54 Becent Puhlications. 
So far as the work of translatioa is concerned, the author's success is 
deserving of great commendation. Sometimes we find the long and 
knotty sentences of the original broken up — English and Gallic fashion — 
to the great advantage of clearness. Generally, the sentences have under- 
gone such transpositions and reconstructions as set the meaning forth in 
good idiomatic English. Occasionally however, obscurities and inaccura- 
cies of the original are too faithfully reproduced. An example occurs on 
page 85, in the paragraph next to the last, in the expression "when the 
principal axis is parallel and perpendicular to the direction of the rays." 
Evidently, this is a geometric impossibility. The author and translator 
intend to say "when the principal axis is parallel and when it is perpen- 
.dicular to the direction of the rays." So on page 49, the translator, follow- 
ing the author, says: "the short or inclined diagonal of the end faces of 
the nicol prism which has a rhombic form." Evidently, they mean "have 
rhombic forms." A similar solecism occurs at the top of page 61, where 
the translator says: "The actual appearance, however, is different for an 
optically uniaxial and biaxial substance" — as if such substances were nor- 
mal occurrences. Here however, the translator has deviated from the 
author's "verschieden bei den optisch einaxigen iiud den optisch zweiaxi- 
gen substanzen." So sometimes, the translator has overlooked the presence 
of a German idiom, and imported an obscurity. This happens in his trans- 
lation of "beide," which he renders "both," where the meaning would 
better appear if rendered "the two." Examples occur, p. 39, 14th line 
from the top, p. 63, 5th line from the top, and p. 83, 3d line from the top. 
In general, however, the meaning of the original is brought out with ad- 
mirable lucidity, surpassing that achieved by the author. Again and again, 
this feature elicits our commendation. Occasional typographical errors 
are noticed, but these are mostly obvious, though in some cases, the learner 
would not readily detect them, and in all cases they are regrettable. 
A work like this is onerous if a mere literal translation; but where con- 
densation is also sought, the labor quite surpasses that of translation. This 
great work of Jios,en\>ws,c'h.—Mineralien and Gesteine — embodies a vast 
amount of industry and abstract thought. It Is to be hoped that both 
author and translator of this volume will find adequate reward for an un- 
dertaking so desirable in its results and so satisfactory in its achievement. 
EEOENT PUBLIOATIONS. 
1. State and Government reports. 
Reports on the geology of Bath and Fleming counties. By W. M. Lin- 
ney. Roy. 8 vo 85 pp. Colored geological map. Geological survey of Ken- 
tucky. 
The present condition of knowledge of the geology of Texas. 95 pp. 
By Robert T. Hill. Bulletin No. 45, U. 8. Geol. Sur. 
Analyses of waters of the Yellowstone National park. 84 pp. By Gooch 
and Whitfield. Bulletin No. 47, U. S. Geol. Sur. 
