1882.1 Recent Literature. 897 



Darwin a little severe, however, when he says, "he has done 

 more injury to science in America, than he had ever done it 

 good." If he had said Philadelphia instead of America, we 

 would have been more disposed to agree with him. 



We publish to-day an article on the Calaveras skull, by 



the distinguished naturalist, Dr. W. O. Ayres. Dr. Ayres gives 

 the fossil mammalia found in the Pliocene gold gravel of Califor- 

 nia (p. 851) as the "rhinoceros, Elotherium, horse, ox, camel, 

 etc." We pointed out in the Naturalist for January, 1880, that 

 the occurrence of rhinoceros and Elotherium in these beds is im- 

 possible, unless transported from a long distance. The Elo- 

 therium, especially, could only have been brought there by man 

 from Central Oregon or farther off. For camel should be read 



RECENT LITERATURE. 



Hough's Elements of Forestry. 1 — There has long been a de- 

 mand for a book on the important subject of forestry, and in 

 some respects that want is now met in the book under considera- 

 tion. The general plan of Dr. Hough's book is excellent, and 

 difficult as the subject is, he has in the main succeeded well in 

 presenting it in an interesting and instructive manner. The suc- 

 cessive chapters treat of soils and their preparation; climate, etc.; 

 reproduction from seed ; propagation ; buds, leaves, wood, etc. ; 

 general views in regard to forestry; forestry laws; European 

 forestry; ornamental planting ; hedges, etc. ; cutting and season- 

 ing of wood ; fuel, charcoal, etc. ; forest fires; other injuries ; in- 

 sects ; preservation of wood ; turpentine, rosin, and other pro- 

 ducts. The chapters covering the foregoing subjects take up 

 somewhat more than one-half of the book, and they are for the 

 most part quite satisfactory. The one which is most disappoint- 

 ing is that on insects. We may hope that in a second edition 

 this chapter will be rewritten and supplied with figures of Ameri- 

 can insects instead of European ones. 



The second half of the book consists of descriptions of partic- 

 ular species, beginning with the oaks. The treatment here is not 

 as satisfactory as in the previous chapters ; many important trees 

 receive but a passing notice, if any, while others of little more or 

 even of less value, have long paragraphs and even several pages de- 

 voted to them. For example, the red oak {Qua; : s rubra) is not 

 mentioned, while O. hinesii, Q. densiflora and Q.agrtfoha, of Lali- 



. iesi-K-.I to a 



B. Hough, Ph.D , Chie 





. S. Department of Ag- 



