448 Scientific Intelligence. 



10. Tables of Minerals including the Uses of Minerals and 

 Statistics of the Domestic Production ; by Samuel L. Penfield. 

 Second edition. Pp. vi, 88. New York, 1907 (John Wiley &> 

 Sons). — The first edition of these very useful tables was prepared 

 by Professor Penfield in 1903 and is noticed on page 330 of vol. 

 xv. The second edition, now issued by Dr. W. E. Ford, has 

 been brought down to date, especially with respect to statistics 

 of mineral production ; Part III, dealing with minerals useful 

 in the arts, has also been re-written and enlarged. 



11. JVeic Calif omia Minerals. — Benitoite and Carlositeare new 

 species recently discovered near the head waters of the San 

 Benito river in San Benito County, California, and described by 

 G. D. Loudeeback. Benitoite occurs in small hexagonal crys- 

 tals of pyramidal habit, referred to the trigonal division. The 

 hardness is 6'25-6"5 and the specific gravity 3'64-3*65. The 

 color varies, sometimes in the same crystal, from colorless to 

 deep sapphire-blue ; the latter variety has been cut as a gem and 

 is of particularly brilliant luster — rivalling the sapphire — because 

 of the high refractive index (w = 1-77, e= T80 for sodium light). 

 In composition it is a titano-silicate of barium, BaTiSi 3 9 . An 

 analysis by W. C. Blasdale gave : 



Si0 2 43-68 Ti0 2 20-09 BaO 36-33 = 100-10 



Carlosite is associated with benitoite as a black, or brownish 

 black, prismatic mineral, with perfect prismatic cleavage yielding 

 an angle of 80° 10'. Its hardness is 5-6 and as it is biaxial and 

 shows oblique extinction, it is inferred to be monoclinic. The 

 composition is as yet undetermined, but it fuses easily (1*5) to a 

 black enamel bead yielding a soda flame. These minerals occur 

 disseminated in narrow veins in a basic igneous rock. A more 

 eomplete examination is in progress. — Bull. Geol. Univ. Cali- 

 fornia, vol. v, 149, 1907. 



12. Elements of Biology : A Practical Text- Book Correlating 

 Botany, Zoology, and Human Physiology ; by George William 

 Htnter. Pp. 445 ^ New York, Cincinnati, Chicago, 1907 

 (American Book Company). — The aim of the book is to present 

 in simple language such of the more important principles and 

 facts of botany, zoology, and human physiology as can be read- 

 ily comprehended by the pupil in the first year in the high school. 

 Features which are of more popular interest and practical import- 

 ance are emphasized and all unnecessary description is omitted. 

 Numerous suggestions as to laboratory and field work encourage 

 the pupil to carry on personal investigations outside the class- 

 room. At the conclusion of each chapter are lists of reference 

 books for the pupil and for the teacher. The illustrations are 

 numerous and well chosen. This book should prove of unusual 

 value, not only for the pupil beginning the study of biology, but 

 also for the teacher without wide experience, who is called upon 

 to give elementary courses in biology or nature study, w. R. c. 



13. Elements of Physiology ; by Theodore Hough and 

 William T. Sedgwick. Pp. 321 ; Boston, New York, 1907 

 (Ginn & Company). — This book consists of a reprint of Part I 



