150 Scientific Intelligence. 



is chiefly made up of a series of determinative mineral tables 

 based on chemical and blowpipe tests. That it has met with a 

 deserved success is shown by the printing of a new and revised 

 edition after such a short time. The new edition, while in large 

 measure the same as the first edition, has had certain changes 

 incorporated into it that serve to make the tables clearer and more 

 complete. It is still to be regretted that the excessive abbrevia- 

 tion of the description of reactions, etc., has been retained. The 

 gain in space obtained by this method would seem to be more 

 than offset by the constant difficulties in reading that it causes. 



W. E. F. 



6. A Monograph of the Existing Crinoids; by Austin Hobart 

 Clark. Vol. I, The Comatidids. Part I. Pp. vi, 406, with 1 7 

 plates and 513 figures in the text. Bull. 82, U. S. National 

 Museum. Washington, 1915 (Government Printing Office). — The 

 general conception that the crinoids represent a fast declining 

 remnant of a once flourishing stock must be somewhat modified 

 by this elaborate monograph, which contains the results of the 

 study not only of the author's extensive personal collections but 

 also of representatives from all the large museums of the world. 

 The author states that during the cruise of the Albatross in the 

 North Pacific : " I handled tens of thousands of specimens ; 

 several times I saw the forward deck of the steamer literally 

 buried under several tons of individuals belonging to a species 

 exceeding any fossil form in size ; everywhere we went we found 

 crinoids ; we dredged them at all depths ; . . . surely a group so 

 abundant . . . cannot be considered as decadent or degenerate." 



This first volume is introductory to the systematic treatise 

 which is to follow. After an extensive historical review, the 

 author discusses and revises our knowledge of the structure and 

 relationships of the crinoids and the anatomy and natural history 

 of each of the existing groups. Each of the types of structure is 

 very fully described and illustrated both by outline drawings and 

 photographs. w. R. c. 



7. Practical Zoology • by Robert W. Hegner. Pp. xv, 495, 

 with 326 figures. New York, 1915 (The Macmillan Co.). — Those 

 animals which in some way affect the human welfare have been 

 chosen to illustrate the general principles of the science in this 

 elementary textbook, designed for use in secondary schools. In 

 its general plan the book follows a systematic survey of the ani- 

 mal kingdom, but with particular emphasis on those groups which 

 are of practical importance. There are chapters on the protec- 

 tion of useful birds, mammals and other beneficial animals, and 

 suggestions for the destruction of those that are directly or indi- 

 rectly injurious. The author's aim to interest as well as instruct 

 the pupil in the subject is likely to be fully realized, for the 

 most interesting facts about the various groups of animals have 

 been given in a pleasing style, accompanied by illustrations which 

 are largely original and of real human interest. w. r. c. 



8. A Course in Invertebrate Zoology ; by Henry Sherring 

 Pratt. Revised edition. Pp. xii, 228. Boston, 1915 (Ginn and 



