Miscellaneous Scientific Intelligence. 307 



of the government to give much consideration to the question of 

 projections with a view to constructing maps that will better meet 

 the needs of the public. 



The present publication is designed to serve as a guide to any- 

 one having a special problem for which accurate maps are neces- 

 sary. It is needless to say that some may wish the projection 

 used on the map to maintain equal areas, that is, that areas on 

 the map will have a definite relation to the corresponding areas on 

 the earth from which the map is projected ; others may not be so 

 much interested in the maintenance of a true relation between 

 the area on the earth and the area on the map, but their problems 

 may involve the question of having the shape of a geographical 

 feature as shown on the maps conform to its shape on the earth 's 

 surface. 



The first part of the book shows very clearly why the projection 

 of a spherical surface on a plane involves some distortion. This 

 distortion will be in scale or in shape or a combination of both. 

 In the second part of the book are described the various projec- 

 tions in common use. The list includes the polyconic projection 

 so largely used in the United States ; the Bonne projection which 

 has been used a great deal in France ; the Lambert conf ormal 

 conic projection, which was brought to great prominence because 

 of its very extensive use in the war zone in Europe ; and the 

 Mercator projection which is so well known to navigators. Other 

 projections which are somewhat less known than these are also 

 touched upon. These include several projections used to show 

 the whole sphere. There is also described the Grid System or 

 the system of rectangular co-ordinates which is used for military 

 maps in the United States. 



The book is well illustrated, which makes the text very clear to 

 the reader. This paper should be read and studied by every one 

 who has to deal with matters in which accurate maps' play an 

 important part. The authors are to be commended for this 

 important contribution to the literature of geographical science. 



WILLIAM BOWIE. 



2. Secrets of Earth and Sea; by Sir Ray Lankester. Pp. 

 xvii, 243. New York, 1920 (The Macmillan Company).— For 

 many years the distinguished English zoologist who is the author 

 of this book has contributed popular articles on various scientific 

 topics to the daily or periodical press. Most of them naturally 

 deal with some branch of biology, but others discuss such subjects 

 of chemistry, physics, or geology as may suggest themselves by 

 the news interest of the day. Some twenty-two of these papers 

 have been brought together with more or less extensive revision 

 and additions to form another volume of the author 's ' ' Science 

 from an Easy Chair" and ''Diversions of a Naturalist." 



Although widely diverse topics are included, several of the 

 essays deal with early man and his art, and with the derivation of 



