Dkcembek 16, 1898.] 



SCIENCE. 



879 



Mineralogy. By Edward S. Dana, Profes- 

 sor of Physics and Curator of Mineralogy, 

 Yale University. New York, John Wiley & 

 Sons. New Edition. Cloth. 8vo. Pp. viii 

 + 593. Price, $4.00. 



The text-book of mineralogy, first issued by 

 Professor E. S. Dana in 1877, has passed 

 through some 17 editions, each a revision of 

 those preceding, the changes hitherto being 

 either corrections or the insertion of supple- 

 mentary chapters. The edition just issued is 

 essentially a new work, entirely rewritten and 

 considerably enlarged. 



The descriptive mineralogy is an abridgement 

 of the sixth edition of the author's System of 

 Mineralogy and needs no comment. 



Nearly one-half of the book is devoted to 

 Crystallography and Physical Mineralogy. In 

 crystallography there are especially to be noted 

 the complete replacement of the formerly used 

 Naumaun methods of calculation by those of 

 Miller, and the abandonment of the old concep- 

 tion of hemihedrism. The crystals are described 

 under thirty-two symmetry groups, as in Groth, 

 Liebisch and others, and it is perhaps to be re- 

 gretted that these groups have been renamed 

 for prominent forms, type minerals, or to sug- 

 gest terms of hemihedrism. 



In Physical Mineralogy the optical characters 

 are discussed in considerable detail upon the 

 undulatory theory, no assumption, however, be- 

 ing made as to the elasticity of the ether in 

 crystals, although for convenience the symbols 

 a, b, c, formerly denoting axes of elasticity, are 

 retained as so-called ' ether axes. ' Very little 

 space is devoted to apparatus or manipulation. 

 It may be noted also that for the determination 

 of the indices of refraction by total reflection, 

 not only the sections cut normal to the acute 

 bisectrix, as stated, but any section parallel to 

 one of the ether axes a, 6 or c suEEIces. It may 

 also be questioned if the stauroscopic methods, 

 p. 221, are in any case either as convenient or 

 naore accurate than the microscopic. 



Cohesion and Elasticity are concisely dis- 

 cussed, but the space devoted to thermal elec- 

 trical and magnetic characters, about six pages, 

 is regrettably small. 



The work is well printed and illustrated with 

 about 1,000 excellent cuts. An admirable point 



is the list of selected references at the end of 

 each subject. In every way the work is an 

 improvement upon the last edition. 



A. J. M. 



SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS. 



The addresses of Professor George E. Hale, 

 on ' The Functions of Large Telescopes ' and 

 of Professor Frank P. Whitman on ' Color Vis- 

 ion,' published in the issues of this Journal 

 for May 13th and September 9th respectively, 

 and the paper by Dr. Charles F. Brush on ' A 

 New Gas,' published on October 14th, have 

 been translated into French and printed as 

 leading articles in recent numbers of the 

 Revue Scientifique. Professor E. E. Barnard's 

 address on the ' Development of Astronomical 

 Photography ' has been translated into Ger- 

 man from the issues of this Journal for Septem- 

 ber 16th and 23d, and published in the Natur- 

 wissenschaftliche Rundschau for November 26th 

 and December 2d and 9th. 



Natural Science will hereafter be published by 

 Mr. Young J. Peutland, 11 Leviot Place, Edin- 

 burgh. Natural Science has been edited anony- 

 mously and this policy will apparently be 

 continued. The current number says : "There 

 will be no change in the policy of the review, 

 no break in continuity, and no lowering of the 

 standard hitherto set before it. But those who 

 wish well to the future of this journal should 

 remember that it lies with them to see that it 

 has a future. Editors cannot edit unless there 

 are contributions of articles, notes and news ; 

 publishers cannot publish if every reader reads 

 the copy of a friend or of a library." It may 

 be remarked that publishers and editors are 

 subject to the same conditions in America as in 

 Great Britain. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADE3IIES. 



NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES — SECTION OF 



BIOLOGY — MEETING OF NOVEMBER 14. 



The resignation of Professor E. B. Wilson 

 was read and accepted by the Section. Profes- 

 sor Frederic S. Lee was unanimously elected 

 Chairman of the Section. 



