Masch 26, 1915] 



SCIENCE 



465 



around Worcester, Mass., and, about the same 

 time, in Pittsfield. 



These sporadic and easily traceable migra- 

 tions of the cotton worm moth, in the opinion 

 of the writer, afford a rare opportunity, with 

 the cooperation of many observers, for a thor- 

 ough investigation into the causes of insect 

 dispersal. Such an investigation would be 

 likely to bring to light some important facts, 

 of common interest to students of evolution 

 and of economic entomology. 



John H. Geeould 



Daktmouth College, 

 Hanovee, N. H. 



SCIENTIFIC BOOKS 



Sugar Analysis: For Cane-sugar and Beet- 

 sugar Houses, Refineries and Experiment 

 Stations and as a Handbooh of Instruction 

 in Schools of Chemical Technology. By 

 Ferdinand G. Wiechmann, Ph.D. New 

 York, Jno. Wiley & Sons. Third edition. 

 8vo. Pp. xiii-f307. 7 figs. Cloth, $3.00. 

 The author " has endeavored to cast his 

 material in a form in which it would prove 

 most readily available in the several branches 

 of the sugar industry," and has reduced repe- 

 tition to a minimum. " The methods and 

 means used in the analysis of sugar and in 

 the analysis of materials used in sugar pro- 

 duction, have first been fully discussed, and 

 then specific analytical control of cane-sugar 

 manufacture, of beet-sugar manufacture, and 

 of refining, has been taken up for detailed 

 consideration." 



The first seven chapters are devoted to 

 Properties of Sucrose; Instruments Used in 

 Sugar Laboratories; Polariscopes and Acces- 

 sories; Sucrose Determination by Optical 

 Analysis; Sucrose Determination by Chemical 

 Analysis; Sucrose Determination by Optical 

 and Chemical Analysis; and. Constituents of 

 Sugar Other Than Sucrose; the eighth 

 chapter to Materials Used in the Sugar Indus- 

 try, the ninth, tenth and eleventh chapters, 

 respectively, to Analytical Control in Cane- 

 sugar Manufacture; Analytical Control in 

 Beet-sugar Manufacture ; and, Analjrtical Con- 

 trol in Refineries. In the tweKth chapter, a 

 Resume of the Work of the International 



Commission for Uniform Methods of Sugar 

 Analysis is given. Twenty weU-selected sugar 

 tables and the index to the volume occupy the 

 last 70 pages. 



The portions dealing with the properties of 

 sucrose, instruments, polariscope and acces- 

 sories, sucrose determination by optical meth- 

 ods, by chemical methods, by optical and chem- 

 ical methods, and the constituents of sugar 

 other than sucrose, are clear in definition 

 without being overburdened with detailed 

 description to be found in references cited. 

 In some instances, however, more detailed di- 

 rections would add value to the volume when 

 being used for instructional purposes. For 

 example, on page 123, in the direction for the 

 determination of woody fiber, no precaution, 

 such as covering the beaker with washed 

 muslin, etc., is directed to prevent loss of por- 

 tions of fiber in decanting, other than : " The 

 water ... is decanted carefully, in order to 

 avoid any loss of the weighed sample." 



On pages 71 and 178-179, in giving the 

 method of Clerget, the author states that the 

 use of subacetate of lead as a clarifying agent 

 is not permissible, recommending, on page 71, 

 specially prepared blood-carbon, and on pages 

 178-179 specially prepared bone-black, " if a 

 decolorant must be used." 



Some of the methods given in chapter 8, 

 for the analysis of materials used in the 

 sugar industry, could be substituted by more 

 modern and expedient ones. That given on 

 page 146, for the determination of calcium 

 sulphide, could be substituted by the more 

 expedient evolution method used in the steel 

 and iron industry. On page 151, seventh line 

 from the top, in the method for the determina- 

 tion of total phosphoric acid in phosphate 

 paste, the direction, after making alkaline with 

 ammonia and clearing with nitric acid, is : 

 " Add about 10 grams of ammonium nitrate." 

 This is neither necessary nor advisable, when 

 the method of solution is that recommended 

 at the top of the same page, viz., by nitric 

 and hydrochloric acids. The rest of the 

 method, as outlined on this page, could be 

 substituted by that of the Association of Offi- 

 cial Agricultural Chemists as given in Bul- 

 letin 107, Bureau of Chemistry. On page 153, 



