35$ Analyses of Books. [June, 
average truth.” The author writes : — “ I take it that of all 
possible resources for those of tainted or feeble constitution, of 
strongly criminal tastes, or of insane tendencies, matrimony is, 
on the whole, the most objectionable, as far as the community 
at large is concerned. If a consumptive person could add ten 
years to his life by marrying, he might also add ten consumptive 
persons to the next generation ; and who shall say how widely 
the taint would spread in later years ? The criminal is hardly 
likely to be influenced by other than selfish considerations ; but 
most certainly the community has no reason to desire that he 
should be encouraged to increase and multiply criminality. As 
for a person who inherits a tendency to insanity and knows it, 
such a one, if he entertains whilst still sane the thought of 
marrying, is a criminal of deepest dye, and the worst thing that 
can happen to the community is that his insanity should delay 
to manifest itself until the taint has spread to his innocent 
offspring. 
“ Light Science ” will supply many persons with matter for 
useful reflection. 
Longman's Magazine . No. VI. April, 1883. 
In this issue we have to notice a paper by Mr. J. K. Laughton, 
entitled “ Wind-force, and how it is Measured.” The author 
chronicles the effects of some of the greatest storms on record, 
those especially of November 26th, 1703, and of October 14th, 
1881. He suggests the damage done to trees as furnishing a 
standard for roughly comparing the force of these visitations. 
It is, however, not overlooked that the storm of 1881, though far 
more destructive than that of 1703, came at a season when the 
trees were still in leaf, and when the ground was softened with 
rain. Furthermore, the wind came from the N.N.E. — an un- 
usual direction for an autumnal storm. 
There is another consideration of some moment. The entire 
area of woodland now standing in England is very much smaller 
than was the case in 1703, so that the destruction of (say) 
40,000 trees in our day shows a relatively greater devastation 
than the overthrow of a similar number a couple of centuries 
ago. The exorbitant degree to which the surface of England 
has been denuded of trees gives also fuller play to storms than 
was formerly the case. Hence we find it here remarked that 
though the damage on land was greater in 1881 than in 1703, the 
havoc at sea was smaller. 
Mr. Laughton explains the difficulty of measuring with any 
approach to accuracy the velocity of, or the pressure exerted by, 
