90 Scientific Intelligence. 



5. Bulletin of the Imperial Earthquake Investigation Com- 

 mittee. — Vol. I, No. 2. March, 1907, Tokyo, Japan. — This sec- 

 ond number of the Bulletin, the inauguration of which has ah'eady 

 been announced (xxiii, 322), is devoted to a series of earthquake 

 papers by Professor F. Omori. One of these discusses the Val- 

 paraiso and Aleutian earthquakes of August 17th, 1906, remark- 

 able as occurring almost simultaneously, although their centers 

 were separated by a little more than two-thirds of the earth's 

 seismic circumference. These disturbances were doubtless not 

 independent, but are to be regarded as manifestations of seismic 

 force at the extremities of the earthquake zone which extends 

 along the entire Pacific coast of North and South America. 

 Another article of more than local interest is devoted to the dis- 

 tribution of recent Japan earthquakes ; among other points it is 

 shown that the most active seismic zone of Japan forms a con- 

 necting link between the Mediterranean-Himalaya zone and the 

 great American zone before alluded to. 



6. Studies in Plant Chemistry and Literary Papers; by 

 Helex Abbott Michael, with a Biographical Sketch. Pp.416. 

 Cambridge, Mass., 1907 (The Riverside Press). — Dr. Michael 

 (Helen C. DeS. Abbott) has left a noteworthy record as the 

 result of a brief scientific career, aside from her endeavors in 

 other fields of activity. As a chemist she was, as Dr. Wiley has 

 pointed out in an appreciative introduction, among the very first 

 investigators of this country who began in a systematic way to 

 study the relations of chemical composition to species of plants 

 and plant growth. The relations which she endeavored to estab- 

 lish between morphological and chemical features in plants are 

 pointed out in some of the papers reprinted in this volume. There 

 are also included certain more popular addresses which indicate 

 the advances in the biochemical study of plants and their con- 

 stituents, especially the influence of environment upon plant com- 

 position. 



The biographical sketch of 100 pages, by Nathan Haskell 

 Dole, deserves particular notice. In it are reproduced Miss 

 Abbott's detailed impressions of the great teachers whom she 

 met during her travels abroad. One finds most delightful 

 sketches of many of the distinguished chemists and botanists of 

 twenty years ago. The reminiscences of Hoffmann, Liebermann, 

 Ladenburg, Pringsheim, Wislicenus, Pfeffer, E. von Meyer, 

 Bunsen, Kekule, Crookes and many others make one wish that 

 more of these entertaining impressions were available. They also 

 serve to indicate the difficulties which woman has encountered in 

 gaining scientific recognition, and recall Dr. Michael's pioneer 

 efforts in overcoming current prejudices. 



The volume is primarily attractive as the record of the scien- 

 tific and literary endeavors of a woman "emancipated from the 

 shackles of conservatism." A series of literary papers are 

 appended to the scientific reprints. l. b. m. 



