Decembee 20, 1907] 



SCIENCE 



865 



flowing west of that island arriving about four 

 hours earlier. 



An attractive feature of the book is a series 

 of lithographic reproductions of sketches by 

 Mr. Fiala, showing the successive appearances 

 of the aurora on three separate occasions. 

 The series made on the night of January 23, 

 1904, is particularly striking. 



Not the least important part of the work is 

 the series of maps which accompanies it. 

 Mr. Gilbert H. Grosvenor, of the National 

 Geographic Society, has compiled from the 

 available sources a map of the polar regions 

 above latitude 65° north, embodying the re- 

 sults, and showing the routes of the various 

 expeditions. The map survey work of the 

 Ziegler Expedition is delineated on an excel- 

 lent set of maps by Mr. Russell W. Porter, 

 who, under the direction of Mr. Peters, had 

 charge of that part of the work in the field. 



On the whole, the amount and value of the 

 scientific work accomplished, notwithstanding 

 the limitations in equipment, the accidents 

 and exigencies incident to polar exploration 

 and the severe attendant physical conditions 

 under which work in polar regions must be 

 performed, are greatly to the credit of all 

 concerned in the observational work and in 

 the reduction and publication of the results. 

 It must certainly be a source of satisfaction 

 that the second Ziegler expedition under 

 Messrs. Fiala and Peters resulted in a sub- 

 stantial addition to our knowledge of terres- 

 trial physics in the polar regions. 



H. W. FiSK 

 Caenegie Institution of Washington, 

 Depabtment Teebesteial Magnetism, 

 November 27, 1907 



The Proteins of the Wheat Kernel. By 

 Thos. B. Osborne. Published by the Car- 

 negie Institution of Washington, D. C. 

 1907. Pp. 119. 



This monograph gives in a clear and con- 

 cise form the results of the author's extensive 

 work as well as that of other investigators. 

 The importance of the subject is set forth in 

 the introductory sentence : " Of the protein 

 substances used as food none is more impor- 



tant than those contained in the seeds of 

 wheat." The proteids are discussed mainly 

 from the analytical side, pure types are pre- 

 pared, their properties studied and ultimate 

 composition determined. The products of 

 hydrolysis of the various proteids are also 

 given. The " Experimental Part " is a unique 

 feature of the work; the methods employed 

 are described in detail, thus permitting future 

 investigators to intelligently review the work 

 and not remain in doubt as to the methods 

 employed in the preparation of the various 

 proteins. The individuality of the various 

 proteins have not been sufficiently recognized 

 by chemists. These compounds have all been 

 considered of equal value from a nutritive 

 point of view, an assumption which should be 

 verified by exhaustive experiments. 



That a molecule of gliadin can have the same 

 nutritive value as one of casein would seem im- 

 possible if one molecule of food protein is trans- 

 formed into one of tissue protein, for in the 

 former lysine is wholly lacking, and glutaminic 

 acid, ammonia and proline are in great excess 

 over the amount required to form any of the 

 tissue proteins of which we know. It would seem 

 probable that either the animal requires a variety 

 of food, so that the relative proportion in which 

 the amino-acids are available for its use shall 

 correspond more nearly to its requirements, or 

 that only a small part of these amino-aeids are 

 converted into its tissue proteins and the rest 

 oxidized as such. 



This report will prove of special value in 

 suggesting new lines of work and in the inter- 

 pretation of the results of previous investiga- 

 tions. The extensive analytical work accom- 

 plished by Osborne, together with the syn- 

 thetic investigation by Fischer and others, on 

 proteins, bids fair to give us a more complete 

 knowledge of the composition and structure 

 of these complex bodies which have not here- 

 tofore been expressed by chemical formula. 

 Professor Osborne and the Carnegie Institu- 

 tion are both to be congratulated upon the 

 publication of this valuable work, " The Pro- 

 teins of the Wheat Kernel." 



Harry Snyder 



