760 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXXIX. No. 1012 



against a too exact phylogenetic interpreta- 

 tion of embryologieal facts." While admit- 

 ting the correctness of the first of these state- 

 ments, from the point of view of the student 

 seeking an outline of the principles of Chor- 

 date development one may question the peda- 

 gogical propriety of adding a number of more 

 or less irrelevant facts for the purpose of en- 

 forcing a conclusion which may be deduced 

 with even greater clearness from the more per- 

 tinent embryologieal phenomena of the higher 

 chordates. 



Following the account of the frog, the early 

 development and organogeny of the chick is 

 considered, and the book ends with a chapter 

 on the earlj- development of the mammalia, 

 special attention being devoted to the devel- 

 opment of their embryonic membranes and to 

 that of the external form of the human fetus. 

 It is unfortunate for the continuity of the 

 descriptions that no mention is made of the 

 early processes of development of the Keptilia, 

 since these in several particulars aiiord a much 

 clearert transition to the specialized mam- 

 malian conditions than do the similar stages 

 of the chick. The account of the later stages 

 of Amphioxus might well have been replaced 

 by a description of the early stages of reptilian 

 development. 



But, on the whole, Professor Kellicott's book 

 is an excellent one, both in its conception and 

 execution. The descriptions are clear and 

 without redundancy and are illustrated by 

 numerous well chosen illustrations. Extensive 

 bibliographic lists are appended to the various 

 sections and there is an excellent index. 



J. P. McM. 



Chemical Technology and Analysis of Oils, 



Fats and Waxes. By Dr. J. Lewkowitsch. 



In three volumes. 5th edition. Volume I. 



Macmillan Company. 1913. $6.50. 



This volume has increased from 542 to 668 

 pages: the chapters on the Constituents and 

 on the Examination of the Mixed Eatty Acids 

 being increased by nearly one third. In view 

 of the encyclopedic character of the book, one 

 is surprised to find no mention of the abso- 

 lute viscosimeter ; of Dunlap's excellent 



method of purifying alcohol for alcoholic 

 potash; of T. W. Richards' apparatus for dis- 

 tilling in vacuo by electricity, all of which 

 are admirably adapted for work with fats and 

 oils. The information regarding the Saybolt 

 viscosimeter, too, is not the latest, although 

 ]!erhaps the latest published. 



The reviewer regards the treatment of the 

 subjects as most thorough and eminently 

 satisfactory. It is wisely critical, showing 

 evidence of investigation done under the 

 doctor's ovm eyes. It is approached by noth- 

 ing in any language, as is attested by the fact 

 of its translation into French and rewriting ia 

 German. It is invaluable to every one having 

 to do with fats, oils and waxes. 



It will be noted with deep regret by all in 

 this branch that the appearance of the book in 

 this country closely coincided with the death 

 of its author. 



A. H. Gill 



SCIENTIFIC JOUItNALS AND ARTICLES 

 The April number (Vol. 15, No. 2) of the 

 Transactions of the American Mathematical 

 Society contains the following papers: 



Maurice FrSchet: "Sur la notion de differen- 

 tielle d 'une f onetion de ligne. ' ' 



J. H. Ml Wedderburn: "A type of primitiTe 

 algebra. ' ' 



C. T. Sullivan: "Properties of surfaces whoa* 

 asymptotic curves belong to linear complexes. ' ' 



E. W. Chittenden : ' ' Relatively uniform converg- 

 ence of sequences of functions." 



H. S. Vandiver: "Note on Fermat's last 

 theorem. ' ' 



E. E. Hedriek and Louis Ingold: "A set •f 

 axioms for line geometry." 



G. C. Evans : ' ' The Cauchy problem for integro- 

 differential equations. ' ' 



The March number (Vol. 20, No. 6) of the 

 Bulletin of the American Mathematical Soci- 

 ety contains: Eeport of the twentieth annual 

 meeting of the society, by F. N. Cole ; Eeport 

 of the winter meeting of the society at Chi- 

 cago, by H. E. Slaught; "Shorter Notices"; 

 Zoretti's Logons sur le Prolongement analyti- 

 que and Scheifers's Serret's Lehrbueh der 

 DiiTerential- und Integralrechnung, by Frank 



