp. xiv+275. 35 cents. 



The Cell. Oscar Hertwig. Translated by 

 M. Campbell and edited bj^ Henry John- 

 ston Campbell. London, Swan & Son- 

 nenschien. 'New York, Macmillan & Co. 

 1895. Pp. vi-f368. S3. 



Hydrodynamics. Horace Lamb. Cambridge 

 University Press. New York, Macmillan 

 & Co. 1895. Pp. xviii+604. S6.25. 



Transactions of the American Institute of Elec- 

 trical Engiiieers. Vol. IX. New York 

 City, The Institute. 1894. Pp. xii+938. 



Petrology for Students. A. Harker. Cam- 

 bridge University Press. New York, 

 Macmillan & Co. 1895. 12mo. $2. 



The Great Frozen Land. Frederick George 

 Jackson. New York and London, Mac- 

 millan & Co. 1895. Pp. 414. $3.25. 



Annuario publicato pelo Observatorio do Rio de 

 Janeiro. Eio Janeiro, Lombaerts & C 

 1895. Pp. x+374. 



Studies in Spherical and Practical Astronomy. 

 George C. Comstock. Madison, Wis., 

 The University. 1895. Pp. 106. 40 

 cts. 



Experimental Study of Field Methods which icill 

 insure to Stadia Measurements greatly in- 

 creased Accuracy. Leonard Sew al Smith. 

 Madison, Wis., The University. 1895. 

 Pp. 145. 35 cts. 



A Contribution to the Mineralogy of Wisconsin. 

 William Herbert Hobbs. Madison, 

 Wis., The University. 1895. Pp. 156. 

 40 cts. 



On the Quartz Keratophyre and associated 

 Rocks of the North Range of the Baraboo 

 Bluffs. Samuel Weidman. Madison, 

 Wis., The University. 1895. Pp. 56. 

 25 cts. 



The Finances of the United States from 1775 

 to 17S9 with especial reference to the Budget. 

 Charles J. Bullock. Madison, Wis., 

 The University. 1895. Pp. viii-f 273. 75 

 cts. 



Inductive Psychology. E. A. Kirkparick. 

 New York and Chicago, E. L. Kellogg 

 & Co. 1895. Pp. 208. 



