206 



SCIENCE- G OS SI P. 



" The Slope of Hair on the Bodies of Animals," 

 ■which are the titles of the two chapters forming 

 the book. The author's object has been to show 

 that characters in domesticated and other animals 

 are inherited, a theory which is now generally 

 accepted. The book, however, contains a con- 

 siderable amount of interesting reading, and the 

 illustrations are bold and suggestive. 



Elements of Modem Chemistry. By Charles 

 Adolphe WURTZ. Sixth edition. 808 pp., 7f in. 

 x 5 in., with 136 figures. (London : J. B. Lippin- 

 cott Co. 1901.) 10s. 6d. 



The sixth edition of this well-known work has 

 been revised and enlarged by Drs. William H. 

 Greene and Harry F. Keller. There have been 

 several additions, as well as corrections, rendered 

 necessary by the rapid advance of the science. 

 There is also a new chart, showing the spectra 

 of gaseous elements and metals. This chart is in 

 colours. 



The Country Month by Month. Bv J. A. Owen 

 and G. S. Boulger, F.L.S., F.G.S. viii + 492 pp., 

 8f in. x 6 in. (London : Duckworth. 1902.) 6s. net. 



It will be recollected that some few years ago 

 this work appeared in parts, representing the 

 months to which they referred. It is now reissued 

 in volume form, with copious notes by the late 

 Lord Lilford. These additions are a considerable 

 improvement to the already pleasantly chatty 

 pages that are devoted to country lore. They do 

 not pretend in anyway to scientific aspirations, 

 but to the lover of the countiy they will form 

 pleasant reading. 



Fauna, Flora, and Geology of the Clyde Area. 

 Edited by G. F. Scott Elliot, Malcolm Laurie, 

 and J. Barclay Murdoch, x + 567 pp., with 

 coloured map. (Glasgow : University Press. 1901.) 



This work has been issued by the local com- 

 mittee for the meeting of the British Association, 

 1901, and is the result of a number of papers by 

 various authors dealing with the subjects included 

 in the title. Although, naturally, chiefly of local 

 interest, the work, which appears in most instances 

 to have been carefully compiled, may be found 

 useful for reference by students of the respective 

 subjects. The lists themselves are purely such, 

 but in some instances there are introductory notes 

 that form more interesting reading. There is 

 not any price given with the work. 



The Writings of Oliver Ormerod. ix + 351 pp., 

 8 in. x 5 in., with portraits and other illustrations. 

 (Rochdale : James Clegg. 1901.) 5s. net. 



Rochdale has always been celebrated for its 

 cultivation of the Lancashire dialect Among the 

 writers, one remembers such names as those of 

 John Collier— otherwise "Tim Bobbin" — Oliver 

 Ormerod "O. Felley fro Eachde," Edwin Waugh, 

 John Trafford Clegg, Margaret Rebecca Lahee, 

 John Byrom, Samuel Laycock, and Ben Brierley. 

 Modern education has little in common with 

 dialects, which are being gradually swept 

 away before the tendency to a more general 

 uniformity of speech throughout the country. 

 They will, however, in some localities still linger 

 for many generations, but with lessened richness 

 as each passes away. Therefore all works on 

 dialectic folklore have their value as giving an 

 idea of a local popular language of the past. The 

 book under notice is a collection of the writings 

 of Ormerod about the middle of the nineteenth 

 century, and will be found of value to the student 



of dialects, but to the uninitiated almost as diffi- 

 cult to read as a foreign language. A single 

 work such as this should not be taken as an exact 

 type, for where there is no recognised spelling of 

 dialects each writer forms his own, hence the need 

 of comparison. It would be well if some of the 

 societies, local or otherwise, were to obtain, before 

 it is too late, a series of " phonograms " of dialects 

 for the edification of students in future centuries. 



Practical Science. By J. H. Leonard, B.Sc 

 Lond. xii + 138 pp., 7 in. x 4§- in., with 13 figures. 

 (London : John Murray. 1901.) Is. 6d. 



The full title of this useful little work is "A 

 First Course of Practical Science, with Full 

 Directions for Experiments and Numerous Exer- 

 cises." There is a short preface by Dr. J. H. 

 Gladstone, F.R.S., recommending the style adopted 

 by the author, which is stated to be the outcome 

 of some years of practical experience in science 

 teaching. This little work is one of Mr. Murray's 

 " Home and School Library," which in itself is a 

 guarantee for its scholastic value. 



To-day with Nature. By E. Kay Robinson. 

 xii + 338 pp., 1\ in. x 5 in. (London : Grant 

 Richards. 1901 ) 6s. 



Mr. E. Kay Robinson has a facile pen, and por- 

 trays incidents in Nature with much brightness 

 and originality. He does not pretend in any way 

 to severe science; but among his pleasant gossip- 

 ings one constantly comes across suggestions that 

 create food for scientific thought. Not that he is 

 always correct in his statements, being rather 

 inclined to accept the popular explanation of 

 phenomena, especially when sufficiently pictur- 

 esque, which makes his style even more pleasant 

 reading. In this book the writer follows the 

 calendar, commencing with January, and has 

 words for the year round. They are chiefly short 

 notes, jotted in the passing moment and of passing 

 thoughts. This is a pleasant book to take in hand 

 for short readings and distraction. 



Strange Adventures in Dieliy-Bird Land. By R. 

 Kearton, F.Z.S. xii + 195 pp., 8 in. x 5^ in., with 

 illustrations by Cherry Kearton. (London, 

 Paris, New York and Melbourne: Cassell & Co., 

 Limited. 1901.) 5s. 



There will be few more attractive books issued 

 this Christmas-time for boys and girls than this 

 collection of stories " overlieard " by the author. 

 They are stirring anecdotes of what might happen 

 any day in bird-land, and will make the young 

 people for whom they are written take a keen 

 interest in the dicky-birds they see, after reading 

 Mr. Kearton's blood-curdling accounts. The pages 

 are beautifully illustrated by the talented brother 

 of the author, whose photographs are so well known 

 to our readers. They represent wild birds and 

 other animals at home, pictures won only by 

 patience and with a love for woodcraft or country 

 lore, that enters into most of them, causing their 

 remarkable naturalness. 



The Tutorial History of English Literature. By 

 A. J. Wyatt. M.A. Lond. and Camb. Second edi- 

 tion, xii + 223 pp.. 7 in. x 5 in. (London : W. B. 

 Clive. 1901.) 2s. 6d. 



This primer of English literature is one of the 

 best with which we have met, and is interestingly 

 arranged. Considering how fragmentary and in- 

 complete are text-books at their best, we find less 

 fault with this than with most. This was only to 

 be expected from Mr. Wyatt. 



