174 Scientific Intelligence. 



3. Norway ; Official Publication of the Paris Exhibition, 1900. 

 Pp. xxxiv, 626. Christiania, 1900. — This beautiful volume, pre 

 pared for the occasion of the Paris Exhibition of 1900, deserves 

 a fuller notice than would be appropriate in this place. It con- 

 tains a series of articles by able writers discussing this most 

 interesting country in all its features, scientific, political, eco- 

 nomic, educational, and artistic. These chapters are liberally 

 illustrated by an abundance of excellent plates. An interesting 

 though brief summary of the geology of the country, with a geo- 

 logical map, is given by Professor H. H. Reusch ; other scientific 

 papers are those on the climate by Axel Steen ; on the plant life 

 by H. H. Gran ; on the animal life by James A. Grieg. The 

 text has been translated into good English and the volume as a 

 whole will be found to have permanent value as a useful book of 

 reference. 



4. American Museum of Natural History. — It has been 

 recently announced that through the generosity of a donor whose 

 name is for the present withheld, the collections of minerals and 

 meteorites belonging to Mr. Clarence S. Bement of Philadelphia 

 have become the property of the American Museum of Natural 

 History in Central Park, New York City. Mineralogists are 

 well aware of the very remarkable excellence of the Bement col- 

 lections, representing as they do the earnest labors, extending over 

 a period of many years, of a collector of indefatigable energy, keen 

 eye and good judgment, and one who was always ready to purchase 

 a specimen of unique beauty or interest even at a high price. It 

 is a matter for congratulation that these collections are to be pre- 

 served unbroken for all time for the benefit of science and the 



, public. 



5. The Principles of Mechanics : an Elementary Exposition 

 for Students in Physics ; by Frederick Slate, Universitv of 

 California. Part I. Pp. 299. New York, 1900 (The Macmillan 

 Co.). — This book is intended for the use of students well 

 grounded in experimental physics and the calculus. In connec- 

 tion with the analytical development much emphasis is laid on 

 the fundamental notions of the science, which are broadly and 

 philosophically presented, though with a degree of abstractness 

 which would render it difficult for the beginner to grasp them 

 firmly. A greater proportion of concrete exercises involving 

 numerical computation would be desirable. w. b. 



Knowledge Diary and Scientific Hand-book for 1901. Pp. 120. London, 1900 

 (Knowledge Office, 326 High Holborn). The introduction to this volume con- 

 tains an historic summary of the advance of science in the 19th century; astro- 

 nomical notes and tables, with an account of the astronomical phenomena of the 

 year ; twelve star maps, showing the night sky for every month in the year, 

 with full descriptive account of the visible constellations and principal stars; a 

 calendar of notable events; photograph and detailed description of the gigantic 

 telescope exhibited at the Exposition Universelle in Paris, with a table of princi- 

 pal observatories of the world and monthly astronomical ephemeris. 



