BOOK NOTICES. 



447 



Kensington Museum, London. These curiosi- 

 ties belong to the prehistoric period, ard con- 

 sist of i-eliefs taken from the five cities on the 

 hill or plateau of Hassarlik. This collection 

 is altogether unequalled, for, with the excep- 

 tion of two goblets found in the tomb of the 

 kings of Mycenje, nothing of the kind has ever 

 been discovered. 



This month has been characterized by an 

 unusual amount of meteorological disturbances 

 in various parts of the world, among which we 

 note earthquakes and volcanic eruptions along 

 the Pacific coast of South America, a few 

 smaller shakes in different portions of the 

 United States, storms and cyclones on the Gulf 

 of Mexico and across the central portion of 

 United States from St. Louis to Pittsburgh. 



Cotopaxi, the highest active volcano in the 

 world, has recently experienced a violent erup- 

 tion, accompanied by most destructive floods 

 of water, which, pouring out from the craters, 

 drowned not less than one thousand persons- 

 The event occurred on the 26th of July. 

 Enormous quantities of ashes and cinders fell 

 upon the surroundiog country. Over two 

 thousand heads of cattle were destroyed, and 

 the loss of smaller animals was much greater. 

 There was a great eruption of Cotopaxi in 176Sj 

 also in 1855, and one in 185G. 



Prof. Mudge, of Kansas, writes to us from 

 Manhattan on the 15th, announcing that he 

 has, during; the past summer, which he has 

 spent in Colorado, " had very fine success in 

 obtaining some new gigantic Dinosaurs." 



BOOK NOTICES. 



Popular Science Monthly. We have just 

 received the "October number of the Popu- 

 lar Science Monthly, published by D. Ap- 

 pleton «fe Co., New York. Price, $5 per an- 

 num. 



Its contents for October are as follows : 

 Bathybius and the Moners, by Prof. Ernst 

 Haeckel. Molecular Magnitude, by L. E 

 Curtiss. Simple Experiments in Optics, by 

 Eliza A. A'^oumans, illustrated. On Elemen- 

 tary Instruction in Physiology, by T. H. Hux- 

 ley, F. E. S. Cosmic and Organic Evolution, 

 by L«ster F. Ward, A. M. Pessimism and its 



Antidote, by Charles Nisbet. The Modern 

 Piano-Forte, by S. Austin Pearce, Mus. Doe. 

 Oxon. Snoring, and How to Stop It, by John 

 A. Wyeth, M. D., illustrated. Mars and its 

 Satellites, by Prof. Daniel Kirkwood. Hux- 

 ley's American Lectures, by Prof E.Eay Lan- 

 kester. Specimens of Educational Literature,, 

 by F. W. Clarke, illustrated. The Psycho- 

 Physiological Sciences, by Joseph Eodes Bu- 

 chanan, M. D. The Decline of Party Govern- 

 ment, by Prof. Goldwin Smith. Sketch of 

 Prof. Jevons, with portrait. Correspondence, 

 Editor's Table, Literary Notices, Popular Mis- 

 cellany, Notes, making a most interesting a mi 

 valuable number. 



The Popular Science Monthly, Supple- 

 ment, No. 5 ; D. Appleton & Co , New York, 

 96 pp., octavo, 25c. 



After an existence of only five months this 

 valuable "annex" to the Popular Science 

 Monthly has become a permanent success, al- 

 most, if not quite, as indispensable as the ori- " 

 ginal magazine. It is made up of selections 

 from the writings of the foremost scholars and 

 workers of the world, culled from the very 

 best periodicals published on either side of the 

 ocean, andfully carries out the objects of the. 

 publishers, who announced that it would "rep- 

 resent the course of contemporary thought ou 

 on subjects of leading interest, preserve its 

 most permanent elements and form a compre- 

 hensive and independent scientific library." 



The Gardener's Monthly and Horticul- 

 turist, edited bv Thomas Meehan, vol.xix 

 No_. 225, September, 1877; Chas. H. Marot.i 

 Philadelphia, Pa.; monthly, 72 pp., octavo. 

 $2.10 per annum, post paid. 

 This old friend makes its appearance with 

 the greatest punctuality every month, with a 

 table of contents as fresh as spring and almost 

 as comprehensive as an encjclopajdia. One 

 of its most marked features, aside from the 

 able articles of its learned editor, is its host of 

 letters from all portions of the world, written 

 for the most part by experts in horticulture and 

 floriculture. It will pay any one who loves 

 flowers and trees to subscribe for and read it. 



The Locust Plague in the United States, 

 by Chas. Y. Eiley, M. A., Ph. D., with 45 

 illustrations; Chicago, Eand, McNallv & 

 Co., 1877, pp. 236, duod. $1. 



