Miscellaneous Intelligence. 241 



est to those concerned with seismology. One of these is an 

 interesting discussion on microtremors and another gives a list of 

 prominent Japanese earthquakes between 1902 and 1907. 



In No. 22 C an account is given by T. Wakimizu of a new vol- 

 canic island in the Iwojima group, remarkable because of its 

 ephemeral character. On February 1, 1905, this island was 3 miles 

 in circumference and 480 feet in height, but on the 16th of June 

 it was reduced to a low reef only 1,500 feet long and less than 

 10 feet high. In Jime of the present year it is stated that the 

 new island was entirely buried by the sea. Interesting accounts 

 are also given of the other islands of the group, accompanied by 

 a series of excellent plates. 



Volume xxiv of the Journal of the College of Science, Imperial 

 University of Tokyo, is devoted to an investigation of the sec- 

 ondary undulations of ocean tides, carried out by the order of the 

 Earthquake Investigation Committee during 1903-1906. It is 

 accompanied by 95 plates, maps and charts. The authors are K. 

 Honda, T. Terada, Y. Yoshida and D. Isitani. 



2. The Physical Basis of Civilization ; by T. W. Heixkman. 

 Pp. 241. Chicago, 1908 (Forbes & Co.). — The author advances 

 the theory in this book that the physical, mental, moral, and 

 social conditions of the human race are due to two compara- 

 tively slight structural modifications of the ape-like ancestors 

 of man : first, the lengthening of the foot by the modification 

 of the great toe, which gave man a position on his feet of far 

 greater firmness than that of any existing apes ; and second, the 

 position of the skull with reference to the spinal column, on 

 account of which the erect position of the body is more readily 

 maintained. As a result of the specialization of the feet for sup- 

 porting the body firmly, the hands were left free for grasping 

 and handling and the sense of touch became more highly devel- 

 oped so that a more efficient means of acquiring knowledge of 

 surrounding objects was opened to man ; likewise, the elevation 

 of the special sense organs high above the ground by the erect 

 attitude widened the range of their usefulness and thus led to 

 the increase of the intelligence of man. The upright position, 

 and consequent exposure of the vital organs to attack, and the 

 comparative defenselessness of the human species, rendered his 

 survival in the struggle for existence dependent upon conduct to 

 a greater extent than in any other known animals, and the 

 extreme disability of the pregnant female made the devotion of 

 the male to his mate and the establishment of the family relation- 

 ship necessary conditions for the survival of the race. b. w. k. 



3. General Physics. An elementary Text-book for Colleges; 

 by Henry Crew. Pp. xi, 522 with 40 figures. New York, 1908 

 (The Macmillan Co.). — This text-book is in its treatment dis- 

 tinctly above the plane of the high school type, and yet, without 

 sacrifice of accuracy, maintains throughout a simple, lucid 

 exposition of the fundamental principles of the subject. The 

 scope of the book is obvious from the title and number of pages 

 stated above. The presentation of the subject matter is excel- 

 lent. There is in it little to suggest the older purely descriptive 



