20 



7?<'T7("rc'.v and Book Xoticcs. 



posed to be almost confinoil to Di'lanuMo l'\)i(Nt, in fliesliii-e. 

 Mr. Fletcher, of Wakeliekl. reports Acroiivc/d /rporiiKi and 

 Cyuhifop/iorn /Iiidiiosa from his district. iMoni Ilnll, I\lr. Portei- 

 reports larvae of Cirra'dia xcram pcliua and A<^rolis ohsciira 

 common at Spurn. The Rev. T. B. Eddru]) reports Spliinx 

 comwlviili from Horbury. 



Much attention has hem\ paid to tlu^ l-)rcedin,q of Abraxas 

 grossitlaviata in a number of districts, and Wuv scries ol \ arirtics 

 resulted. The varieties vavleyata, hazc/cii^Iicnsis, and iiii^ro- 

 sparsata are a few of the named f(orms tliat ha\'c been reared, 

 along with many other equally curious and striking varieties. 



Traite de Geologic: I. Lcs Pltrnnmhirs r.-<'<>f,>^i(/iu'K, pm- Emile Haug;, 



profes.seur Ala I'^aculte des Scicncos (U- 1' L' irsi iC dc Pni-is. Uti vol. 

 in-8o raisin (26c x l6c ), de 540 passes, avcc 195 /igiires cl cur/cs ct 71 

 pla)iches de reproductions photoi^^rapliiques (Librairie Ai inaiul Colin, rue de 

 Mezieres, 5, Pai-is), bi-oclie. 12 tV. 5o[io-6d.|. 



For sonu' tinu' liuMc has been an opening for a Frencli treatise dealing 

 with geological phenomena, wliich siiall be intermediate between tiie 

 eleineniary text-book and the more technical memoirs wiiich are scattered 

 in tae proceedings of scientific societies, and are consequently not generally 

 accessible. In the present work M. Emile Hang has supplied the want,, 

 and places upon permanent record an admirable series of essays suitable 

 for the educated public. 



M. Hang first describes the continental and ocean centres, which are 

 the seats of phenomena of sedimentation. He assists us in the working 

 out of the material which constitutes the crust of the earth, ending, by the 

 continuous erosion (de-gradation) of terrestrial features (relief), in the 

 formation of a level surface (peneplaine), the last phase of the cycle of 

 ' geological phenomena.' 



Leaving these quite elementary ideas, the author places the reader 

 in the presence of the most important problems of modern geology. The 

 ' Traite de Geologic ' offers on that account equal interest for the amateur 

 and the professional geologist. Both will appreciate the copious bib- 

 liographical notes placed at the end of each chapter, whicli will guide the 

 reader in making further researches. 



Tlie work is illustrated by 195 figures and plans, and 71 excellent plates 

 of photographic reproductions ; but the paper MTappers to tlie volume 

 hardly survive the post. We cannot understand why our friends across 

 the channel should so frequently place such valuable work in such flimsy 

 covers. 



British Mosses (2nd edition), by Sir Edward Fry (Witherby & Co., 

 price 1/6), is an interesting little book in its way, and will be read with 

 profit by beginners in the study of this charming group of plants. It 

 draws attention to the position held by mosses in the classification of 

 Cryptogams, and traces in detail tlie life-history of an ordinary moss, 

 through its half-dozen stages — when the complete cycle is run. Instances 

 are quoted of many that take a short cut across the circle, and dispense' 

 with one or more stages in their reproduction. A table is given of nine 

 different methods of reproduction adopted by these plants. Attention 

 is drawn to the remarkable variety of form and structure in the leaves 

 and capsules. The booklet concludes with an outline of the important 

 part these little plants at present play, and have played in the past, on 

 ti e earth's surface. C. C. 



Naturalist, 



