i8o 



SCIENCE- GOSSIP. 



Design in Nature's Story. By Walter Kidd, 

 M.D. F.Z.S. 165 pp., 8 in. x 5 in. (London : James 

 Nisbet & Co., Ltd., 1900.) 3s. 6d. net. 



The author has written what appears to have 

 been intended as an essay upon the whole plan of 

 Nature, with the result that he has produced half- 

 a-dozen pleasantly-written chapters that will doubt- 

 less find numerous readers among those who do 

 not care to dive too deeply into abstruse subjects. 



GuMe- Book to Natural Hygiene. By Sidney H. 

 Beard. 103 pp., 7 in. x 5 in., illustrated. (Paign- 

 ton : Order of the Golden Age. 1900.) Is. net. 



The attractive cover of this little book is sugges- 

 tive of pleasant reading within. We find, however, 

 that it is chiefly occupied with recipes for cookery 

 of the kind that is apt to leave one hungry, unless 

 associated with more substantial things than vege- 

 tables. There are, however, a good many useful 

 hygienic suggestions in the pages, though one is 

 not much encouraged by the heading : " A Blood- 

 less Menu for Christmas." 



Dartmoor and its Surroundings. By Beatrix F. 

 Cresswell. 144 pp., 1\ in. x 4f in., with illustra- 

 tions and maps. (London : St. Bride's Press. 

 1900.) 6d. 



This is a second edition of a prettily illustrated 

 guide-book to a beautiful country. It is Number 8 

 of the Homeland Association's handbooks. It 

 contains much information which is indispensable 

 to those who first visit the district. The edition 

 before us is considerably improved, and has the 

 advantage of having had the supervision of the 

 United Devon Association. There is a chapter on 

 Dartmoor Fishing by Mr. Edgar Shrubsole. 



Brain in Relation to Mind. By J. Sanderson 

 Christison, M.D. Second edition. 143, pp., 

 8 in. x 5| in., illustrated (Chicago : Meng Pub- 

 lishing Co. 1900.) 



The author, who is already known by a book on 

 " Crime and Criminals." was for some time con- 

 nected with the New York City Asylums for the 

 Insane. His chapters deal with the subject entirely 

 from a phys'ological point of view. As might be 

 expected, the pages bear evidence of his professional 

 association with defective minds. The book con- 

 tains a good deal of information which will be 

 found useful. 



Elements of Phys : es and Chemistry. Third stage. 

 By K. A. Gregory, F.R.A.S., and A. T. Simmons, 

 B.Sc. viii + 114 pp., 7 in. x 4f in., with 53 illus- 

 trations. (London and New York : Macmillans. 

 1900.) Is. 6d. 



Professor Gregory and Mr. Simmons, both gentle- 

 men with experience as teachers of higher class 

 science, ha,ve succeeded in getting together some 

 useful experiments and information, which will 

 lead their students to take an interest in science 

 for its own sake. This primer can be recommended 

 for its simplicity and general correctness. It is 

 quite a book that may be used in the family circle 

 without the aid of a professional teacher. 



Contributions to Photographic Optics. By Dr. 

 Otto Lummer. Translated and augmented by 

 Silvanus P. Thompson, D.Sc, F.R.'s. xi + 135 

 pp., 9 in. x 6 in., with 55 illustrations. (London 

 and New York : Macmillans. 1900.) 6s. net. 



This is an important and highly scientific treatise 

 upon photographic optics, and Dr. Silvanus Thomp- 

 son deserves thanks for rescuing Professor Otto 



Lummer's essays from a German magazine. They 

 will be found to give in concise form information 

 not to be found elsewhere. This knowledge is 

 placed before us in so logical and so direct a 

 manner as to be sure to command the attention it 

 should receive. In these pages are contained an 

 exposition of the remarkable theories of Professor 

 von Seidel, of Munich, whose work on geometrical 

 optics in relation to the aberrations of lenses is 

 not sufficiently known. Chapters XII. and XIII., 

 dealing respectively with " Some Kecent British 

 Objectives " and " Tele-photographic Lenses," are 

 by Professor Silvanus Thompson and are valuable 

 additions, as are several other portions of the work 

 from his pen. 



Bacteria. By George Newman, M.D., F.R.S.E., 

 D.Ph. Second edition, xvi + 397 pp., 8| in. x 

 5^ in., with 94 illustrations. (London : John 

 Murray. 1900.) 6s. 



We have already had the pleasure of noticing 

 the first edition (Science-Gossip, N.S., vol. vi., 

 p. 85), and it is satisfactory to find that a second 

 edition is required within twelve months of the 

 first issue. In this there have been made a number 

 of necessary corrections, and much new matter 

 added. Among the latter information are ar- 

 ticles on " The Bacterial Treatment of Sewage," 

 " Industrial Applications of Bacteriology," and 

 '• Tropical Diseases." In this edition are fifteen 

 micro-photographs of actual organisms, taken 

 expressly for "the book hy the celebrated specialist 

 in the photography of bacteria, Mr. E. J. Spitta, 

 M.R.C.S. An extended knowledge of the influence 

 of bacteria on human existence, is so important 

 that this most useful work cannot be too widely 

 known. 



One Thousand Objects for the Microscope. By 

 M. C. Cooke, M.A., LL.D., A.L.S. x. + 179 pp., 

 7f in. x 4| in. 13 plates, containing over 500 figures, 

 and 38 woodcuts. (London: FrederickWarne&Co.) 

 2s. 6d. net. 



Dr. M. C. Cooke's unpretentious little book has 

 long been a favourite with amateurs, and we are 

 glad to find that the publishers have recently re- 

 issued it in a new dress. Originally a list of 

 popular microscopic objects, with brief explanatory 

 notes attached, the book has now received an 

 addition in the form of some fifty-six pages dealing 

 with the purchase and management of a suitable 

 microscope, pond and field collecting, and mount- 

 ing. The treatment of the part dealing with the 

 microscope itself appears to us to be somewhat 

 inadeqiiate to the importance of the subject, 

 though we heartily sympathise with Dr. Cooke's 

 advice in favour of a simple rather than an elabo- 

 rate instrument. The beginner's difficulties, for 

 instance, with regard to the management of his 

 condenser and its accessories are barely alluded to 

 in his pages. On the other hand, the remarks on 

 pond and field collecting, and on simple preparation 

 and mounting for the microscope, though brief, are 

 eminently practical and to the point. The plates, 

 illustrating about half of the objects described, are 

 apparently the original ones, and the descriptive 

 letterpress thereon, with its practical notes and 

 clear instructions as to where to find and how to 

 deal with these objects, is also unaltered. A new 

 frontispiece has been added, representing typical 

 radiolarians, which is apparently a reduction, un- 

 fortunately not equal to the original, of one of the 

 plates in Messrs. Warne's "Royal Natural History." 



