New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-06-05
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
SCIENCE AND OTHER PRACTICAL MAT
TIERS

t,ons i2mo, pp. sas. E. p. Duttcn q CO.
rrverv child should have an acquaintance with
The subjects here treated, and 1t Is an ingenious
81 not original idea to discuss them al al IN
one volume of moderate size. The experiment
was tried in France. with Paul Berts f"s'
Year Of Scientific knowledge" and the success
that attended the venture augurs well for the
nopularity OF Mrs Awdry's work. III the latter
"a q trife more elementary and not quite so
800 an scope as the French publication. at
,sas, Il exces in simplicity Of style and adapta-
,ion 10 the Juvenile mind The phenomena en-
Moved to illustrate truths are in most cases
familiar. and good judgment is also shown IN
the balance OF emphasis given to the salient
points OF the story.
LITTLE over one-half Of Mrs Awdry's book IS
devoted TO animal and vegetable life' ana 'he
rernainde, to THE Forces OF Nature ohe
might wish. perhaps. that In the suo-o''is'oi
Of the Arst part botany had been more iuiiy
,snresAnted Scarcely more than thirty pages
are devoted to plant life. and 100 TO Zoology '"e
structure of the body and some OF us more III
rortant functions. Before classifying ahimais
into vertebrates and invertebrates. or dlsuh-
gushing between mammals and olros' tho au
Thor describes the creatures under consideration
in lively fashion. and trains her reaoers "
habits of close observation and dinerenuati0n'
.rhen she mentions the terms which scientis's
,employ to separate animals into divisions anu
families. The method is perfect, and the man
ner is winning.
In the second part Of the book Mrs. Awdry
again resort 10 the object-lessionin gravitauon'
cohesion, chemical action and electricity oeiore
naming the forces at work. She describes SIM
nile experiments which one may try for himseh
10 demonstrate the existence and nature on
forces themselves. or course. 1t Is lmpossiDle
10 20 much into detail in regard to physics or
chemistry in a work Of this character. but the
reader gets a fairly good notion OF the De-
havior OF heat. light sound. magnetism ana
electricity; the essential difference between an
.ac,a and a base; the wonderful share which
.oxvren plays in the composition Of matter. and
sof the protean character Of certain elements.
The mlneralosist has at his disposal num-
her OF tests-chemica mechanical and visual
for identifying specimens. But microscopic eX-
animation is his favorite resource the prepare
ton Of slices Of rock fer the microscope ana
the Interpretation Of their appearance when
,nagnifed ia a science by itself DR.. Mcli-
yaine Luquer, % Columbia University mas
written a manual is optical mneralogy' MIN
erals in Rock Sections, which the van
Nostrand Company has put before the pubic
The rather limited constituency which he has
served will find the book well arranged accu-
,ate and useful. 1t is provided with numerous
illustrations.
The thoroughncss with which William E.
Gibbs covered the subject Of Lighting by
Acetylene" in his book last year. and the wide
interest felt in the matter has led the van
Nostrand Company TO issue second edition
The author has improved the opportunity thus
afforded 10 enlarge and revise the work.
The discussions Of the Society of Naval Archi-
teets and Marine Engineers are always OF con-
siderable importance. but those OF the annual
meeting last November derived additional
significance from the war between the United
Gates and Spain, then recently ended. AL
though the daily newspapers reported the pro-
ceedngs at the time in brief, 1t is desirable
that the full Transactions be MADE available TO
the professions interested. for deliberate scrutiny
and future reference. The contents Of the vol
ume are as follows: The Standard Navy
Boats" by Arthur B. Cassidy "Bilge Keels and
Rolling Experiments with the Oregon" by AS
sistant Naval Constructor Lawrence Spiar,
u S N: Portable Pneumatic Riveters" by W.
J. Babcock: Torpedo boat Destroyers for Sea
servoe, with Special Reference TO the Condi-
tions that Prevail on the Pacific Coast by 9.
w. Dickie: The Utility OF Torpedo Boats and
Has the Submarine Hoat Placer The Econ-
omy Test of a Unique Form Of Feed Pump"
1y F. VI. Wheeler: The Steam Yacht as
Naval Auxiliary" by William P. Stephens; De
signs Of New Vessels Of the United States
Navy" by Chief Constructor Philip Hichborn;
Methods Of Securing Water-tight Work." by
Assistant NaYal Constructor II. G. Smith;
Tests Of the Strength OF a Longitudinal Bulk
head Separating Two Engine Rooms" by Naval
Constructor j. ]. Woodward: AN Electrically
Operated 1J0-ton Revolving Derrick" by Wal
ter A. Post: Stability OF a Battle-ship Under
Damaged Conditions" by Professor Cecil H.
Peabody. and Under the Circumstances Of the
Blockade at Santiago, Which Was the More
Economical Method OF Maintaining the Boilers
in Readiness for Immediate Action?" The
transactions" can be had from the secretary.
Naval Constructor Francis T. Bowles. at the
socety's rooms. No II West Thirty nrst-st-. in
this city.
Combine in one person the taste which tnpels
20 wide reading, lively sense Of the marvellous
In Nature and the instinct OF the collector and
the result will be after many years store Of
interesting information, not altogether up to
Gate possibly a trfe inaccurate here and there,
but in the main well worth examination by
others than the possessor. This Is substantially
the explanation OF "A Day Book Of Wonders"
written by David Morgan Thomas, an English
barrister. and published by T. Fisher Irwin, Of
London. in an octave volume Of over six hun
dred pages. The author has packed away an
extraordinary variety OF facts which have at
,racted his attention while gratifying his
omnivorous appetite for literature Although
ne exhibits a natural disposition to seize upon
the picturesque. striking and even extravassnt.
he confines himself to what may be termed
xcientifo revelations. and derives his statements
from recognized authorities.