The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-01-20
sble has been done to make the old book of con-
temporary value.
HISTORY OF COAL.

nlllan a. Co., lotol, ls u uauusome VI ooo
pages. which originated in bequest made a few
years ago by DIR. Glchrst for the advancement Of
technical education in Yorkshire. In 1877 Dr. Car
penter the Secretary of the Glchrist Educational
Trust. suggested to the professors of the Yorkshire
College at Leeds the delivery of course OF lectures
subject intimately connected with the
everyday interests of the working people OF York
shire. This suggestion led to the association of the
five professors above named in the useful enterprise
of presenting the great subject OF Coal under its
leading aspects. each professor delivering two lee
lures last winter at Leeds and at Keighley
and the series has now been given to the pub
lie under the editorshp of Professor Thorpe
The task undertaken by the five gentlemen has
been thoroughly well performed and their volume
probably presents the best existing monograph upon
the subject within the compass of single volume
There is material here which will interest almost
who cares at all FOR science or for economic
Problems While all the lectures excellent. those
which deal with fossil plants and animals, with
chemistry and motive power deserving of especial
commentators.
II is scarcely possible to divide the subject that
peculiar field. and accordingly Professor Green in
his lucid exposition of the geology of COAL found
himself impelled to say good deal about the fossil
plants and animals Of the coal measures. This is so
attractive and extensive subject that reader
will regret the fact. Professor Mail goes back to
the beginning Of geologic time groups the carbon
ferrous or coabearing system into its four classes Of
rocks. sandstone. shale or bind limestone and coal
and under-clay and dscu them i'll order. He
shows the formation of the first three classes by the
action of water helimestona being composed Of the
hard parts of marine animals Life is thus seen to
have chronologicaly preceded Of the hardest
and most solid portions of the earths crust-a con-
clusion striking as it il unquestionabe. The
character of the tropical vegetation which, in early
carboniferous times. overspread the nearby junges
Of Northern England and the nature of the catacysm
which converted the vegetal accumulations of CEN
turtles into coal is pointed out with great cearness
Professor Mall begins his lecture coal plants by
pointing out the difficulty OF classifying fossil
plants. and rebuking the haste Of scientists to
and identify on insufficient evidence all the re
mains of carboniferous vegetation. Hence has
sprung plentiful train of differences, especially
upon climates and upon the succession of life the
earth, which moro conservative modern students
ject The paleontologst of the present day aims not
at the multiplication and classification of species,
but at working out in detail the structure Of few
types. or of one
Acting upon this wise precaution Professor Mall
confines himself chiefly to two groups only of the coal
measure plants-the calamites and the lepidendrod
trees, including sigillaria. His chief special
thority is the invaluable series of memoirs published
by Professor w. G. Williamson. +. K. s.. in the
philosophical Transactions for 1871 and the fol-
lowing years. The development of plant life up
ward from cellular protoplasm is shown in most in
tercsting and illustrated by cuts of equise-
tum. stigmaria lepidodendra and selaginella.
In like manner. in treating of the animals Of the
among amphbans. chiefly to the interesting extinct
order Of labyrinthodonts. and among fishes to the
ganoids and elasmobranchs. Due credit is given to
Professor Richard Owen for his mastery reconstruc
ton Of the former order. which is illustrated by
ing in the streams of the Mississippi Valley. and
usually known the "hell-bender." The proteus
and the axoloth also described, and the archego-
saurus is made the basis of classification. Among the
fishes ctenodus and ceratodus receive chief attention
The romance Of the coal tar products is well told
by Professor Thorpe in his portion of the volume
and we remember more striking exposition of the
immense gains to science consequent upon the dis
covery of benzne. anthralene quinone, the aniline
dyes and especially Of alizarin which is justly con-
sdered the greatest triumph of theoretical chemistry
The information is brought down to the past year,
and cannot fail to be of the greatest value to all
persons engaged in the immense industries bound up
with the coal supply. To such persons the lectures
OF Professor Rncker upon coal q of warmth
and power and those Of Professor Marshall upon the
future prospects of the coal supply will also be found
of absorbing interest.
BOOK FOR SYSTEMATIC TOURISTS AND TRAY
ELLRRs.
If every traveller utilized his powers of observa-
xka; p<opa Tho
knowledge would be largely augmented and many
important but still unsettled questions would be
solved. 1t is that. with the facilities now at the
disposal Of the traveller in the shape of improved
means Of transportation. equipments and protection
against ordinary and extraordinary dangers Of
the journey. the results Of travel becoming con-
spicuousy useful. Yet much remains to be done in
formulating programme of observation by which
the observation of many will be directed to special
objects of interest and that correct de-
auctions may DO drawn from comparisons
of intelligently conducted Investigations Every
voyager sets out with the idea that he
will see something worth recording in the
course Of his Journey This must be so, because we
beginning to lose count Of the books written on
the personal experiences of travel. Yet there is
singular difficulty to BIO overcome when wants to
compare observations and this is due to the lack of
scient1nc programme de coydge winch might be FOL
lowed by every one who leaves home whether on
business pleasure. To supply in measure this
want. and to furnish instructions to those who are
not expert. and we might say. professional observ-
ers. NJ. d. Kaltbrunner, member Of the Geographical
Society of Geneva. has written useful book. called
the Manuel du voyageur." or travellers handbook
The work is from the press of l. wurstcr 4 Co.,
Zurich. Switzerland, and contains 500 pages. with
over three hundred illustrations
The author has dealt with the subject of the Jour-
ney in very systematic manner and leaves little to
be desired in his instructions relating to prepare
tons He treats Of all the points and plans of OBJ
servation that met and be applied by travel
lers not emitting practical references the uses Of
scientific instruments and the manner of correctly
dclineating the features Of country. Under the
heads OF topography. geology tsuperhcial and pro-
found, NEUROLOGY. climate. SOIL nora and fauna
to be found valuable information relating to the