Pebkuaby 27, 19] 4] 



SCIENCE 



329 



In the descriptive portion, extending over 

 215 pages, the classification of minerals ac- 

 cording to elements is followed. The mineral 

 descriptions are generally adequate, although 

 native copper is disposed of in about one half 

 page and with but four lines devoted to the 

 Lake Superior occurrence. The statistics re- 

 lating to the production of minerals are for 

 1910. 



This edition of von Kobell's mineralogy of 

 only 405 pages is much more comprehensive 

 than any other text on the subject of similar 

 compass. The authors are to be congratulated 

 upon the clear and concise manner in which 

 this wealth of material has been presented. 



Edward H. Kraus 

 mineralogical laboratory, 

 University of Michigan 



Outlines of Theoretical Chemistry. By Fred- 

 erick H. Getman, Ph.D. John Wiley & 

 Sons. 1913. Pp. ix + 46Y. 

 This book is written primarily for the use 

 of students beginning the study of physical 

 chemistry. It is always interesting to have 

 the vievsrpoint of a new author in such an ex- 

 tended field as modem physical chemistry. 

 The array of facts and theories in the recent 

 literature of physical chemistry is so vast that 

 necessarily each teacher must be content to 

 select what he considers to be the most impor- 

 tant principles and of need neglect others. 

 Dr. Getman has chosen to chapter and classify 

 nineteen lines of discussion. After discussing 

 briefly the atomic theory and the periodic law, 

 the conventional fields of physical chemistry 

 are developed historically in most cases. This 

 historical treatment is carefully handled for 

 the most part, the tendency being throughout 

 the book to treat the subjects considered from 

 the viewpoint of the original investigators. 

 While this treatment is excellent in most 

 cases, a little more personality injected would 

 clear certain points. For example, the chapter 

 on Electrons can not give the student anything 

 more than a very vague idea of the subject. 

 On the other hand, the subjects of Thermo- 

 chemistry, Equilibrium, Electromotive Force 



and Actinochemistry are very clearly and sat- 

 isfactorily handled. 



The addition of a series of well-selected prob- 

 lems at the end of each chapter is to be highly 

 commended. 



While the press work of the book is of the 

 same high quality as that of Wiley & Sons' 

 text-books, it is to be regretted that the cost 

 to the student is as much as $3.50. 



Victor Lenher 



BOTANICAL NOTES 

 small's manuals 



Dr. J. K. Small, of the New York Botani- 

 cal Garden, has been very industrious in the 

 preparation of systematic manuals of botany 

 as shown by his " Flora of the Southeastern 

 United States," now in its second edition, his 

 " Flora of Miami," " Florida Trees," both of 

 which appeared during 1913, and now we have 

 a " Flora of Lancaster County " (Penn.) in 

 collaboration with the late J. E. Carter. The 

 first-named books were noticed in these col- 

 umns when they appeared, and it remains only 

 to notice the last. While the Florida manuals 

 dealt with a terra incognita, the Flora of Lan- 

 caster County deals with a region which " has 

 been the scene of almost continuous botanical 

 exploration and study for nearly a century 

 and a half." In fact the work was begun by 

 Muhlenberg in the latter part of the eigh- 

 teenth century. Somewhat more than forty 

 years ago Professor T. C. Porter published an 

 enumeration of the indigenous and naturalized 

 plants of the county, and this has formed " the 

 basis of the present flora." 



The book includes about 350 pages, and is 

 an actual descriptive manual, and not a series 

 of keys. In other words the treatment here 

 reminds one of that in such a manual as 

 Britton's, or Gray's, and while keys are freely 

 used, the genera and the species are separately 

 described. One wishes that more local floras 

 could be modeled after this very satisfactory 

 little book. 



botanical notes 



From the Central Experimental Farm at 

 Ottawa, Canada, there comes a bulletin (No, 

 T3) of more than ordinary scientific interest. 



