SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



133 



Missouri Botanical Garden : Seventh Annual Report. 

 209 pp. royal 8vo, and 66 plates. (vSt. Louis, 

 Mo.: published by the Trustees, 1896.) 



We have on former occasions had the pleasure 

 of noticing these annual reports, which are so 

 beautifully produced. The plates are American, 

 and we must therefore conclude, admirable, from 

 the artistic and mechanical points of view. The 

 frontispiece, which represents a plant of the "edel- 

 weiss" growing in a rockery in the gardens, is a 

 charming piece of photographic reproduction. The 

 cost of maintaining these gardens is considerable, 

 for we find by a statement of accounts for the year, 

 the expenditure reached over ;^i7,ooo. There are 

 several important papers in this Report, including 

 one by Mr. William Trelease on "The Juglandacese 

 of the United States," which is illustrated by twenty- 

 five plates of the native hickory trees, which are 

 allied to the walnuts. There is also an important 

 paper by A. Isabel Mulford, entitled " A Study of 

 the Agaves of the United States " with a number 

 of artistic photographs on thirty-seven plates. 

 These remarkable plants thrive largely in the arid 

 tracts of desert north of and including Mexico. 

 Some species are of much economic value, and were 

 used even in Aztec times. They produce a fibre 

 from the leaves, which is worked much as hempen 

 fibre, and used for like purposes. At least one 

 species is now cultivated for this reason, and 

 efforts are being made to introduce the fibre as a 

 commercial staple ; plantations of one species, A . 

 ri^ida, var. sisalana, having been formed in Southern 

 Florida and the Bahamas. This Report contains 

 other papers and notes of value. 



The X Rays. By Arthur Thornton, M.A. 

 63 pp. foolscap 8vo, with 26 illustrations. (London 

 and Bradford: Percy Lund and Co., Limited, 

 1896.) Price 6d. net. 



This pleasing little work forms No. 10 of the 

 " Popular Photographic Series," and in Mr. Arthur 

 Thornton's hands the subject of the Rontgen rays 

 assumes a simplicity which will be welcome to 

 many of our readers. Commencing with the whole 

 subject of vibrations, including tliose of sound and 

 light, the author leads up to Prof. Rontgen's 

 recent discovery and its later development. Al- 

 though the subject is sketchily treated in conse- 

 quence of the limited space available, it is just 

 what a general reader requires to post him up in 

 this new form of photography and its possibilities. 



Handbook to Liverpool and the Neighbourhood. 

 Prepared by various authors for the PubHcations 

 Sub-Committee of the British Association. Edited 

 by W. A. Herdman, F.R.S. ; 191 pp. 8vo, with 

 maps and charts. (Liverpool : Philip, Son and 

 Nephew, 1896.) Price 2s. net. 



Professor Herdman's energy in providing for 

 the success of the Liverpool meeting of the 

 British Association is further shown by the 

 publication of this admirable handbook to the 

 city. By its means he personally conducts the 

 visitors to its history, geology, vertebrate, inverti- 

 brate and marine fauna ; the entomology, botany, 

 climate, the river and its tides, docks and other 

 engineering works, trade and commerce, and its 

 chemical industries. To all this is added an 

 appendix on the Isle of Man, including a geological 

 map of ' the island, also plan of the sea around, 

 with biological chart of the Irish Sea, chart of 

 Liverpool Bay, and a useful geological map of the 

 country round Liverpool. It is needless to point 

 out that under Professor Herdman's supervision 

 the various authors of the articles have brought 



the information up to the latest date, so that this 

 handbook will be a work for reference for some 

 years to come. For 'that reason we are sorry to 

 find the binders have omitted to put the title on 

 the back, and thus risk the loss of the book when 

 placed on the library shelves. 



Wayside and Woodland Blossoms. (Second Series ) 

 By Edward Step, F.L.S. 185 pp. small 8vo, with 

 130 coloured and 23 uncoloured plates. (London 

 and New York: Frederick Warne and Co., 189O.) 

 Price 7s. 6d. 



These little books are evidently popular, for the 

 first series has gone to a new edition, and the 

 publishers seem to consider it worth while to issue 

 a second series. In this volume the author treats 

 of 325 species, thus the two volumes cover no less 

 than 725 of our commoner liowering plants. The 

 work will do much to familiarise many persons with 

 British plants, who rather dread the systematic 

 study of our flora, and will lead others to a 

 desire to know more about the "wayside and 

 woodland blossoms." The second series recently 

 issued, shows indications of better printing of 

 plates and colouring, also improvement in the 

 text. We can strongly recommend the managers 

 of school libraries and others to place these two 

 volumes within reach of young people under their 

 charge. 



The Photogram. Edited by H. Snowden Ward 

 and Catherine Meed Ward. (London: Septem- 

 ber, i8g6.) Monthly, price 6d. 



It has seldom been our pleasure to see a more 

 beautifully illustrated magazine than the September 

 number of "The Photogram." The series of 

 articles on " Beauty Spots " has reached No. 6, which 

 relates to " London Town." We are delighted to 

 see that some one has taken up the artistic features 

 of London. Long have we felt there was ample 

 scope for articles on the picturesque spots so 

 abundant in what people are still apt to describe 

 as "dirty, smoky London." This opinion was 

 only too much supported by one artist of note who 

 drew London. We refer to ]\Ir. James Whistler's 

 nocturns. Now we have the bright side treated, 

 and we fully agree with ]\Ir. Hamilton East, the 

 author of " London Town," that the artist, whether 

 in fact or in fancy, will find abundance of the 

 picturesque within seven miles of the General Post 

 Office. In "The Photogram" for this month are 

 examples beautiful enough to tempt many to 

 commence searching for these quaint corners. 

 The rest of the articles in this number are good, 

 and helpful to amateur photographers. 



Tourist Guide to the Continent. Edited by Percy 

 Lindley. 163 pp. Svo. Seventh .\nnual Edition, 

 illustrated, and with maps. (London: Great 

 Eastern Railway Company, 1896.) Price 6d. 



A prettily illustrated, useful guide, full of just the 

 kind of first information an intending tourist in 

 Europe requires. Although doubtless issued as an 

 advertisement for the Great Eastern Railway Com- 

 pany, this guide so little partakes of that character 

 as to constitute itself well worth its price. 



Insects and Spiders. By J. W. Tutt, F.E.S. 

 116 pp. Svo, illustrated by xviii. plates. (London : 

 George Gill and Sons, 1S06). Price is. 



This little book contains fifteen lessons on Ento- 

 mology and Spiders, which are illustrated by 

 common or easily attainable examples. The book 

 is Part ii. of Gill's Practical Series of Object Lesson 

 Books, that has been called forth by the new 

 School Board code. 



