July 24, 1885.] 



SCIENCE 



75 



The second volume treats of the Arthropoda. 

 The Crustacea, Arachnoidea, and M3^riapoda 

 are described b}^ Kingsley, who, however, gives 

 the credit of most of the article on spiders to 

 Emerton's book on that group. Three small 

 orders appear under the Hexapoda, — the Der- 

 matoptera (earwigs), the Pseudoneuroptera, 

 and the Aphaniptera. It is certainty still an 

 open question whether entomologists have not 

 studied differences more than affinities in 

 making orders for the earwigs and the fleas. 

 The lowest orders of insects are described by 

 Packard, the Orthoptera by Pile}^ the Hemip- 

 tera by Uhler, the Coleoptera by Dimmock, the 

 Diptera by Williston, the Aphaniptera by Kings- 

 ley, the Lepidoptera by Fernald (moths) and 

 hI Edwards (butterflies), and the Hymenop- 

 tera b}' Howard and Comstock, This volume 

 is almost purety systematic. Here (largety, we 

 may believe, on account of the subdivision of 

 the work and the lack of a complete under- 

 standing between the different writers) much 

 important material has been omitted. Either 

 under the general head of Hexapoda or the 

 different orders, a general account of insect 

 anatomy should have been given at length. 

 The whole subject of metamorphosis is treated 

 only in a most bare and meagre outline, and 

 yet there is no topic of which we could rightly 

 expect a more full and careful treatment. Of 

 its necessity or advantage to the type or class, 

 of its probable origin, of the different interme- 

 diate grades between the two main t3'pes, and 

 of its bearing on the question concerning the 

 ancestral form of insects, we find no notice. 

 Throughout this volume we miss the broad 

 deductions and generalizations which are so 

 interesting and important to the common 

 reader, and which are realty the aim and goal 

 of all scientific study. 



If, too, the systematic study of insects is 

 deemed the subject of greatest interest to the 

 popular mind, the amateur student would have 

 been greatty aided in determining his collec- 

 tions by tabular classifications of the families 

 and genera. But while the reader will regret 

 some things omitted in this volume, he will not 

 fail to find in each section a description of the 

 most important and interesting forms in each 

 class and order. Each part is a thorough s^'s- 

 tematic monograph of its class. 



The editors of the fifth volume had certain 

 advantages over those of the first and second. 

 The subject was naturally more interesting to 

 the popular mind : it had been much more thor- 

 oughly worked by other writers, whose mis- 

 takes, at least, they could avoid. They had 

 more space for carrying out their plans. The 



class possessed a much higher degree of unity, 

 and there were fewer editors. It will not, 

 therefore, seem an invidious comparison if this 

 volume, while perhaps no more accurate than 

 the others, is pronounced the best in the general 

 selection of material, and treatment of the sub- 

 ject. There is a fair amount of anatomy. The 

 relations of the different orders and families are 

 briefly but well noticed. It will be interesting 

 reading for any one, and a valuable reference 

 volume for the working zoologist. The dis- 

 cussion of the origin and different races of the 

 domesticated animals is in all cases full and 

 good. This volume, of course, cannot treat so 

 purely of American forms as some others, but 

 our American mammals receive their fair share 

 of attention. The S3'stematic arrangement of 

 the different orders, families, and genera, and 

 the general basis of classification, are more 

 sharply emphasized than in anj^ preceding vol- 

 ume. 



The point most noticeably worthj' of criti- 

 cism in the volume, and generally throughout 

 the work, is the unnecessary profusion of plates 

 and cuts. If the work were purely anatomical, 

 they would be extremely useful, or even neces- 

 sary. As it is, the}^ add really onty to the 

 attractiveness of the work. The work is realty 

 one which all teachers should have, and which 

 ever}^ student would find extremely useful ; 

 but it is too luxurious for those who need it 

 most. May we not hope that the publisher 

 will some time give us an edition not all too 

 much condensed in the important subject-mat- 

 ter, but with fewer full-page plates, and gener- 

 alty less of the luxury usually so incompatible 

 with the study of the working zoologist ? 



MAXIMS OF PUBLIC HEALTH. 



This book is addressed, not so much to 

 health authorities as to the general reader. 

 Dr. Wight has embodied in it, in a popular 

 stjde, the results of several j^ears of experi- 

 ence as the health-oflScer of two large western 

 cities. No attempt is made at a sj'stematic 

 plan ; the many subjects pertaining to public 

 hj^giene being presented mainly in the form 

 of aphorisms, or detached paragraphs. Legal 

 points with reference to nuisances, contagious 

 diseases, and offensive trades, are introduced ; 

 the rights of citizens concerning sanitar}' mat- 

 ters are clearly and concisety set forth ; and 

 important decisions bearing upon them are 

 cited. 



health 



Maxims of public health. By O. W. Wight, A.M., M.D., 

 ,lth-officer of Detroit. New York, Appleton, 1884, 176 p. 12°. 



