Geology and Mineralogy. 395 



latest edition is more attractive, interesting, and instructive than 

 the preceding revised edition. Important improvements have 

 been made in the problems, and the number of full-page inserts 

 has been more than doubled. Special, but not undue, emphasis 

 is laid on the automobile, on the aeroplane, and on the extraordi- 

 nary developments in physics for which the world war was 

 largely responsible. The book is intended for beginners and it 

 may be used, if desired, even in the second year of the high 

 school. Accordingly, the present edition unquestionably merits 

 the earnest attention of all who are engaged in introducing the 

 subject of physics to students. h. s. u. 



8. Herschel; by Hector Macpherson. Pp. 78, 1 portrait. 

 London, 1919 (Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge). — 

 This little book belongs to the series entitled "Pioneers of Prog- 

 ress: Men of Science" edited by S. Chapman. In it the author 

 has presented in charming style an inspiring outline of the life 

 and scientific career both of the elder Herschel and of his devoted 

 sister Caroline. The practical value of the book is increased by 

 the appendix which gives the chief dates in Herschel's life and 

 also a classified list of bibliographical references. It is to be 

 hoped that this volume will be generally brought to the attention 

 of graduate students in astronomy and physics so that they may 

 be lured into the fascinating, but too often neglected, field of 

 the history of the great pioneers of science. h. s. u. 



9. Journal de Physique. — This journal, founded by J. Ch. 

 d 'Almeida in 1872, has begun its sixth series as the Journal de 

 Physique et le Radium. It is the official organ of the Societe 

 Francaise de Plrysique and the scientific editor is M. P. Lange- 

 vin. Volume 1, No. 1, pp. 1-32, bears the date of January to 

 July, 1920. (Address 12 Place de Laborde, Paris, VIII ; for- 

 eign subscription 40 francs.) 



II. Geology and Mineralogy. 



1. Contributions to a history of American state geological and 

 natural history surveys; by George P. Merrill. U. S. Nat. 

 Mus., Bull. 109, 549 pages, 37 plates, 1920.— At last Doctor Mer- 

 rill has been enabled to present his history of the state geological 

 and natural history surveys of the United States. The work has 

 to do with such organizations established by law in thirty-six 

 states up to the year 1885 ; in the remaining states and territories 

 no surveys had been provided for up to that time. Here we 

 learn of the essential doings of these various state surveys, and 

 the laws under which they operated. The whole is made alive 

 with good portraits of seventy-seven leading state geologists, and 

 what a pleasure it is to see the countenances of men some of 

 whom have heretofore been only names to us ! 



