78 Scientific Intelligence. 



formation of diamonds in general, the author refers to the inter- 

 esting and remarkably successful synthetic experiments by M. 

 Moissan and concludes that the conditions of formation in South 

 Africa must have been very similar. 



7. The Building Materials of Pennsylvania. I. JBrownstones ; 

 by Thomas C. Hopkins. 122 pp. Appendix to the Annual 

 Report of Pennsylvania State College for 1896. — This is an 

 interesting account of the Mesozoic brown and red sandstones 

 used as building material in Pennsylvania. It discusses their 

 general features with respect to chemical and mineral composi- 

 tion, microscopic structure, behavior under physical tests, and 

 similar points, and further gives detailed descriptions of the vari- 

 ous portions of the brownstone area in which quarries have been 

 located. A brief summary of the brownstones from other locali- 

 ties in the United States closes the work. Some twenty-six full- 

 page plates give illustrations of the quarries, prominent buildings 

 and bridges in which the material has been used, and other 

 points. 



8. A Catalogue of Minerals, alphabetically arranged, with 

 their Chemical Composition and Synonyms; by Albert H. 

 Chester. Third edition ; 56 pp. 8vo. New York and London, 

 1897 (John Wiley & Sons). — We have here an alphabetical list of 

 mineral names now in use, including names of species, their 

 synonyms, and prominent varieties. With the first is given a 

 brief statement of the chemical composition. Collectors will find 

 this useful as a check list. 



9. Synopsis Miner alogica ; Systematische TJebersicht des Min- 

 eral-reiches ; by Dr. Albin Weisbach. Dritte Auflage. 97 pp. 

 Freiberg, 1897 (J. G. Engelhardt). — After an interval of thirteen 

 years, Prof. Weisbach has given us a new third edition of his 

 " Synopsis of Mineral Species." Its scope is too well known to 

 require any special explanation. The many who have found it 

 useful in the past will be glad to have it thus brought fully up to 

 date. 



10. Eighth Annual Report of the Missouri Botanical Garden. 

 — Professor Trelease incorporates with his specific report as 

 Director, three papers of high value. The report itself possesses 

 much interest as indicating the great scientific activity of the 

 establishment under charge of the director, and showing how 

 symmetrically the work in different lines is being developed. 



M. J. Cardot contributes a memoir entitled, The Mosses of the 

 Azores, and a second paper, On some mosses collected in Madeira 

 by William Trelease, in June, 1896. Professor Trelease presents a 

 memoir, Botanical Observations on the Azores, in which he gives 

 the results of his studies in these islands, during part of 1894 and 

 1896. It is needless to speak of this valuable communication in 

 detail, but attention must be called to the thoroughness of the 

 treatment, and the excellence of the illustrations. 



The volume concludes with a list of the publications of the 

 Garden, and of those issued by the instructors in the Shaw School 

 of Botany, attached to it. g. l. g. 



