564 The American Naturalist. [July, 
excluded. The perpetual clearing of undergrowth means also the ulti- 
mate destruction of forest, as the natural succession is thus prevented. 
As an offset to this public and private vandalism, we have near our 
cities a goodly number of citizens who preserve more or less of nature 
in their private parks. It will be to these to whom we must look to 
replenish our stock of native shrubs and herbs, if the vandal continues 
to have full swing elsewhere. 
Tue forty-fifth meeting of the American Association for the Ad- 
vancement of Science to commence at Buffalo, N. Y., on August 22d, 
will be characterized by one feature which is deemed by the society 
an improvement over previous meetings. No excursions will be made 
during the working hours of the day during the session, only those 
occupying evening hours being acceptable. At the close of the meet- 
ing the field for such diversions will be clear. The geological excur- 
sions have been so arranged as not to conflict with the meetings; and 
the six scientific societies, which meet about the same time, it is hoped 
will contribute to the importance of the general gathering. It is an- 
ticipated that these arrangements will arrest the tendency to dissipation . 
of energy which has been apparent during the last few years. If the 
habit of many of the embryologists to absent themselves could be 
overcome, the full force of the Association would be represented. It is 
expected that a number of evening lectures will present to the public 
the latest results of research in America. 
RECENT LITERATURE. 
Surface Colors :—The object of the little book on this subject! by 
Dr. Walter, of Hamburg is apparently to furnish zoologists, mineralo- 
gists, and chemists with an accurate explanation of certain color 
phenomena which are not as yet universally understood, and which are 
incompletely treated even in the best text-books on Physics. The key- 
note of the whole book is given in a single sentence of the introductory 
chapter. “The intensity of the light reflected from any body may be 
calculated by Fresnel’s ordinary formule for ‘colorless substances, in 
the case of those rays which are slightly or not at all absorbed by the 
1 Die Oberfliichen-oder Schillerfarben, yon Dr. B. Walter, pp. VIII + 122, 
Braunschweig, F. Vieweg und Sohn, 1895. 
