298 



SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



mences by giving the credit due to those who have 

 preceded him in these investigations ; the first of 

 whom was a school-boy at Rugby some twenty 

 years ago. Those early observations were con- 

 ducted with great difficulty on account of the 

 rapidity of the action and the improbability of 

 exactly repeating the splash under observation. 

 It was not until instantaneous photography was 

 brought to bear that anything like trustworthy 

 records were obtained. Besides this the author 

 has constructed an apparatus, which he figures 

 and fully describes, that permits an apparently 



educational work carried on by the Society is 

 beyond all praise, especially when conducted with 

 the good taste shown in the manner of placing 

 it before the public. 



British and European Butterflies and Moths. (Macro- 

 lepidoptera.)— By A. W. Kappel, F.L.S., F.E.S., 

 and W. Egmont Kirby, L.S.A. 289 pp. royal 

 4to, and 30 coloured plates. (London : Ernest 

 Xister. New York : E. P. Dutton and Co. 1895.) 

 Price 25s. 



This is a highly ornamental work, beautifully 



SERIES XIX . — [continued.) 



■0103 sec 



•0197 sec. 



t = '0262 sec. 



•0391 sec. 



From '-The Splash of a Drop," by Prof. A. M. Worthington. F.R.S. 



exact repetition of the drop and its effects follow- 

 ing. The drawings we reproduce show the 

 different movements which take place through 

 the concussion of a drop of water falling into milk. 

 These form only one of several series of such 

 drawings, but they are fairly typical.' The subject 

 is very common-place, for we may say that it is to 

 be seen any day, but it shows how many common 

 things there are to be investigated, and how- 

 beautiful are the results. We cannot refrain from 

 congratulating the Society for Promoting Christian 

 Knowledge for the liberal manner in which such 

 subjects are placed before the people. This truly 



printed and produced. It is just one of those 

 books which will create beginners in the study of 

 the lepidoptera, and for that reason cannot be too 

 wideh" known. An advantage of the work is that 

 it deals with a number of extra-British species, and 

 will therefore have a tendency to help to break 

 down the insular "British" lepidopterist. This 

 book contains descriptions and coloured figures of 

 nearly all species occurring in Britain. The sixteen 

 pages of introduction will be found useful to many, 

 as they contain instructions for learning how to 

 collect, rear and preserve butterflies and moths, 

 with illustrations in the text of nets, rearing-cage, 



