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SCIENCE-GOSSIP 



First Year of Scientific Knowledge. By Paul Bert, 

 Member of the French Institute, and Ex-Minister 

 of Instruction, translated by Josephina Clayton 

 (Madame Paul Bert), 344 pp. 8vo, 550 illustrations. 

 Twelfth Edition. (London : Relfe Brothers. 

 Paris : Armand Colin et Cie.) Price 2s. 6d. 



The preface to this twelfth edition or seventieth 

 thousand in English, states that " in France one 

 million copies have been sold," and that there is 

 scarcely a school which does not use it. Certainly 

 we know of no other work so comprehensive, but 

 at the same time so handy. The simplicity of 

 language used is most effective, and although pro- 

 fessedly written for children, it is a work that 

 should be in every library in the country. The 

 illustrations are, as a rule, wonderfully clear and 

 suggestive. This little work only needs to be 

 known to be appreciated. The translation is well 

 done, Madame Bert being a native of these islands. 



Our Reptiles and Batrachians, a plain and easy 

 account of the lizards, snakes, newts, toads, frogs 

 and tortoises indigenous to Great Britain. By 

 M. C. Cooke, M.A., LL.D., A.L.S. With original 

 figures of every species and numerous wood-cuts. 

 New and Revised Edition. 197 pp. 8vo. Price 6s. 

 (London, 1893 : W. H. Allen & Co., Limited.) 



The first edition of Dr. M. C. Cooke's popu'ar 

 work is too well-known to require description. In 

 this new edition several important modifications 

 and additions have been made. The coloured 

 plates are as gay as ever. No one can object to 

 the chatty chapters on the two species of " British " 

 turtles, but it requires much faith to accept them 

 as members of our marine fauna. It is more 

 probable that like the king-crab (Limulus) which 

 was dredged in the North Sea, they might possibly be 

 accounted for by having been thrown overboard 

 from some vessel. The king-crab was explained 

 by the late W. A. Lloyd who had caused a flour- 

 barrel full to be thrown overboard from a Harwich- 

 Hamburg steamer. In stopping the attempt which 

 was made to include Limulus in the European 

 fauna, Mr. Lloyd finished his article with an 

 altered quotation to this effect : " Cast thy crabs 

 upon the waters, for thou shalt find them after 

 many days." 



Nature Pictures for Little People. By W. Mawer 

 and others. 66 pp. 4to, illustrated. (London : 

 The Sunday School Association.) 



One of the features of this century end is the 

 excellence of much of the literature and pictures 

 published for children. It has come to be recog- 

 nised that science, including natural history, can be 

 taught from very early childhood. Those respon- 

 sible for the production of books of this class 

 cannot be too particular as to truthfulness, equally 

 in the text and in illustration. " Nature Pictures " 

 is fairly free from the misrepresentation so common 

 among books for children ; in fact, is much above 

 the average, though we rather object to the draw- 

 ing (on page 14) of a wild seal coming ashore to be 

 patted by a small boy, even if his name was " Joe." 

 There is no advantage in teaching the utterly im- 

 probable, as set forth in this picture and the accom- 

 panying letterpress. The pictures generally are in 

 good taste, and some excellent ; for instance, the 

 moons on page 16 illustrating the rhyme about the 

 waxing and waning of " Lady Moon." The draw- 

 ings of legs of animals and birds on pages 9 and 42 

 are truly educational. 



Photographs by E. Step. 



Lycoperdon pyriforme, Schoeff. — A fungus of 

 the sub-class Gasteromycetes, growing in tufts 

 from decaying roots or other wood. Peridium 

 creamy-white, thin, densely covered with minute 

 spines, which readily separate from it. The olive 

 spores are produced within, and when ripe the 

 peridium opens at the summit. Varies in height 

 from one to three inches. Originals of photograph 

 were obtained on Headley Heath, Surrey. 



Pholiota squarrosa, Mull. — An agaric with 

 tawny, shaggy stem and cap, growing in large 

 clumps on the stumps or at the roots of various 

 trees, especially of ash. Gills, adnate with a 

 decurrent tooth ; pallid-olivaceous, then ferruginous 

 like the spores, strong smelling. Occurs commonly 

 from July to December. The specimens photo- 

 graphed were obtained on Putney Heath, Surrey. 



