SCIENCE- GOSSIP. 



367 



NOTICES BY JOHN T. CARRINGTON. 



We have received the following: books, but in consequence of 

 pressure on our space the notices must be deferred : " Stalk-eyed 

 Crustacea of British Guiana, West Indies, and Bermuda." by 

 Charles G Young, M.A.. M.D. : " Annual Report of Smithsonian 

 Institution, 1898," 2 vols. : "Total Solar Eclipse of May, 1900," 

 by E.Walter Maunder, F.R.A.S. : "Disease in Plants," by H. 

 Marshall Ward, Scl)., F.R.s. : " Missouri Botanical Garden." 

 Eleventh Annual Report: "Earth's Atmosphere," by Dr. T. L. 

 Phipson ; " Technics of the Hand-Cimera," by W. B. Coventry, 

 M.I.O.E. : " First Aid to the Iniured," by H. Drinkwater, M.D. ; 

 " Electricity Simplified," by A. T. Stuart, A.I.E.E. ; " Practical 

 Electrician's Pocket-book for 1901," by H. T. Crewe ; "Scientific 

 Roll," by Alexander Ramsay : " Raws Regulating- Sale of Game," 

 by Dr. C. Hart Merriam ; " Principles of Magnetism and Elec- 

 tricity," by P. L. Gray, B.Sc. : " Colour Photography," by A. E. 

 Smith ; "Chemistry," by James Knight, M.A., B.Sc. ; " Alga 

 Flora of Yorkshire," by W. West, F.L.S. ; " Practical Enlarging," 

 by J. A. Hodges, F.R.P.S. ; " Experimental Farms Rei orts " : 

 " Maryland Geological Survey." with Atlas : " Fruit Trees," by 

 Wm. Saunders, LL.D.. F.R.S C, F.L.S. ; Reports of the " Ento- 

 mological Society of Ontario " : " Scottish Arboricultural 

 Society"; " Society for Psychical Research"; "Hull Scientific 

 Club"; "Botanical Exchange Club"; "Croydon, New and 

 Old " ; " Journal Quekett Microscopical Club " ; " Marine Bio- 

 logical Association " ; " Millport Marine Biological Station " ; 

 " Annals of Andersonian Society " ; " Leicester Literary 

 Society " ; " Vitality," by L. S. Beale, F.R.S., F.R.C.P. ; " Matri- 

 culation Directory " ; " Price List of Exotic Butterflies and 

 Moths " ; " Report Sarawak Museum " ; " Report Bristol Museum 

 Reference Library " ; " Report Wellington College Science 

 Society " ; " Transactions English Arboricultural Society," by 

 J. Davidson; "Laws of Industrial Property"; "Handbooks 

 of Essex Field Club " ; " Proceedings of Association of Economic 

 Entomologists": "Sunny Days at Hastings and St. Leonards," 

 by H. W. Saunders and P. Row ; "Godalming and its Surround- 

 ings," by T. F. W. Hamilton; "Journal of Board of Agricul- 

 ture": "Report of Canadian Department of Agriculture. 

 Central Experimental Farm " : " Description of Apparently New 

 Species of Goat." by D. G. Elliot. F.R.S.E. ; " Genus Eupomotis," 

 by D. G. Elliot, F.R.S.E. 



The Englishwoman's Year-Booh and Directory for 

 1901. Edited by Emily Janes, xxxv + 378 pp., 

 7§ in. x 5 in. (London: A. & C. Black. 1901.) 

 2s. 6d. net. 



This is the twenty-first year of publication of 

 this handbook of women, giving particulars of 

 some women who work and those who have become 

 celebrated. This book contains a large amount of 

 information, and there seems to be little left out 

 of its pages that could be of use to women. The 

 particulars are arranged under sectional headings. 

 We should have liked to have observed more space 

 devoted under the heading of " Science," there 

 being eight pages only, still it is satisfactory to 

 notice that the number of educated women 

 devoting their time to scientific pursuits and 

 investigations is increasing. Perhaps, however, 

 in their modesty,' particulars are in many instances 

 withheld, as we do not observe several names of 

 those who are doing considerable work of this kind. 



The Story of Art in the British Isles. By J. 

 Ernest Ph'ythian. 21« pp., (i in. x 3f in., with 

 28 illustrations. (London : George Newnes, Ltd. 

 1901.) Is. 



This, being one of Messrs. Newnes' Library of 

 Useful Stories, gives an outline of Art in the 

 British Islands. Commencing in the prehistoric 

 period with a sketch of the earliest known example 

 in these islands of imitation of animal form, we 

 have reproduced the well-known sketch of a horse 



from the Creswell Crags found in Robin Ho 

 cave, on the borders of Not1 inghamshire and Derby - 

 shire. Thence it carries us forward, step by step, 

 to I lie Art of the present period. In this case the 

 author very properly includes in Art, Archaeology, 

 Architecture. Drawing and Painting. The chapter 

 on " Celtic Christian Art " is of especial interest, as 

 the drawings and descriptions are largely of Celtic 

 monuments not much known by the general public. 

 More examples, however, might have been given of 

 Art in furniture, pottery, and some other familiar 

 household surroundings. 



Alpine Plants. By W. A. Clark, F.R.H.S. 

 vii + 108 pp, 7|in. x 5 in., with 9 plates. (London: 

 L. Upcott Gill. New York : Scribner's Sons. 1901.) 

 3s. 6d. 



Considering the ease with which Alpine plants 

 can be grown by persons having even small gardens, 

 it is a source of surprise that we so seldom meet 

 with this delightful group of flowers under cultiva- 

 tion. Such a collection, however, is one for the 

 botanist rather than for the horticulturist. Want 

 of knowledge of their habits and requirements is, 

 perhaps, the true cause of so many persons shirking 

 their growth, for there are few places where some 

 of them cannot be planted and grown with success. 

 The author of the book before us is one of the most 

 experienced authorities in this country upon the 

 Alpine garden, having had charge for some time 

 past of one that is celebrated for its success, in 

 the nurseries of Messrs. Backhouse, near York. 

 Mr. Clark does not attempt in his pages anything 

 further than plain instructions for growing the more 

 difficult and rarer plants, with which most people 

 fail. If his instructions be followed, many an 

 unsatisfactory garden will be changed to a source 

 of pleasure. The illustrations are generally good, 

 as is the whole production of the book in its neat 

 cloth cover. 



Imitation. By Richard Steel, xii 4 197 pp., 

 7J in. x 5 in. (London : Simpkin, Marshall.) 

 1900. 3s. 



In this book the author draws attention to '-the 

 mimetic force in Nature and Human Nature." The 

 earlier pages are occupied by a series of papers 

 read before the Literary and Philosophical Society 

 of Liverpool, which have received revision and 

 considerable addition in the form of several chap- 

 ters, bringing the subject to further development. 

 The first part of the work deals with imitation in 

 Economics, Psychology, Ethics, Religion, Politics, 

 Law, Custom, Fashion, Language, Poetry and Arts. 

 With Chapter AT. commences the consideration of 

 imitation in Habit and Instinct, in Animal and 

 Vegetable Life, also in Heredity. Thence Mr. 

 Steel proceeds to the consideration of imitation in 

 the inorganic world, and finally is a chapter on retro- 

 spective considerations and conclusion. There is 

 an appendix on " Imitation in Reasoning." We 

 must refer our readers to the author's pages for the 

 plan and arguments of the theory of the influence 

 of imitation. They are well worth consideration, 

 and the book should be widely read. In a new 

 edition, we imagine, the author will somewhat re- 

 arrange his plan, as it has. perhaps, in its present 

 form the fault of taking for granted that the 

 author and reader have previously discussed the 

 subject; so the latter is sometimes left too much 

 to his own judgment as to the conclusions intended 

 by the writer. The addition of a special chapter 

 elaborating the last paragraph, under the heading 

 Conclusion, would be of service. 



