408 
POPULAR SCIENCE REVIEW. 
deer periods, and Mr. Darwin remarks that one chief cause of this near 
approach of ancient races to the type of structure of the lower animals seems 
to be “ that ancient races stand somewhat nearer in the long line of descent 
to their remote animal-like progenitors than do the modern races.” 
But we must draw our notice of this attractive book to a close, and 
while we do so we cannot help offering our best thanks to the author for his 
laborious efforts in producing edition after edition of his several works. 
And we would also observe that our gratitude is due not only for the 
masterly character of the labour but also for the manly and fearless manner 
in which our author expresses opinions which, though he must know them 
to be obnoxious to many, he nevertheless expresses as the only results of 
calm, careful, and conscientious scientific research. 
PATTERNS FOR TURNING.* 
T HIS is a curious book, by no means a common one, and one which we 
should think will be very highly prized by all who understand prac- 
tically the principle of the lathe. For all others it is a book which is, from 
its indulgence in technicality, utterly unintelligible. It is, however, to the 
expert a work which he must value from the number of hints and descrip- 
tions of novel processes which it contains. Besides, it has nearly seventy 
plates of figures cut by the lathe, which the author assures us have been 
executed by himself. To one who is inexperienced in the principles of 
turning they do not seem particularly attractive, being all more or less like 
the other. But then we fancy the 11 Turner ” will esteem them very highly, 
and doubtless they look even better upon the block as cut by the lathe than 
they do in the engraving. However, we think it a pity the author did 
address himself to beginners exclusively, for we believe it to be impossible 
for one who is not already acquainted with the lathe to learn anything what- 
ever from Mr. Elphinstone’s book. Still the “ Turner ” par excellence will 
find it most interesting. The patterns contained in the book can be cut, the 
author says, on a lathe furnished with a division plate, an ornamental slide 
rest, an eccentric cutting frame, and an overhead motion. Furthermore it is 
asserted that most of the patterns can be cut by anyone who can add and 
subtract numbers containing two figures and the fractions £, and f. The 
book is handsomely turned out. 
THE SMITHSONIAN REPORT.f 
T HE Smithsonian Report for 1871, which has been recently issued, is, 
though late in its date of publication, a most interesting volume, partly 
filled of course with the monetary concerns of the Institution which 
* Patterns for Turning, comprising Elliptical and other Figures cut on the 
Lathe without the use of any Ornamental Chuck. By H. W. Elphinstone ; 
with 70 illustrations. London: John Murray, 1872. 
t Annual Report of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institu- 
tion, for the year 1870, at Washington. Government Printing Office, 
1871. 
