SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



77 



describes only the more popular optical instruments 

 in use. The author commences with a description 

 of the human eye, and bases the remainder of his 

 chapters upon its artificial aids. Much of the 

 work is devoted to the theory and practice of 

 ophthalmoscopic examination, and the use of spec- 

 tacles. There are also chapters upon the spectro- 

 scope, the stereoscope, and optical lantern. 



The Stoiy of Electricity. By John Munko. 194 

 pp. small 8vo, with 100 illustrations. (London : 

 George Newnes, Limited, 1896.) Price is. 



Messrs. Newnes are doing good educational work 

 by issuing the "Library of Useful Stories," of 

 which this volume is one of the series. Written 

 by a fully trustworthy authority on electrical 

 matters, we have pleasure in recommending it to 

 those who desire to know the general facts about 



by such literature. It makes one wish that our 

 system of government v/ere a little more paternal, 

 and that such books by irresponsible writers were 

 repressed by the strong hand of the majority of 

 sensible people. Then we should have fewer of 

 such epidemics of small-pox as has this year 

 carried off numbers of useful folk in the West of 

 England. These pages are covered with the 

 usual stock arguments against vaccination, and 

 we look in vain for anything new to show the 

 necessity of its issue. 



A Concise Handbook of British Birds. By H. 

 Kirke Swann. 210 pp. 8vo. (London : John 

 Wheldon and Co., 1896). Price 3s. 6d. 



Without going too critically into the question of 

 the necessity for more small books on the British 

 birds, we welcome Mr. Swann's handbook. Its 



The Stormy Petrel. 



From Dixon's "British Sea Birds.' 



the modern condition of the science of electricity, 

 without the labour of wading through heavy 

 books. The subject is treated from the earliest 

 times to the recent experiments with the X-rays ; 

 the frontispiece being one of the now somewhat 

 hackneyed pictures of the bones of a hand. This 

 little book will form a nice present for an intelligent 

 boy. 



What it Costs to be Vaccinated : the Pains and 

 Penalties of an Unjust Law. By Joseph Collinson. 

 46 pp. Svo. (London : William Reeves and A. 

 and H. B. Bonner, 1S96.) Price is. 



The most satisfactory part of this book is the 

 nice manner in which it is printed and issued by 

 the publishers. For the rest — one can only regret 

 that the freedom of the press can be so far misused 

 as to permit weak-minded persons to be influenced 



chief merit is its conciseness, which is an advantage 

 to the reader who knows something of ornithology, 

 but desires to look up some bird fact. We are not 

 (juite sure whether this aiming at brevity has not 

 cut the book too far. It might have been well to 

 have added a few more sheets to its bulk, especially 

 considering its price ; then opportunity for including 

 more useful information would have been secured. 

 With regard to the nomenclature used, the author 

 states that " the classitication and nomenclature 

 practically accord with those of the ' List of British 

 l'>irds,' compiled by a Committee of the British 

 Ornithologists' Union (1883), but a number of 

 necessary alterations have been made, particularly 

 in the matter of adopting the specific names of 

 first describers as far as possible. " We feel sure 

 that most of his readers will be delighted. 



