496 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XXIV. No. 616. 



recognition of the equality of their courses 

 to those of the older gymnasium. 



A fundamental tendency in the early 

 university instruction is towards a closer 

 coordination with applications. In a less 

 marked degree the coordination of the 

 various mathematical subjects has been 

 considered. The latter seems wise, as re- 

 forms should begin at home. Before con- 

 sidering the closer union of mathematics 

 and physics, for instance, it might be well 

 to consider whether the water-tight com- 

 partments of the various mathematical sub- 

 jects are not doing more mischief than 

 those between the various departments. 

 While mathematics should be taught with 

 a view to. helpfulness to other departments, 

 yet its first duty is to help itself and to 

 secure its own harmonious development. 

 A starveling can not render strong service 

 to others. 



G. A. Miller. 



Univebsity of Illinois. 



SCIENTIFIC BOOKS. 

 California Mammals. By Erank Stephens. 

 Illustrated by W. J. Fenn from studies in 

 the field. Published by the West Coast 

 Publishing Co., San Diego, California, 1906. 

 8vo, pp. 352, frontispiece, 6 half-tone plates, 

 40 illustrations in the text, and a faunal 

 map. 



* California Mammals,' by Mr. Stephens, is 

 noteworthy as being the first recent local 

 ' handbook ' of the mammals of any part of 

 North America, and fortunately sets a fairly 

 good standard for the many similar much- 

 needed local manuals of our mammals that 

 we hope may speedily follow. The scope of 

 the work is " California and that part of the 

 Pacific Ocean properly belonging to California. 

 All the mammals described are known to have 

 been found within the state or within sight of 

 its shores." The number of species and sub- 

 species treated is 276 — a surprisingly large 

 number, yet readily explained by the great 

 latitudinal extent of the state, and its ex- 

 tremely diversified character, ranging from the 



subtropical desert areas of the southeastern 

 part to the subarctic snow-covered summits 

 of the Sierra Hevada. 



Although diagnoses of the higher groups, 

 from class to genus, are given, the work is 

 written as far as practicable in non-technical 

 phraseology, but for the convenience of such 

 readers as may not be familiar with some of 

 the terms necessarily employed, a three-page 

 glossary is supplied. Mr. Stephens is well 

 equipped for his work, having had a long 

 field experience as a natural history collector 

 in California, and is thus able to give the 

 ranges of the species and subspecies, particu- 

 larly of the southern two-thirds of the state, 

 largely from his own personal knowledge. The 

 descriptions of the forms are brief, but for 

 the most part give all there is to say. These 

 are followed by a statement of the type lo- 

 cality and range, and by a few lines to several 

 pages of original biographical matter, accord- 

 ing to the circumstances of the case. There 

 is no synonymy, nor any bibliographical ref- 

 erences, but the life histories are an important 

 contribution. The illustrations are not nu- 

 merous, and relate wholly to external features. 

 Good figures of skulls of a considerable num- 

 ber of genera would have been a valuable 

 addition; an extended bibliography was obvi- 

 ously beyond the scope of the work, but a list 

 of titles of the principal papers relating to 

 California mammals would have been useful. 

 The book had to have its limitations, and for 

 a work so well done as is this, and containing 

 so much that is convenient and valuable, it is 

 perhaps hardly fair to make suggestions that 

 the author, perhaps, considered and found im- 

 practicable of execution. There is only one 

 thing to say in the matter of serious criticism, 

 and that is that the work is worthy of better 

 typographical execution. The text, as to mat- 

 ter and style, is excellent, but the proofreading 

 is unfortunately defective. 



The work is intended for 'beginners' and 

 not for experts, yet it is doubtless equally 

 welcome to both, and for the first class it has 

 been put together with excellent judgment. 

 Por many of the subspecies, especially in cer- 

 tain groups, it is almost impossible to give 



