SCIEXCE-GOSSIP. 



NOTICES BY JOHN" T. CARRIXG-TOX\ 



Riddle of the ITniverse. By Erxst Haeckel. 

 See page 208 for notice of this work, which is one 

 of the hooks of the year. 



Problems of Evolution. By F. W. Headley. 

 xvii-h373 pp., 8f in. x 5J in., with fourteen. illus- 

 trations. (London: Duckworth i: Co. 1900.) 

 8s. net. 



This is another contribution to the already large 

 amount of existing literature upon the problems of 

 evolution, which have themselves evolved from 

 Darwinism and Neo-Darwinism. The work is 

 written in such a style as to be useful to the 

 scientific student, and also to the public atlarge. 

 For this reason the author has commenced with a 

 valuable introductory chapter, explaining certain 

 elementary biological facts, without which the un- 

 initiated reader might find difficulty in following 

 the arguments contained in the rest of the work. 

 This introduction explains Darwins theory and 

 the early stages of evolution. There is added a 

 section on the development of the individual. The 

 whole work is divided into two parts, the first 

 dealing with evolution at large, and the second 

 with human evolution in particular. This latter 

 portion has been treated in its widest sense ;* and 

 not the least interesting chapter of the book is the 

 one on "The Great Unprogressive People." As 

 one might expect, the Chinese are the races under 

 discussion. With regard to the evolution of 

 animals, the author has selected Dr. Haeckel"s 

 genealogical tree as his type of the ascent. This, 

 by permission of the publishers, we reproduce. 

 The •• Problems of Evolution " is a book to read 

 with care and satisfaction. 



A Glossary of Botanic Terms.. By Bexjamlx 

 Daydox Jacksox. x + 323 pp., 8 in. x 5 in. (Lon- 

 don : Duckworth &: Co. Philadelphia : Lippincott 

 Co. 1900.) 6s. net. 



Mr. Daydon Jackson, who for a lengthened period 

 has acted as honorary secretary for the department 

 of botany in the Linnean Society, has conferred 

 upon botanists and the public at large a distinct 

 boon by compiling this modern glossary of botani- 

 cal terms, witn their derivations and accent. Mr. 

 Jackson appears to have left no source unsearched 

 for even the most modern words. Each is treated 

 with much fulness of explanation : in fact the work 

 is quite encyclopaedic. In dealing with the terms 

 used in foreign countries, as far as possible English 

 equivalents are stated, and we understand that 

 in all cases the derivations have been carefully 

 checked. It is needless to remark on the value of 

 the accentuation, and we trust the book will lead 

 to greater uniformity in pronunciation. The 

 o nitude of the work may be estimated from the 

 fact that nearly fifteen thousand words are dealt 

 with. There are appendices relating to various 

 matters incident to the book, such as the adopted 



pronunciation of Latin and Latinised words ; the 

 use of the terms ■•right" and "left" ; a bibliography 

 extending to three pages, etc. No English botanist 

 can afford to dispense with this work, which should 

 also be in every important library. 



Tales told in the Zoo. By F. Carrethers Goexd 

 and F. H. Carrethers Gould. 136 pp., 10 in. 

 x 7J in., with one coloured and twenty-three other 

 illustrations. (London : T. Fisher Unwin. 1900.) 

 6s. 



This is an entertaining book for young people, 

 and even for some who are their elders. It is a 

 series of stories founded upon natural history folk 

 lore. For the most part it deals with birds. These 

 stories are brightly told, and are really interesting. 

 They are not all inventions of the author's, but 

 many are founded on legends which have a distinct 

 ethnological value. The illustrations are by the 

 first -named author, and are cleverly drawn. It is 

 a bright book, and one to make a good Christmas 

 present. 



Geological Antiquity of I/t^erts. Bv Herbert 

 Gosse. F.L.S., F.G.S. 56 pp., 8h in. x *5± in. 2nd 

 edition. (London : Gurney ic Jackson. 1900.) Is. 



This is a re-issue of the author's well-known 

 small work upon fossil entomology. It has been re- 

 cognised for the past twenty years as indispensable 

 to both entomologists and geologists. The pages 

 before us contain some additions, but, considering 

 the large quantity of material that has been found 

 since the work was first published, we had looked 

 forward to its greater enlargement. We hope Mr. 

 Gosse will see his way to this, notwithstanding his 

 prefatorial announcement to the contrary. 



Workshop Mathematics. Parts I. and II. By 

 Frank Castle. M.I.M.E. xviii + 331 pp. 

 (London : Macmillan ic Co. 1900.) Is. 6d. each 

 part. 



These two little books will no doubt prove a 

 great boon to the class of students for whom they 

 are written. Some artisan students are either 

 ignorant of pure mathematics or are impatient, and 

 yet require sufficient knowledge of them for work- 

 shop calculations. The two volumes before us ad- 

 mirably meet this requirement. The matter is so 

 smoothly graded that the practical student should 

 have no difficulty in working through with a little 

 help from the teacher. The reviewer has personal 

 experience of the assistance given by these book- 

 lets. He has a mixed class in magnetism and 

 electricity and a similar one on mechanics, both on 

 the same evening. By wedging in half an hour 

 or so for individual help, this " Workshop Mathe- 

 matics " is fullv appreciated bv the students. — 

 J. Q. 



Tlie Construction of Large Induction Coils. 

 A Workshop Handbook. By A. T. Hare. M.A. 

 i - 155 pp., illustrated. (London: Methuen & Co. 

 1900.) 6s. 



Much has been said and written within the last 

 twenty years upon the construction of large induc- 

 tion coils. The "English Mechanic" some year; 

 ago printed many letters and illustrated articles 

 bearing upon the question. These were from men 

 who had paid the expense of experience in making 

 both good and bad coils. There was then a pro- 

 longed lull in the matter until Rontgen discovered, 

 in 1895, the rays bearing his name, when the 

 making of induction coils, large and small, received 



