The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-05-02
Magazine Notices.

The nineteenth volume of The Popular Sci
ence Monthly begins with the May number and
it would be difficult tosfnd, since its start, an
issue that moro fully sustains the high reputa-
tation the Magazine has as an exponent Of
of modern science in q readable and ut.
tractive form. The first article, by Prof. Da-
vid s. Jordan, is capital example of the way
science may be made both entertaining and
instructive to the general reader, youthful or
adult. without any sacrifice in accuracy or dig
nifty of statement. 1t is entitled the Story Of
a Salmon, and treats of the life-history OF that
interesting and useful fish from the time it is
produced as an egg until it becomes its an egg
producer. DIR. Felix l.. Oswald, who, as read
ers of the Monthly know, has always some
thing interesting and useful to say, continues
his articles ON Physical Education treating in
this number the subject of Gymnastics. The
Mineral Springs of Saratoga, by Charles +.
Fish, is an illustrated article on the geology of
| the springs. with brief statement of the two
rival theories concerning the sources Of their
| mineral constituents, and an extended table
| giving the chemical composition of various
waters Prof. Tyndall has valuable paper
entitled the Action of Radiant Heat on Case
GUS Matter, in which he describes some won-
derful experiments with the photophone, that
go to confirm the results of certain OF his form.
er investigations in this department Of molecu-
lar physics. Another World Down Here, by
w. Mattieu Williams is lively paper about
the special senses of the insects and the prob
| able impressions of the outer world which ell
| ter into insect consciousness. There is Sec
ond illustrated paper on the Origin and Struc-
ture of Volcanic Cones, by H. j. Johnston-La-
Wis., followed by an important article from the
pen of Prof. Hermann Cohn on the subject Of
Eyes and School-Books, which is full of useful
information for publ.sherss educators aud tho
public generally. Iu D4ep-Sea Investiga-
tion. Mr.. j. G. Buchanan, Of the Challen-
ger Expedition, describes the methods now
employed in submarine explorations, with pic
lures Of the apparatus at present in most gen.
eral USE The Horace Mann School for the
Deaf, by Mary Gray Morrison, is an interesting
account of the methods and success OF Bos-
ton school founded at the suggestion OF Horace
Mann for the purpose of teaching deat-mutes
to talk. Under the title of The Eucalyptus in
the Roman Campagna, Mr.. H. N. Draper gives
history of the introduction and cultivation
of the eucalyptus in one of the worst parts OF
that pestiferous plain, and the remarkable i'm
provement in the healthfulness of the locality
which has resulted therefrom. The other ar
ticles in this excellent number, of which we
have only space to give the titles, are The
'-the-Wisp aud its Folklore, by L. F
Thselton Dyer; Cyncism opposed to Progress
by Mr.. William A. Eddy; Some Prehistoric
Vessels, illustrated; Color Blindness, by S. Il.
Koehler; Influence of the Post aud Telegraph
on International Relations; and sketch, will
portrait, of the well-known naturalist, Professo
Edward d. Cope. The several editorial de
parments have their usual variety aud inter
est New York; d. Appleton and Company