272 Scientific Intelligence. 



13. Pecherches Geologiques et Petrographiques sur V Oural du 

 Word. Le JBassin de la Haute Wichera ; par L. Duparc. Mem. 

 Soc. phys. et d'hist. nat. de Geneve. 4°, vol. xxxvi, fasc I, 1909, 

 pp. 207, pis. v. — The author states that in this work he has had 

 the cooperation, especially in the field, of Prof. F. Pearce and 

 Mdlle. Tikanowitch. It is the third volume on this region pub- 

 lished by the author, the two preceding volumes being devoted 

 to other parts of the northern ITrals. The geological map shows 

 that the bottom of the basin and the course of the river is 

 determined along belts of Devonian rocks consisting of schists 

 and dolomites, flanked on the one side by a range of Carbonifer- 

 ous limestones and quartzites, and on the other by mountains of 

 pre-Devonian metamorphic schists of various types containing 

 quartzite belts and injected masses of diabase. The various geo- 

 logic features of this region, including studies of its structure, of 

 terrace formations, of the petrolog} 7 of its rocks with a number 

 of chemical analyses, are given in considerable detail. Attention 

 is also paid to the iron mines in a study of them and of the 

 probable genesis of the ores. The whole forms a useful addition 

 to our knowledge of the geological features of a little known 

 region. l. v. p. 



14. Laboratory Botany for the High School; by Willard 

 N. Clttte. Pp. xiv, 177. Boston, New York, etc., 1909 (G-inn 

 & Company). — This little laboratory manual is divided into three 

 parts. The first deals with the structure and life processes of 

 angiosperms ; the second, with the structure and evolution of 

 the plant kingdom ; while the third describes a series of experi- 

 ments in plant physiology. The distinctive feature of the book 

 is that the student is left largely to his own resources. Under 

 each topic a long series of questions is asked, and these are to be 

 answered independently through the study of appropriate mate- 

 rial. The advantage of such a method is that the knowledge 

 thus gained will be first-hand knowledge. The disadvantage is 

 that much of it must of necessity be fragmentary and uncor- 

 rected. Of course a well-trained teacher would be able to 

 counteract this disadvantage by a formal and connected presenta- 

 tion of the more important topics, and in the hands of such a 

 teacher the book should prove of distinct service. a. w. e. 



III. Miscellaneous Scientific Intelligence. 



1. The Norwegian Aurora Polaris Expedition 1902-1903. 

 Yol. I. On the Cause of Magnetic Storms and the Origin of Ter- 

 restrial Magnetism ; by Kr. Birkeland. First section. Pp. vi, 

 315, with 21 plates. Christiana, 1909. — The author of this work, 

 between the years 1896-1903, carried out three expeditions to the 

 polar regions, with the object of procuring material for the 

 investigation of terrestrial magnetism and the aurora. The 

 investigations are recorded in this work, the first section of 

 volume I having the special title given above, while volume II 



