7 6 



SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



always, and vivum, fresh, green) indicates, it dies 

 hard, and alike endures frost and drought. The 

 descriptions accompanying the figures are very 

 readable, and will, we hope, encourage many who 

 use the book, to take, later, a more scientific 

 interest in our wild flowers. 



Meteorology: Practical and Applied. By John 

 William Moore, B.A., M.D., etc. 453 pp. 8vo. 

 with 68 figures, 4 diagrams, 3 charts and 2 photo- 

 graphic pictures. (London: F. J. Rebman, 1894.) 

 Price 6s. 



We regret that we have not earlier had oppor- 

 tunity of noticing this very useful little work. It 

 is one which should be on the shelves of every 

 intelligent person living in the country. Of all the 

 sciences meteorology seems to be the greatest 

 laggard, but if behindhand in comparison with 

 some of its sister sciences, there are the more oppor- 

 tunities for discoveries by its votaries. Dr. Moore 

 has gathered together a mass of interesting material, 

 which he has arranged with discretion, and placed 

 before his readers in pleasing manner. The author 

 divides his work into four parts, Part i. being Intro- 

 ductory; Part ii.," Practical Meteorology" ; Part hi., 

 " Climate and Weather " ; Part iv., " The Influence 

 of Season and Weather on Disease." The fifty 

 pages devoted to the United States Weather Bureau, 

 at first sight appears generous, but it was wise when 

 viewed from the point of encouragement — or sham- 

 ing — of our own authorities into more liberal support 

 or even State management of the small Weather 

 Department in Victoria Street. These pages are 

 very instructive, and we find from them that the 

 allowance voted by Congress, for the financial 

 year ending June 1895, is $854,223, or roughly 

 £iyi,ooo, showing clearly that our shrewd cousins 

 must consider there is money's worth to be had 

 from this large annual expenditure, or it would be 

 quickly discontinued. The subject discussed in 

 Part iv. is naturally, from Dr. Moore's professional 

 insight, of great importance to the public. Every- 

 one knows how a spell of bad or good weather 

 sends down, or up, the death average. In this 

 section of the work the author examines and sifts 

 much valuable information on the effect of weather 

 on infective and other diseases. Those chapters 

 may be read with profit by members of the medical 

 profession, as well as the general reader. The book 

 is well produced, profusely illustrated and not over- 

 crowded with technical terms. Dr. Moore has 

 shown himself not only capable of dealing with the 

 subject of Meteorology in popular scientific form, 

 but has also produced a very successful work on 

 the subject. J. T. C. 



Annals of British Geology, 1893. By J. F. Blake, 

 M.A., F.G.S. 386 pp. crown 8vo., with 90 illustra- 

 tions. (London : Dulau and Co., 1895.) 



We find from the preface that no important 

 change has been made by Mr. Blake in the method 

 of recording the geological literature of 1893. The 

 number of geological contributions greatly in- 

 creased in 1893, and form the largest number yet 

 dealt with in these "Annals," in fact they stand as 

 730 as against 585 in 1890. An analysis of these 

 articles shows the increase chiefly to have been 

 in general geology, economics, and foreign geology, 

 which latter has increased fifty per cent. This is, 

 however, perhaps on account of the author of these 

 annals having access to literature hitherto un- 

 available to him. We hope this work will be 

 continued, though we fear, on account of Mr. 

 Blake's absence from England, it is doubtful 



whether this is not possibly the last volume of the 

 series, for the time being. Should this be so, it is 

 to be deplored that Mr. Blake did not receive 

 greater support in his useful work, from the 

 geological public. J. T. C. 



Collected Papers on some Controverted Questions op 

 Geology. By Joseph Prestwich, D.C.L., F.R.S., 

 F.G.S. 279 pp., crown 8vo. Illustrated by xiii. 

 plates and 8 other figures. (London and New 

 York : Macmillan and Co., 1895.) Price 10s. 

 net. 



This is a useful collection, for library and general 

 use, of six well-known articles which have appeared 

 elsewhere, by Professor Prestwich. They consist 

 of (1) " The Position of Geology "—from "The Nine- 

 teenth Century," 1893 ; (2) " Considerations on the 

 Date, Duration, and Conditions of the Glacial 

 Period, with Reference to the Antiquity of Man," 

 which has been revised from the "Quarterly Journal 

 of Geological Society," 1887 ; (3) " On the Primitive 

 Characters of the Flint Implements of the Chalk 

 Plateau of Kent, with reference to the Question of 

 Age and Make" — revised, with additions, from the 

 "Journal of the Anthropological Institute," for 1892 ; 

 (4) " On the Agency of Water in Volcanic Eruptions, 

 and on the Primary Cause of Volcanic Action," 

 revised from the "Proceedings of the Royal Society," 

 J 885 ; (5) " Gn the Thickness and Mobility of the 

 Earth's Crust, from the Geological Standpoint," 

 revised from the ' ' Proceedings of the Royal Society, " 

 1888; (6) "On Underground Temperatures, with 

 Observations on Certain Causes which influence 

 Saturation and Imbibition, and on a Source of the 

 Conductivity of Rocks ; on the Thermal Effects of 

 Heat in Mountain Ranges as affecting some 

 Underground Temperatures," revised from the 

 " Proceedings of the Royal Society," 1885. These 

 excellent papers are so well-known to geologists 

 and were so fully discussed at the time of their 

 appearance, that it is unnecessary to do more than 

 remind our readers that there are revisions and 

 additions which should be referred to before again 

 quoting any of the Professor's opinions and facts 

 on these subjects. J. T. C. 



Sweet-Scented Flowers and Fragrant Leaves; Inte- 

 resting associations gathered from many sources, and 

 Notes on their History and Utility. By Donald 

 Mc Donald, with Introduction by W. Robinson. 

 136 pp. 8vo, with 16 coloured Plates. (London : 

 Sampson Low, Marston and Co., Ltd., 1895.) 

 Price 5s. 



The wonder is no one has previously thought of 

 this title, for it is so suggestive of an old-fashioned 

 flower-garden adjoining some ancient residence, 

 where mezereons, jonquils, blue forget-me-nots and 

 lilies-of-the-valley are followed by a fragrant host 

 of others, as the spring advances into summer and 

 lazy autumn. In his choice of illustrations, which 

 are well treated and not over-coloured, the author 

 has wisely chosen good old-fashioned flowers 

 familiar to us all. The chatty fifty-three pages 

 of history of the use of flowers as human civilization 

 advanced, are entertaining, and include the old 

 story, not now out of place, in connection with the 

 presently discussed question of the scent of flowers 

 being injurious to some hypersensitive people. It 

 is told of a lady who fainted in the presence of 

 roses, even if they were artificial. The letterpress 

 forms a veritable encyclopcedia of hundreds of 

 sweet-scented garden favourites. The book is just 

 the present for a lady interested in them, and 

 which, with a well-balanced mind, is not? — J.T. C. 



