Mar. 9, 1888.] 



SCIENTIFIC NEWS. 



23: 



as Greenland. He does not seem to have taken their 

 close structural approximation to the Japanese into ac- 

 count. Within the limits which he has marked out for 

 his inquiry he considers that the original home of the 

 Eskimo was in the interior of Alaska. He describes at 

 some length their chief means of earning subsistence, 

 namely, their peculiar boat, the kajak, their double-bladed 

 paddle, and the large harpoon with bladder and line, 

 showing that these instruments display much ingenuity 

 and have probably undergone a prolonged development. 

 He next gives an account of their dwellings, their dress 

 and ornaments, their religion and folk-lore, and their 

 social organisation. He shows, contrary to the opinion 

 of some traders and missionaries, that they have tradi- 

 tional rules or laws and chiefs or leaders, who know how 

 to inforce such regulations. He denies that absolute 

 equality exists in any human race, and he quotes from 

 Mr. Gilbert Sproat, the explorer of Vancouver Island, the 

 query : — " Was Darwin long enough among the Fuegians 

 to be enabled authoritatively to affirm that perfect 

 equality exists among the individuals composing the 

 Fuegian tribes ? " We shall the rather agree with the 

 author if we reflect that even communities of baboons 

 have their chiefs. 



The relations between the Eskimos and the Red-skins 

 are amicable in the west, but further eastwards, as on 

 the borders of the Mackenzie River, the two nations are 

 decidedly hostile. 



The greater portion of this book is devoted to a com- 

 parison of the various Eskimo dialects — a subject likely 

 to be of interest only to the philological specialist. 



Flower- Land : An Introduction to Botany for Children 



and for the Use of Parents and Teachers. By Robert 



Fisher, M.A., Vicar of Sewerbj', Hull. Manchester 



and London : John Heywood. 



Here is a little manual in which, within the compass of 



62 pages, may be found a clear, plain explanation, not 



merely of the most important botanical terms, but of the 



leading features of plants and of the broad outlines of 



botanical classification. All this is presented in language 



which is not merely simple and unpretentious, but 



decidedly pleasing. As a first step for children in the 



study of things, and as a guide to the much-neglected art of 



observation, this work is most strongly to be recommended. 



The Stevens Indicator. Vol. V.,No. i, January isth, 1888. 



Much of the matter in this number is of too purely 

 technical a character for discussion in our columns. In 

 an article on " Teaching Mathematics " we find the sug- 

 gestive remark that " Ideas always disagree — first, on the 

 vast question of What is to be taught ? and after that is 

 settled, there is a further unanimous disagreement on 

 the equally vast question of How shall it be taught ? 



The use of " Windmills for Generating Electricity" is 

 considered by Mr. A. R. Wolff. The author shows that 

 " with well-constructed windmills a practically uniform 

 rate of revolution is obtained, irrespective of the direc- 

 tion and varying velocities of the wind, for all winds 

 exceeding a velocity of six miles hourly." He mentions 

 that total calms in excess of two days' duration are prac- 

 tically unknown in the United States. 



The " Influence of Sugar upon Cement" is discussed 

 by H. de B. Parsons, who finds that the influence of 

 sugar on cement is more mechanical than chemical. By its 

 presence it simply retards setting, and thereby enables the 

 chemical changes in the cement to take place more perfectly. 



Elementary Physiography. By John Thornton, M.A. Il- 

 lustrated. London : Longmans, Green, and Co. 

 1888. Price 2S. 6d. 

 This little book is one of Longmans' Elementary 

 Science Manuals, and is well worthy of its place in that 

 excellent series. Mr. Thornton treats his subject, which 

 the Germans call Erdkunde, with a breadth and compre- 

 hension quite unlocked for in so small a work. The 

 chapter on the sea is especially interesting, for it embodies 

 much new knowledge gained by the ' Challenger ' Expe- 

 dition. There are ten good maps and many illustrations. 

 There are also the Examination Papersset in this subject 

 by the Science Department of South Kensington 

 for the last four years, and there is an excellent index. 

 The book, though primarily intended as a text-book for 

 the Science Department's E.\aminations, forms for the 

 general reader an interesting introduction to the study of 

 physiography. 



Transactions of the Institution of Engineers and Ship- 

 builders in Scotland. ■ 



At the meeting of this Institution on January 24tb, 

 1888, Mr. G. C. Thomson, F.C.S., read a paper on 

 "Copper and Copper Castings," showing the deterioration 

 of the metal from theabsorption either of oxygen or carbon. 



Mr. Nisbet Sinclair read an account of " Experiments 

 on the Strength of Copper Steampipes (page 3) made at 

 Lancefield." 



Mr. R. Simpson, B.Sc, C.E., introduced a discussion 

 on the " Construction of the Glasgow City and District 

 Railway." Mr. A. S. Biggart described the erection of 

 the superstructure of the Forth Bridge ; and Mr. Liddell 

 exhibited and explained a model of Chambers' New Un- 

 sinkable Semi-collapsible Lifeboat. 



Educational Bequests. — The trustees under the will 

 of the late Mr. E. R. Harris have just concluded the 

 disposal of upwards of ^^-85,000, which the deceased 

 gentleman bequeathed to the town of Preston " for pur- 

 poses of public utility." Of the bequest the trustees 

 have granted ^105,000 for the founding of an institution 

 to be called " The Harris Free Library and Museum," 

 £TS,°°° °^ this amount to be devoted to building 

 purposes, ;^i 5,000 to endowment, and ;^i 5,000 to the 

 purchase of reference-books, works of art, &c. The 

 actual building operations are now completed, and the 

 formal opening will take place at the end of this year or 

 the beginning of 1889. To this building will be removed 

 the whole of the volumes now composing the Free 

 Library, numbering about 15,000; Dr. Shepherd's 

 reference library, 8,000 volumes ; and 20,000 other 

 volumes will be purchased. Since the commencement 

 of the building, another wealthy Prestonian, the late Mr. 

 R. Newshden, bequeathed to the town his fine collection 

 of oil paintings, water-colour drawings, and curios, valued 

 at upwards of ^30,000, and these will form part of the 

 picture gallery in connection with the Free Library and 

 Museum. The trustees have granted ^40,000 as an 

 endowment for a school of literature, art, science, and 

 technical education, now in existence as the Harris 

 Institute, and have since made a further grant of 

 _jr30,ooo for the building and furnishing of a technical 

 school, to be called "The Victoria Jubilee Technical 

 School," and the Corporation of Preston are seeking 

 powers in the present session to grant a site worth 

 ;,^i 0,000 and a further sura of _;,{^ 10,000 towards this object. 



