552 Recent Literature. [June 
more just.” This is the laudable task the author sets before 
mser - 
The general plan of the book may be understood from an 
enumeration of the headings of the several chapters, as follows: 
Parasitic Fungi and Moulds; Ferments and Artificial Fermenta- 
tions ; Microbes or Bacteria; Microbes of the eRe of Domes- 
tic Animals ; Microbes of Human Diseases; Protection against 
Microbes ; Laboratory Research, and Culture of ore: Poly- 
morphism of Microbes; The Microbian Theory compared with 
other Theories set forth to explain the Origin of Contagious 
Diseases. 
In turning over these chapters, so admirably planned to accom- 
plish the author’s purpose, one is pained to note the evident want 
of acquaintance of the author with his subject. A book of this 
kind should have been intrusted to a specialist, who could have 
done something to popularize the difficult subject, and not to 
one who has no specialty, unless it be that of dabbling in every- 
thing, “palzontology, bibliography, zoology, general biology, 
raphical distribution, vertebrates, mammals, ornithol 
The result is a book which is so full of errors of interpretation as 
to greatly lessen its value. 
It is difficult to criticise a book like this in detail, and it is 
perhaps needless, as no ordinary revision could eliminate its 
faults. Nothing less tida a rewriting of most of the chapters 
would make the book what it should be. A few examples, how- 
ever, will serve to show the kind of work done by the author. 
e 11, we are told that in the mushroom “the part which 
we eat and call the umbrella represents the flower or floral 
peduncle of other plants.” Fig. 18, which is intended to illus- 
trate Peronospora infestans, is not that species at all, but evidently 
the one on the grape. Fig. 23 is printed upside down. On 
page 128 occurs a most marvellous jumble ; an attempt is there 
regions, and, anou nnig as it may seem, Protococcus is re- 
garded as a microbe ! 
It would be cod to leave the impression that this book 
has no value whateve t may prove to be to some mind the 
suggestion from whic h will eventually spring the desire to know 
more about the “ infinitely little” things. Should it do so we 
should not condemn it too severely, although we might still 
wish that it had yon more carefully prepared.— Charles E. Bessey. 
Economic Pei Little attention has been given in 
5 rca AE Scientists’ riari t 1883. 
ry -book of British Fu "e perce pee by William* Delisle 
Er FRGS., author of “ Brighter ke in,’ etc., etc. London, Swan, Sonnes- 
Sra igo & Co., Paternoster Square, 1 887. 
