[September, 
Analyses oj Boohs. 
aerial sound-wave; of the second, wind-waves and the ocean, 
swell ; of the third, dentate waves and zephyral waves , of the 
fourth, the water-sound wave. He considers that an intimate 
acquaintance with the nature and the laws of the wave 01 trans- 
lation will “ in the future render great service to researches in 
physical and chemical science.” He applies his knowledge of 
this wave primarily to the dodtrine of sound. He considers that 
the phrases “ waves of sound,” “ oscillations of air, &c., are 
used too generally and vaguely, and applied in a misleading 
manner. His own view is that each separate sound has one 
solitary wave of its own, which goes out from the source of 
sound along one straight line in a given diredtion, carries the 
impulse it receives, from whatever source, with a given velocity, 
and delivers into the ear the single impulse it receives. It is 
thus one single complete phenomenon.” i . 
Incidentally and mainly, as an illustration, he points out that 
if the contents of an elevated reservoir are suddenly and at once 
discharged into a canal, they will do at the other end of that 
canal far more work than if permitted to flow in slowly. In the 
former case there is no loss or waste of power except the small 
waste by fricTion. In the latter case nearly the whole of the 
useful power is wasted. This is a consideration of importance. 
In Part III. the author treats of the “ Great Ocean of Ether 
and its Relation to Matter.” Here we find some questionable 
chemistry. Mr. Russell writes “ The air we breathe is oxygen 
and nitrogen. The nitrogen we breathe out finds its way into 
the plants which want to take it in.” But the nitrogen we 
breathe out, like that of the atmosphere which has never passed 
through our lungs, is incapable of being absorbed and assimi- 
lated by plants. The author continues : — “ All trees and vege- 
tables are almost entirely made up of these four elements, 
hydrogen, oxygen, carbon, and nitrogen, and, to convert these 
into the matter of which all animals are made, we take the ele- 
ments of that same vegetable matter, and add to them a small 
quantity of one or more of the sixty other substances which, as 
far as we know, comprehend the whole universe.” This passage 
seems to convey the erroneous view that animals and plants 
differ qualitatively in a chemical point of view. 
We regret that the space at our disposal does not permit us 
to carry any further our examination of this work. 
The Revival of British Industries the most Important Question 
at the approaching General Election. By A Candidate. 
London : James Bolton. 
This pamphlet does not fall within our legitimate purview. 
