474 Scientific Intelligence. 



III. Miscellaneous Scientific Intelligence. 



1. The Cyclones of the Far East ; by Rev. Jose Algue, S. J., 

 Director of the Philippine Weather Bureau, Manila Observatory. 

 Second (revised) edition. Pp. 83 with fifty-four plates. Manila, 

 1904. — The first edition of this work was published in Spanish in 

 1897 and embodied the results obtained during the thirtj^ years 

 that had elapsed since the foundation of the Manila Observatory 

 in 1865. The present edition, in the English language, has been 

 enriched by the additional data accumulated since 1897, not only 

 from the Philippines themselves, but also from the adjacent 

 coasts of Asia. The whole work gives a full account of the 

 nature and origin of cyclonic stones and the various meteorolog- 

 ical phenomena accompanying them ; it also discusses in detail 

 the typhoons of the far East, or the Baguios as they are called 

 by the natives of the Philippine islands. The intensity and 

 destructive character of these great storms in the regions cov- 

 ered by this work give them a peculiar interest and importance, 

 while the author's long study of them has enabled him to pre- 

 sent the whole subject with admirable clearness and fullness. 

 The work is at once interesting to the public at large, of high 

 utility to the sailing master because of the many practical sug- 

 gestions given for his guidance, and also valuable as a scientific 

 contribution particularly because of the discussion of the data in 

 regard to individual cyclones of remarkable character. 



The publications of the Philippine Weather Bureau also include 

 a series of monthly Bulletins of the usual scope prepared under the 

 direction of the Director, Jose Algue : of these the numbers from 

 January to April, 1904, have been recently received. 



2. A Select Bibliography of Chemistry, lIf.92-1902 : by Henry 

 Carrington Bolton. Second Supplement, pp. 462 (Smithsonian 

 Miscellaneous Collections, part of vol. xliv). — The Select Bibli- 

 ography of Chemistry from 1492 to 1902, a work of the greatest 

 value to chemists, carried out by the late Professor Bolton, was 

 issued in 1893. A First Supplement, bringing the work down 

 to 1897, was published in 1899, while this Second Supplement, 

 covering the five years to the end of 1902, is now given to the 

 public. Professor Bolton died in November, 1903 while the 

 work was in press and the proof-reading and preparation of the 

 index have been in the charge of Mr. Axel Moth of the New 

 York Public Library. 



3. Kritische Stndien ilber die Vorgange der Autoxydation ; 

 by C. Engler and J. Weissberg. Braunschweig, 19t)4 (Fr. 

 Vieweg und Sohn). — This monograph of two hundred pages, 

 dedicated to the memory of Christian Friedrich Schonbein, aims 

 to present a critical review of the scattered literature on the 

 phenomena of so-called auto-oxydation. The authors explain 

 their theory of the nature of auto-oxidative processes. Various 

 types of katalytic reactions are discussed ; and the influence of 

 accessory factors, such as acids, salts, heat, light, etc., is consid- 

 ered. In a concluding brief chapter on the role of oxygen in 

 living organisms the possible function of the different recently 

 described oxidases, the formation of organic peroxides and the 

 action of katalases is emphasized. l. b. m. 



