264 



SCIENCE 



[K. S. Vol. XXVII. No. 6S5 



Fabrics; (4) Wood of Dicotyledons and Gym- 

 nosperms, Monocotyledonous Stems, Subter- 

 ranean Organs, Barks, and Practical Ex- 

 amples; (5) Leaves of Different Varieties of 

 Sumacb; (6) Pyretbrum or Insect Powder; 

 (7) Tecbnical Fruits and Seeds, Oil Cakes, 

 Myrobalans, Ivory Nut; (8) True Bones, 

 Teetb, Horn, Tortoise-sbell and Wlialebone; 

 (9) Micro-chemical Analysis. 



Tbe reviewer is using both the work on 

 " The Microscopy of Vegetable Poods " and 

 on " The Microscopy of Technical Products " 

 in the laboratory, and finds them very helpful. 

 Pure botanists would do well to have these 

 books in their laboratories where plant histol- 

 ogy is considered, as there is no doubt but that 

 much of the work on the anatomy of plants 

 has been developed by the investigators in 

 technical histology. ^^^^^ Kraemer 



Philadelphia College of Phaemacy 



Archiv fur Optih; Internationales Organ fiir 

 Experimentelle, Theoretische und Tech- 

 nische Optik. Erster Band; Erstes Heft, 

 Oktober, 1907. Herausgegeben von Dr. 

 Alexander Gleichen, Kaiserl. Eegierungs- 

 rat in Berlin, unter Mitwirkung von (some 

 twenty astronomers, physicists and optical 

 specialists). Verlag von Veit und Comp. 

 in Leipzig, Preis des Bandes. 20 Mark. 

 The establishment of an international jour- 

 nal in any important field of scientific activity 

 is nowadays a decided step toward that inter- 

 nationalism in science and that pure human 

 cooperation which are earnestly desired by the 

 best and brightest people of all lands. As- 

 tronomy has for two centuries led the way in 

 this genuine internationalism, but many other 

 sciences are now enlisting under the same 

 standard. 



As a general rule the journal of interna- 

 tional scope should be published in the coun- 

 try which may naturally be expected to con- 

 tribute most efficiently to its pages. A fine 

 type of such a publication is the Astrophysical 

 Journal published in America, where astro- 

 physical science flourishes most luxuriantly. 

 It has, however, received the hearty support 

 of men of science in all lands. Its pages are 



enriched by the world's best thought in the 

 great field of astrophysics. 



The Archiv fiir Optik, as an international 

 organ, ought naturally to be published in Ger- 

 many. In many respects German thought has 

 led in theoretical optics, and the German hand 

 executed some of the finest experimental and 

 technical results in all optics. To-day no 

 great general treatises in technical optics exist 

 outside the German language. It is also pe- 

 culiarly fitting that the same international 

 cooperation should be given the Archiv fiir 

 Optih that has in the collateral field been 

 accorded the Astrophysical Journal. 



Dr. Alexander Gleichen, if we may judge 

 from the theoretical thoroughness and prac- 

 tical tone of his writings, is well equipped to 

 guide so difficult and important an under- 

 taking as a world-journal in general optics. 

 His " Lehrbuch der Geometrischen Optik," 

 Leipzig und Berlin, 1902, has an international 

 reputation. His " Vorlesungen iiber Photo- 

 graphische Optik," Leipzig, 1905, is indis- 

 pensable to technical students in optics, and 

 his " Leitf aden der Practischen Optik," Leip- 

 zig, 1906, is an excellent introduction to the 

 fundamental theory necessary in optical prac- 

 tise. 



The first number of the Archiv contains 

 " Tatsachen und Eiktionen in der Lehre von 

 der Optischen Abbildung," by Allvar Gull- 

 strand, of Upsala ; " Uber ein neue Verf ahren 

 der Korpervermessung," by C. Pulfrich, of 

 Jena ; and " Patentschutz fiir Optische Sys- 

 teme," and " Zum Gedachtnis von Siefried 

 Czapski," by Dr. Gleichen. Then follow 

 trenchant reviews of eighteen current articles 

 on physical optics; of two on astronomical 

 and meteorological optics; of. one on medical 

 and biological optics; and of one on technical 

 optics. Dr. Lummer's new volume on optics 

 receives detailed notice; and a complete list 

 of optical articles read before various scien- 

 tific academies is presented. F. Plehn makes 

 a valuable contribution to the history of optics 

 by reviewing Kepler's " Paralipomena ad 

 Vitellionem seu Astronomiae pars optica." 

 Then follow interesting selections from scien- 

 tific societies, namely. Max Wolf " On the- 



