246 



SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



NOTICES BY JOHN T. CARRINGTON. 



Note.— In consequence of the great variety in sizes of books 

 11010 published, the old descriptions, founded on the folding 

 of the paper on which they are printed, will not in future 

 be followed in these pages. In its stead their size, including 

 binding, will be given in inches, the greater being the length 

 and the lesser the breadth, unless otherwise specified.— Ed. 

 Science-Gossip. 



The Study of Man. By Alfred C. Haddon. 

 x. + 512 pp. 8$ in. x 6 in. with 40 illustrations 

 and 8 plates. (London : John Murray ; New 

 York : G. P. Putman's Sons. 1898.) 6s. 



This work — one of the Progressive Science 

 Series— is excellently written by Professor Haddon, 

 than whom few are better able to deal with a 

 popular handbook of Anthropology. His first 

 chapter indicates the importance of measurements 

 in that science. He then proceeds to the value, in 

 studying different races, of hair and eye colour, 

 also of head form and the nose. Thence he pro- 

 ceeds with a chapter on the ethnography of a 

 district in France, as an example for study. Next, 

 Professor Haddon deals with the rise of civiliza- 

 tion as represented by the evolution of wheeled 

 vehicles, taking the cart and the Irish jaunting-car 

 as examples. The latter part of the work is 

 devoted to a critical study of the toys and games 

 played by children in various parts of the world, 

 among savages and with the more highly civilized 

 races. The work ends with an important chapter 

 containing " Practical Suggestions for conducting 

 Ethnographical Investigations in the British Isles." 

 Written by such an able exponent of the subject, 

 Professor Haddon's "Study of Man " cannot fail 

 to command the highest attention. 



Flashlights of Nature. By Grant Allen. 312 pp. 

 7§ in. x 5^in. with 150 illustrations by Frederick 

 Enock. (London : George Newnes, Ltd., 1899.) 6s. 



Some of the matter contained in this book has 

 already appeared in the " Strand Magazine," but 

 is here reprinted with corrections and additions, 

 forming, with Mr. Enock's beautiful and accurate 

 illustrations, a charming addition to any person's 

 library. Written in Mr. Grant Allen's well-known 

 popular style, it cannot fail to be attractive to the 

 public at large, as well as to the initiated in the 

 subjects forming the chapters. Among these are 

 a couple on ants, one entitled "A Plant that 

 Melts Ice," another "A Beast of Prey," fol- 

 lowed by a " Woodland Tragedy," " Marriage 

 among the Clovers," and several more. They are 

 all attractive, many being very suggestive to the 

 thinking layman, and cannot fail to create a taste 

 for critical examination of Nature's mysteries. 

 We are pleased to notice that Mr. Allen refers 

 in eulogistic terms on page 72, to the cover of 

 Science-Gossip, which was designed by Mr. 

 Worthington Smith so long ago as 1865, when the 

 publisher, Hardwicke, founded this magazine. The 

 chapter on " Marriage Among the Clovers," forms 

 one of the nicest lessons in botany, that could be 

 desired. This book will doubtless gladden many 

 young people as a seasonable present, as it is one 

 to cultivate the tastes for science and art. 



Organic Evolution Cross-examined. By the Duke 

 of Argyll, K.G., etc. 201 pp. 7^ in. x 5^ in. 

 (London : John Murray, 1898.) 5s. 



There are only three chapters, which originally 

 appeared as magazine articles in the " Nineteenth 

 Century," and they are now reissued in book form. 

 Doubtless most of our readers have already seen 

 the series, which in this form are little altered. 

 They deal, as indicated by the title, with the much 

 debated subject of evolution in plant and animal 

 life. In the May number, 1897, of the " Nineteenth 

 Century," these papers were criticised by Mr. 

 Herbert Spencer ; but as his Grace the Duke of 

 Argyll appears to think that some of Mr. Spencer's 

 remarks were founded on misconception, he has 

 altered certain paragraphs herein, to make his 

 meaning more explicit. Critical biologists should 

 of necessity examine the arguments contained in 

 this work. 



A New Astronomy. By David P. Todd, M.A., 

 Ph.D. 480 pp. 7J in. x 5^ in. with 6 coloured 

 plates and numerous other illustrations. (London : 

 Sampson Low, Marston & Co., Limited, 1898.) 

 7s. 6d. net. 



We have already had occasion (Science-Gossip, 

 N.S. vol. iv. p. 328) to notice this beautifully 

 produced popular work on astronomy. The author, 

 Professor of Astronomy and Director of the Obser- 

 vatory at Amherst College, U.S.A., has successfully 

 designed an attractive work, intelligible to all, on 

 this most fascinating science. We welcome this, 

 a further issue of the work. 



Recent Advances in Astronomy. By Alfred H. 

 Fison, D.Sc. vi. + 242 pp. 7^ in. x 5 in. with 

 12 diagrams. (London, Glasgow and Dublin: 

 Blackie and Son, Limited, 1898.) 2s. Cd. 



In their Victorian Era Series, of which this 

 volume is one, Messrs. Blackie and Son have 

 instituted a useful short history of the progress 

 made during the century so soon to expire, in 

 politics, economics, religion, industry, literature, 

 science and art. Dr. Fison popularly places before 

 his readers, not so much the discoveries of the age, 

 as the recognised position of the science of astro- 

 nomy. He describes what is understood by it, as 

 is indicated through the chapter headings, " The 

 Life of a Star," "Measurement of Stellar Dis- 

 tances," " The Milky Way and the Distribution of 

 Stars," " The Recent Study of Mars," etc. Dr. 

 Prison's book will be useful to the layman as well 

 as to the astronomer. 



The Century Invalid Cookery Booh. By Mary A. 

 Boland. Edited by Mrs, Humphry, ix. + 320 pp. 

 7J in. x 4J in. (London : Fisher Unwin, 1892.) 

 3s. 6d. 



Cookery for invalids is clearly a science, unless 

 the poor sufferers are to be too rapidly " cured" 

 by those undesirable persons said to be sent to us 

 by the arch-enemy. We, therefore, have pleasure 

 in noticing a most useful book for nurses and 

 private persons who have to attend the sick. The 

 idea was suggested to the author by the necessities 

 of a large hospital in America. She has certainly 

 produced by far the most scientific treatise on 

 cookery we have seen. The first part is devoted, 

 in the form of Explanatory Lessons, to the chemi- 

 cal properties and action of various classes of 

 foods. The second section deals with proper 

 recipes, menus and general directions for particular 

 classes of sickness. Mrs. Humphry, who, by the way, 

 is " Madge " of " Truth," in editing the American 

 edition, has synchronised the names of ingredi- 

 ents and other points with English customs. 



