SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



371 



NOTICES BY JOHN T. CARRINGTON. 



A Junior Course of Practical Zoology. By the 

 late A. Milnes Marshall, M.D., D.Sc, M.A., 

 F.E.S., and the late C. Herbert Hurst, Ph.D. 

 Fifth Edition, revised by F. W. Gamble, M.Sc. 

 xviii. + 486 pp. 7f in. x 5£ in., with upwards of 70 

 illustrations. (London : Smith, Elder & Co., 

 1899.) 10s. 6d. 



In consequence of the lamented deaths of the 

 authors, Mr. Gamble was invited to revise and 

 bring up to date this well-known text-book of 

 zoology, though it has not been found necessary to 

 alter, in any way, the general plan of the work. 

 That it has reached the fifth edition is a sufficient 

 indication of the usefulness of this book. 



Text-Boole of Zoology. By H. G. Wells, B.Sc, 

 F.Gr.S. Enlarged and revised by A. M. Davies, 

 B.Sc. viii. + 366 pp. 7 in. x 5 in. and 184 illustra- 

 tions. (London: W. B. Clive, 1899.) 6s. 6d. 



This text-book is in use among the students of 

 the University Correspondence College, London, 

 and contains apparently exactly the necessary 

 amount of information to enable the student to 

 pass his examination in zoology at the University 

 of London. Brevity and conciseness are the chief 

 features of the book, and the facts are fully illus- 

 trated by the figures in the text. The form of 

 teaching is founded on the type-system, a rather 

 risky method of imparting knowledge unless the 

 student is guarded from running into too restricted 

 methods. This danger appears to be kept well 

 before the reader, and any intelligent person may 

 keep out of error with the exercise of common 

 sense. 



A Text-Booh of Botany. By J. M. Lowson, M.A., 

 B.Sc, F.L.S. viii. + 394 pp. 7 in. x 5 in., with 246 

 illustrations. (London : W. B. Clive, 1899.) 

 6s. 6d. 



This book, like that on Zoology last noticed, is 

 one of the 'University Tutorial Series' of the 

 University Correspondence College. It is arranged 

 in a similar manner, and forms a concise introduc- 

 tion to structural botany, including the fungi and 

 lower forms of plants. 



Handbook of Physiology. By W. D. Halliburton. 

 M.D., F.E.S. 15th Edition, xix. + 872 pp. 9 in. 

 x 5-£ in. with upwards of 650 illustrations. 

 (London: John Murray, 1899). 14s. 



The fifteenth edition of " Kirke's Handbook of 

 Physiology " brings up this standard work to the 

 most recent knowledge of the human organs and 

 ■♦-.heir functions. The rapid strides in the study 

 of animal physiology so frequently make additions 

 to the knowledge of the subject, that every new 

 edition of this work bears the stamp of novelty. 

 In this last one Dr. Halliburton has incorporated 

 the most recent discoveries. The book is pro- 

 duced in its usual admirable style, with abun- 

 dance of plain and coloured illustrations. 



The Story of Geographical Discovery. By Joseph 

 Jacobs. 224 pp. with 25 illustrations, 6 in. x 4 in. 

 (London, George Newnes Limited, 1899.) Is. 



This is a condensed, but interesting account of 

 the manner in which different parts of the world 

 became known to the inhabitants of Europe, com- 

 mencing with the explorations of the Romans and 

 continued to the most recent expedition of Nansen 

 to the North Pole. As the writer points out in his 

 introduction, the history of geographical discovery 

 really means "the gradual bringing to the know- 

 ledge of the nations of civilization surrounding 

 the Mediterranean Sea, the vast tract of land 

 extending in all directions from it ; " as the lands 

 " discovered," were of course well known to their 

 own inhabitants. 



Intermediate Text Book of Geology. By Charles 

 Lapworth, F.E.S. xvii. + 414 pp., 7? in. x 5 in. 

 Illustrated by 174 figs. (Edinburgh and London: 

 William Blackwood and Sons, 1899.) 5s. 



Professor Lapworth has founded this useful 

 book upon the late David Page's Introductory 

 Text Book of Geology, which previously appeared 

 in no less than twelve editions, the last being 

 dated February in 1888. The ten years that have 

 elapsed have rendered it necessary for Professor 

 Lapworth to recast and rewrite most of the chap- 

 ters. The work will be found more useful to the 

 beginner than the advanced student, hence the word 

 " Intermediate " in the title. Among the novelties, 

 the present author has written a new series of 

 recapitulations with the object of making each a 

 complete synopsis of their respective chapters. 

 Another feature is the attention paid to the geo- 

 graphical distribution of geological formations not 

 only in Britain, but abroad generally. The work 

 has been enlarged by about one hundred pages, 

 and many of the figures have been replaced by 

 fresh illustrations. This work is one eminently 

 suited to persons desiring a sound though super- 

 ficial knowledge of geology. 



The Principles of Stratigraphical Geology. By 

 J. E. Marr, M.A., F.E.S. 309 pp., 7i in. x 5 in., 

 illustrated by 25 figs. (Cambridge : University 

 Press, 1898.) 6s. 



The author, who is a Fellow and Lecturer of St. 

 John's College, Cambridge, and University Lec- 

 turer in Geology, aims at giving a general idea of 

 the methods and scope of stratigraphical geology. 

 This he does by avoiding a number of details and 

 giving brief accounts of the strata of the different 

 systems. As a work for the library of the general 

 reader, this book will be useful and found to be 

 one which will give ample information without 

 overloading the reader with the trouble of 

 mastering a number of items which can be easily 

 acquired if the subject is found sufficiently attrac- 

 tive to continue its study. 



Practical Work in Physics. Part IV. Magnetism 

 and Electricity. By W. G. Woollcombe, M.A., 

 B.Sc. xi. + 112 pp., 7iin. x 5 in., illustrated by 

 twenty- two figures. (Oxford : Clarendon Press, 

 1899.) 2s. 



The author, who is the senior science master 

 in King Edward's High School, Birmingham, com- 

 pletes with this part his four sections of prac- 

 tical physics for schools and colleges. Most of the 

 apparatus explained is of a simple character, and 

 much may be home-made. The object of these 

 handbooks seems to be to give sufficient elementary 

 instruction to create a taste for future study. 



