JAXIAKV 11, 1895.] 



SCIENCE. 



piesfiice or absence of partieular j^pecies in 

 partieuliir localities within their appropriate 

 zones, but temperature predetermines the 

 possibilities of distribution ; it fixes the 

 limits beyond which species cannot pass ; it 

 defines broad transcontinental belts within 

 which certain forms may thrive if other 

 conditions pei-mit, but outside of which they 

 cannot exist, be the other conditions never 

 80 favorable." 



GniK^e.-' of Tenneg^ee — Part II. — F. Lamsox- 

 ScRiBXER. — ^University of Tennessee, 

 Agric. Exper. Sta. Bull.. YII. 1-141, 187 

 lignres. 1894. 



The first part of this important work treat- 

 ing of the structure of grasses in geiaeral, 

 issued two years ago, is now supplemented 

 by the part here noticed, containing descrip- 

 tions and figures of all species known by the 

 author to inhabit Tennessee. Carefully pre- 

 pared keys to the genera and species are a 

 feature of the book. The cuts are good, al- 

 though printed ou paper hardly firm enough 

 to bring them out to the best advantage. 

 The descriptions are diagnostic and couched 

 in strictly technical language ; on this point 

 it is remarked : ■■ Attempts to avoid tech- 

 nical or • hard ' words often result in obscur- 

 ing the meaning of the author, and an undue 

 simplicity of expression is often apt to be 

 oft"ensive by implying a lack of intelligence 

 on the part of the reader." As the book is 

 intended primarily for the farmers of the 

 State, this may be considered by some as a 

 position of doubtful value. 



It is to be regretted that the rules of no- 

 menclature adopted by the botanists of the 

 American Association for the Advancement 

 of Science, which are practiaiUy those ap- 

 proved by the zoologists, have not been 

 strictly followed. This will seriously ham- 

 per the usefulness of the book, for some of 

 the names used by Prof. Scribner have be- 

 come obsolete. 



N. L. B. 



NOTES. 



PHYSICS. 



The newly discovered gas is to be the 

 subject of a discussion at a meeting of the 

 Royal Society on January 31st, when Lord 

 Rayleigh and Prof. Ramsay will present 

 their paper. This will be the first meeting 

 under a i-esolution of the Council of the 

 Society passed last session, wherebj- certain 

 meetings, not more than four in number, 

 are to be devoted everj' year each to the 

 hearing and consideration of some one im- 

 portant communication, or to the discussion 

 of some important topic. — Xatiire. 



PERSONAL. 



The University of Berlin is seriou.sly 

 crippled by the deaths of Helmlioltz and 

 Kundt. Their places cannot be filled, but 

 Prof. Kohlrausch will probably be called 

 to one of the vacant chairs. 



The PhjMcal Review has j)ublished excel- 

 lent portraits of llelmholtz, Kundt and 

 Hertz, with biographical sketches by the 

 editor-in-chief. Professor Nichols. Proba- 

 bly the best account so far published in 

 English of the work of Helmlioltz is that 

 contributed to the Psychological Review for 

 January by Professor Stumpf, of the Uni- 

 versity of Berlin. 



Mr. F. Y. Powell, of Christ's College, 

 succeeds Fronde in the Regius Professor- 

 ship of Modem History at Oxford. 



ZOOLOGY. 



A Picture-puzzle of a remarkable kind 

 appears in the Zoi'iloyid for December. It 

 is a reproduction of two photographs of a 

 Little Bittern, showing the strange atti- 

 tude assumed by the bird to favor its con- 

 cealment. One of the figures shows the 

 the bird standing in a reed-bed, erect, with 

 neck stretched out and beak pointing up- 

 wards ; and in tliis position it is difficult 

 to distinguish the bird at all from the 



