340 



SCIENCE-GOSSIP 



NOTICES BY JOHN T. CAKKINGTON. 



The Last Link. By Ernst Haeckel; with Notes 

 and Biographical Sketches by Hans Gadow, F.E.S. 

 160 pp. 7i in. x 5 in., and diagrams. (London : 

 Adam and Charles Black, 1898.) 2s. 6d. 



This little book is an elaboration of the author's 

 address before the Ponrth International Congress 

 of Zoology, at Cambridge, on "Oiir Present 

 Knowledge of the Descent of Man," delivered on 

 August 26th, 1898. In this he has sought to show 

 that remains discovered by Dr. Engene Dubois of 

 an ape-like man named Pithecanthropus erectus, 

 are indeed the missing, or last link, in the chain 

 of evolution of man from the anthropoid apes. 

 These much-debated remains have on several 

 occasions been referred to in Science-Gossip as 

 those foimd by Dr. Dubois in 1894 in Java. 

 Professor Haeckel by no means stands alone in 

 this belief, though he has many opponents. The 

 object of the publication is to affirm his position 

 in the controversy. In this he is supported by 

 his late pupil and present friend, Dr. Gadow, of 

 Cambridge. The latter author has added many 

 important notes and biographical sketches of 

 some of the most important laboiirers in this field 

 of investigation, such as Lamarck, Geoffrey Saint- 

 Hilaire, Cuvier, von Baer, Virchow, Edward D. 

 Cope, Haeckel himself, and others. There are 

 chapters on the Theory of Cells, Factors of 

 Evolution, also on Geological Time and Evolution. 

 This book contains enough information to satisfy 

 not only ordinary readers, or more advanced 

 students, but most thinking persons who may find 

 satisfaction in knowing that Professor Haeckel 

 states in conclusion : " The direct descent of man 

 from some extinct ape-like form is now withoiit 

 doubt, and admits of being traced much more 

 clearly than the origin of many another mammalian 

 order." 



Chemistry for Photographers. By Charles F. 

 TowNSEND, F.C.S., F.KP.S., 158 pp. 7iby 5, illus- 

 trated. (London : Dawbarn and Ward Limited, 

 1899), Is. 



This is a useful book for the amatetu* photo- 

 grapher who has not studied chemistry. Even 

 those who have done so may get hints from its 

 pages that are not to be despised. The book is 

 divided into fifteen chapters, including an intro- 

 duction. Among them are articles on developing, 

 reversal, reduction, printing in various media, etc. 



The Science of Life. By J. Arthur Thompson, 

 M.A. X. + 243 pp. 7Hii- X 5in. (London, Glasgow, 

 and Dublin: Blackie & Son, Ltd., 1899.) 2s. 6d. 



This book is one of the publishers' Victorian 

 Era Series, and will be found to contain a history 

 of the rise of the science now named Biology. In 

 it, the author, who is connected with the Zoological 

 Laboratory of the School of Medicine of the Royal 

 College, Edinburgh, traces the history of biology 

 from the earliest times, but naturally gives most 

 attention to the remarkable strides made dtu'ing 

 the Queen's reign. The book is divided into 



about fifteen chajsters, which teem with interesting 

 facts for even others than mere casual readers. 



Early Chapters in Science. By Mrs. W. Awdrt. 

 Edited by W. F. Barrett, xviii. + 348 i^p. 8 in. x 

 5 in., with 180 illustrations. (London : John 

 Murray, 1899.) 6s. 



We have not for a long time met with a more 

 pleasantly written or prettily produced book than 

 the one before us. The author, who is the wife of 

 Bishop Awdiy, of Japan, describes her work as 

 " A First Book of Knowledge of Natural History, 

 Botany, Physiology, Physics, and Chemistry for 

 Young People," It thus forms an introduction to 

 the divisions of Biological and Experimental 

 Science. It is divided into two parts : the first 

 entitled 'The World of Life,' the second 'The 

 World of Experiment.' Thus the reader is, in the 

 earlier chapters, taught to observe, and later to 

 question. Nature. It cannot be complained that 

 the range of the book is too narrow, for it extends 

 to the whole breadth of natural and physical 

 science. Professor Barrett, of the Royal College 

 of Science for Ireland, has ably edited the pages, 

 and has had the assistance of many recognized 

 naturalists and others in his work. These include 

 Mr. G. H. Carpenter, B.Sc, Naturalist to the 

 Science and Art Museum, Dublin ; Dr. T. Johnson, 

 F.L.S., Professor of Botany in the Royal College 

 of Science, Dublin ; Professor J. A. Scott, Mr. H. 

 Eamage, the Rev. Maxwell H. Close, and others. 

 The really delightful drawings are chiefly by 

 Miss L. Stevenson and Miss J. Mothersole. We 

 can strongly recommend this work as just what is 

 required for young people. 



Birds. By A. H. Evans, M.A. xvi. + 635 pp. 

 6i in. X 9 in., 144 illustrations and coloured charts 

 of the North and South Polar Regions. (London 

 and New York : Macmillan & Co., Ltd., 1899.) I7s. 



This forms vol. ix. of " The Cambridge Natural 

 History " ; and it is produced in a manner uniform 

 with the other books of this handsome series. 

 The work is prefaced by a scheme of classification 

 founded on an arrangement from the lowest forms 

 and the Ratite birds upwards. TheCarinate birds 

 are divided, after Dr. Gadow's plan, into two 

 Brigades or main sections, and these into Legions, 

 Orders, and so forth. The book does not pretend 

 to go into more than a plain statement of the 

 siibject, which is beautifully illustrated by the 

 144 figures, many being by that excellent 

 artist, Mr. G. E. Lodge, whose drawing of the 

 Great Auk we reprodiice by permission of the 

 publishers. All the complex and controversial 

 points of Ornithology are avoided, such as Variation, 

 Hybridization, Myology, Mechanism of Flight, 

 Lines of Flight on Migration, &c., the author refer- 

 ring his readers to Professor Newton's admirable 

 " Dictionary of Birds." Still, many of these sub- 

 jects are dealt with in the introduction, but 

 merely as statements of fact. General readers 

 will find this Avork most useful in obtaining a 

 proper understanding of birds, and will be assisted 

 by the effective diagram of a hawk in the intro- 

 duction, showing the recognised names of every 

 part of the exterior appearance. The expressions 

 used in naming the various portions are fully 

 explained on the adjoining page. As we have 

 already said, the illustrations are admirable. The 

 book is a useful addition to any library, as it 

 treats of nearly every known kind of bird thi'ough- 

 out the world. 



