86 



SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



The Wonderful Century : Its Successes and Failures. 

 By Alfred Russel Wallace, pp. X.-400, 8 in. 

 x 5$ in. With portrait and 12 diagrams. (Lon- 

 don : Swan Sonnenschein and Co., Limited. New 

 York : Dodd, Mead and Co., 1898.) 7s. 6d. 



The title of this book is perhaps a trifle mis- 

 leading, for, as explained by the author in his 

 preface, it "is not in any sense a history, even 

 on the most limited scale. It may perhaps be 

 termed an appreciation of the century." One is 

 naturally attracted by such a title and by the 

 author's name as an authority beyond question on 

 subjects scientific ; neither is there cause for com- 

 plaint whilst he deals with the successes of the 

 century in Part I., as they are generally of a 

 scientific nature. It is not every reader who will 

 fully agree with Dr. Russel Wallace in the second 

 part, dealing with other matters and what the 

 author describes as the failures. These, to say 

 the least, are still in the debatable stage of their 

 history, and to definitely call their present position 

 failures is, even for such an authority as Dr. 

 Wallace, using a strong word. The chapters 

 under the heading of "Failures" are a curious 

 mixture of titles, such as the " Neglect of Phreno- 

 logy," "Opposition to Hypnotism and Psychical 

 Research," " Vaccination a Delusion— its Penal 

 Enforcement a Crime," " Militarism — the Curse 

 of Civilization," " The Demon of Greed," " The 

 Plunder of the Earth," and an appendix on 

 "The Remedy for Want in the Midst of 

 Wealth." One cannot help thinking, when com- 

 paring the magnificent list of successes enumerated 

 by the author, that it would have been more 

 satisfactory to most readers if some of the 252 

 pages devoted to Failures had been added to 

 the 148 pages of Successes. It would have 

 looked less like using an admirable title to induce 

 persons to read Dr. Wallace's views on subjects 

 on which the readers might hold other opinions. 

 We return with more satisfaction to the considera- 

 tion of Part I. and the Successes. Dr. Wallace 

 treats them popularly and in his old charming 

 literary style; still, more might have been said 

 about the Successes. "Modes of Travelling" is 

 discussed in ten pages. Not that they are not 

 interesting pages, but the trouble is there are 

 only ten of them. The description of this success 

 is too limited. There is no mention of the latest 

 and possibly most important invention in ocean 

 travel, for which the Hon. Charles F. Parsons 

 was made a F.R.S. at the last election: the 

 compound steam turbine that will probably 

 raise the speed of vessels to fifty miles an hour. 

 Electric railways are left severely alone, as 

 are the cheap fares on railways and street 

 tramways. Steep-grade mountain railways are 

 omitted, as are underground and elevated rail- 

 roads. No word is given to the importance of 

 education by combined travel, known as " con- 

 ducted tours." "Labour-saving machinery" is 

 dismissed in four pages. We cannot find any 

 reference to the introduction of acetylene gas, 

 already lighting hundreds of houses in this country, 

 and which seems destined to oust other artificial 

 lights. Phrenology is favoured with about thirty- 

 four pages and vaccination with a hundred pages, 

 all but two. We wish Dr. Russel Wallace had 

 written two books instead of the two sections 

 under one cover. The first part would then have 

 better justified the title of the work, and those 

 who wanted the subject matter of the second part 

 need not have had to complain of the space 

 occupied by the first being only 148 pages. 



Insects : Foes and Friends. By W. Egmont 

 Kirby, M.D. With Preface by W. F. Kirby, 

 F.L.S., F.E.S. pp. X.-138, 5£ in. x 4 in. With 

 32 coloured plates. (London: S. W. Partridge 

 and Co., 1898.) is. 6d. 



This is a bright-looking little picture-book that 

 will be useful as a gift-book for young children. 

 The coloured pictures, which form the leading 

 feature, are sure to be attractive, and the letter- 

 press is concise and correct as a whole. 



Illustrated Guide to The Royal Gardens, Kew. 

 Edited by Mrs. S. Goldney, 40 pp., 7J in. tall x 

 8j in. wide. Illustrated from Photographs by 

 Walter John Mills. (London : Dawbarn and 

 Ward, Limited, 1898.) is. net. 



This little book makes a pretty souvenir of the 

 Royal Gardens at Kew. It is essentially a picture- 

 book, and must be considered only as such, as the 

 literary matter accompanying the pictures is 

 curious rather than valuable. Considering how 

 few of the many visitors to the gardens take any 

 interest in botany, we suppose the quality of the 

 literary dish served with the beautifully prepared 

 illustrations matters little. It is a pity, however, 

 that so good an opportunity has been lost. Still 

 the book is worth the shilling asked for it. 



Birds of Montreal. By Ernest D. Wintle. pp. 

 viii.-28i. 8| in. x 6 in., with map and 4 illustra- 

 tions. (Montreal: W. Drysdale and Co. London: 

 John Wheldon and Co.) 5s. 



The author has spent some fifteen years of 

 research and observation to produce this annotated 

 list of the birds frequenting the Montreal district 

 of Canada. The island contains scenery suitable 

 for the haunts of bird-life by the side of the St. 

 Lawrence, up which river it is situated 620 miles 

 from the sea. Mr. Wintle, who is an associate 

 member of the " American Ornithologists' Union," 

 includes 254 species in this list. Of course it does 

 not contain any description of the birds, but there 

 are many valuable notes that will be useful in aiding 

 the observation of future ornithologists. At the end 

 of the book, as a sort of supplement, are some 

 original sporting sketches by David Dennie, dated 

 1895, and an abstract of the fish and game laws 

 of 1896, showing the close times for the district. 

 We note it is unlawful to take the nests or eggs of 

 wild birds at any time of the year, the fines ranging 

 from about 10s. to /20. 



An Illustrated Manual of British Birds. By 

 Howard Sadnders, F.L S., F.Z.S. Second 

 Edition revised. 8| in. x 5§ in. (London : Gurney 

 and Jackson, 1898.) is. per monthly part. 



Parts 4 to 8 have been received of this work in 

 addition to those mentioned in the last volume of 

 Science-Gossip (pp. 205 and 265). Among the 

 new illustrations in the parts before us of this 

 second edition are red - throated pipit, Siberian 

 meadow - bunting, short - eared owl (much more 

 natural looking than in the last edition), tawny 

 owl and little owl. Altogether these constitute 

 four bright parts of this useful and trustworthy 

 work, which is to be finished in twenty parts. 



Illustrated Guide to Leamington Spa. By Bernard 

 C. P. Walters. 150 pp., 7^ in. x 5 in. Numerous 

 illustrations by W. T. Whitehead, plan and map. 

 (London : Dawbarn and Ward, Ltd., 1898.) is. 



The district covered by this pretty guide includes 

 Warwick, Kenilworth and Coventry, as well as 

 Leamington. It is embellished with drawings by 

 Mr. W. T. Whitehead. It will be useful to those 

 visiting the district; but the naturalist will not find 

 much about the plants or animals found there. 



