312 



SCIENCE- GOSSIP. 



first groping in the geographical darkness by refer- 

 ring to the early maps reproduced in Mr. Keane's 

 book. It is instructive to find on a map of the date 

 500 B.C. the general contour of the Mediterranean 

 delineated with such considerable exactness, showing 

 how long had been the time its waters had been used 

 for navigation before that date. Of course this must 

 have been the case, as we know the Phoenicians 

 supplied Babylon with tin from Cornwall a thousand 

 years previously. The author has told his story with 

 much judgment, and pleasantly ; and we can recom- 

 mend the work to our readers. 



A Book of the Fields and Woods. Edited by J. P. 

 Steele, x + 112 pp., 7 in. x4', in., with iUustra- 

 tions. (Leek: W. H. Eaton, 1899.) is. 3d. 



The " First Book of the North Staffordshire Clarion 

 Field Club " is its second title. It is beautifully 

 produced, with many quaint illustrations, and is full 

 of countr)' lore in the form of nicely written essays. 



Chemist ly for Organised Sthools of Science. By S. 

 Parrish, B.Sc, A.^R.C.S.Lond., and D. Forsyth, 

 M.A. , D.Sc. 262 pp., 7 in. x 4J in., with 108 illus- 

 trations. (London: Macmillan&Co., Limited, 1899). 

 2s. 6d. 



Although this volume is described on the cover as 

 being the work of Messrs. Parrish & Forsyth, it 

 appears that Di'. Forsyth's part is the writing of the 

 preface only. We are therefore all the more ready to 

 heartily congratulate Mr. Parrish on the production of 

 such an excellent manual. The old-fashioned stereo- 

 typed order in elementary text-books of Chemistry is 

 so familiar that the strikingly new arrangement in the 

 present work will be a great relief to all well-wishers 

 of the science. It is indeed a long time since we have 

 seen the elementary facts of this fascinating subject 

 laid down in so clear a manner, or so carefully gauged 

 as to suit the capacity of the young scholar. We 

 do not doubt that the work will tend towards the 

 production of a solid foundation in the mind of the 

 student. Amongst the most satisfactory pages of the 

 book we would mention the " Rules to be Observed 

 in Weighing," the series of exce'lent questions at the 

 end of each chapter, and the chapter on the deter- 

 mination of equivalents. This last is very clearly 

 written, and in conjunction with that on " Valency " 

 cannot fail to give the student a clear grasp of the 

 essential points of the laws which govern the selection 

 of Atomic Weights. The illustrations, being repro- 

 ductions of photographs of actual apparatus, will be 

 of more help than the pen-and-ink sketches which 

 are usually found in works of a similar purport. 

 Seeing the many advantages of the work as a whole, 

 we cannot refrain from noting one or two points 

 which will, no doubt, be altered in a second edition. 

 After carefully describing t!>e decimal system, and 

 stating that "the system of measurement employed 

 in Chemistry is that known as the Metric System," 

 the author speaks (p. 42) of " test-tubes 6 in. >:|in.," 

 and again (p. 45) of "tubing | in. bore" and 

 "gauze held I J in. from the mouth." We cannot 

 help thinking that the adoption of the decimal system 

 is seriously delayed by the introduction of such ex- 

 pressions as inches and pounds in the works of the 

 very people who endeavour to point out the advan- 

 tages of cutting adrift from the unscientific method 

 at present in use in Britain. The contractions 

 " grm. " and " ccs. " are, we are sorry to note, 

 employed in error for "g. " and "ccm." One 

 strictly chemical point calls for alteration. This is 

 the use of the term "hydrate" in mistake for 

 " hydro.xide." We have no doubt that this, too, will 

 be noted in the second edition. — H. M. R. 



We are pleased to report that our editor, Mr. 

 Carrington, is making good progress in convalescence. 

 He hopes to be able to resume his active association 

 with the magazine in about a month's time. 



We regret that our limited space prevents the 

 insertion this month of several important articles 

 already in print, and the continuance of Dr. Bryan's 

 articles on " Desmids," " The Baltic Amber Mines," 

 with others. 



Mr. R. H. Porter, of 7 Princes Street, Cavendish 

 Square, London, announces a new work on the 

 birds of Surrey, by Mr. John A. Bucknill, M.A It 

 is to be issued by subscription and will contain map, 

 local and other illustrations. 



It is with sincere regret that we hear, from his 

 son, of the death of our contributor ^Ir. E. S. 

 Layard, of Budleigh-Salterton. This eminent 

 naturalist, who was so devoted to the study of 

 conchology, died on New Year's Day. 



After thirty-three years' service, including the 

 early vicissitudes of the Department, Mr. Robert H. 

 Scott, F.R.S., the chief of the British Meteorological 

 Office, has resigned that position. He will be 

 followed by Mr. William Napier Shaw, F.R.S., 

 Assistant Director of the Cavendish Laboratory, 

 Cambridge. 



Mr. Charles Whitehead, F.L.S., F.Z.S., 

 technical adviser to the Board of Agriculture, has, 

 on account of ill-health, retired from that post. His 

 duties have been chiefly in relation to economic 

 entomology. Communications relating to such sub- 

 jects are to be directed to the Secretary, Board of 

 Agriculture, London. 



Professor W. W. Watts forwards us the 

 "Tenth Report of the Committee of the British 

 Association for obtaining Photographs of Geological 

 Interest in the United Kingdom." Mr. Watts is 

 secretary to the Committee. The additions for the 

 year include sixty-one prints and six slides. The 

 collection now numbers 324 prints and loi slides. 



Professor David Edward Hughes, whose 

 death occurred at the end of January, was born in 

 May 1 83 1, of Welsh ancestry. He was an eminent 

 and successful physicist, who devoted much attention 

 to invention. Among the many interesting instru- 

 ments created by his fertile brain was the micro- 

 phone, that wonderfully delicate recorder of sound. 

 He was a Fellow of the Royal Society, which awarded 

 him a medal in 1885. 



There died on February 6th, aged 77 years, an 

 entomologist well known among lepidopterists some 

 twenty years ago. This was Walter Battershell Gill, 

 M.D. Lond., F.R.C.S. He was the only son of 

 Captain T. Gill, R.N., of Brock Hall, Hereford, and 

 brother of another well-known lepidopterist, Mrs. 

 Hutchinson of Grantsfield, Leominster. Dr. Gill 

 ceased to take an active interest in entomology a few 

 years ago and his collections were sold at Stevens' 

 Auction Rooms. He died at his residence, 8 Chester 

 Place, Regent's Park, London. 



