JUNE 2I, 1924] NATURE 887

deposition, is enhanced by a discussion of the influence are dealt with before even the simple monobasic acids.
of climate on deposition; in Chap. ii., loess and marl The inclusion of a chapter on " the ammonia system,"
receive fuller treatment than before; Chaps. iii. and iv., showing the analogies between water and ammonia, is
on chemical and organic deposits, contain noteworthy unusual in a book devoted to organic chemistry.
additions relating to deposits of potash-salts and In the second section of the book the carbocyclic and
gypsum, and to oolites, algal limestones, crinoidal lime- heterocyclic compounds are dealt with briefly, perhaps
stones, chalk, and certain Lower Paheozoic limestones too briefly, but valuable chapters on steric influence
of England. and on free radicals are included.
Among the more important changes in the five The last section of the book is devoted to a general
chapters comprising Part II. (pp. 155-383), on the review of organic reactions. The fourteen chapters
metamorphic derivatives of the sediments, may be are really admirable summaries of such processes as
mentioned new sections dealing with oolitic iron-ores, oxidation and reduction, syntheses and rearrangements,
h:ematite deposits, strain-slip cleavage, crush-con- and should be of the greatest interest to a student
glomerates, fault-breccias, and "stress " and "anti- about to enter for a degree examination who wishes to
stress " minerals. find much useful knowledge in a small volume.
In minor details (amendments of headings and text, It is a most readable and instructive book, and one
and references to literature) revision has been equally that should find a place in every college library. Its
thorough. A. B. greatest value is not in a wealth of detail concerning
innumerable compounds, but in its happy exposition
The Statesman's Year-Book: Statistical and Historical of chemical theories and principles. F. A.
Annual of the States of the World for the Year I924.
Edited by Sir John Scott Keltie and Dr. M. Epstein. Alignment Charts for Engineers and Students: a Text-
Sixty-first Annual Publication : Revised after Book explaining the Theory and Construction of Align-
Official Returns. Pp. xxxvi + 1523. (London: ment Charts. By W. J. Kearton and George Wood.
Macmillan and Co., Ltd., 1924.) 20s. net. Pp. viii+220. (London: C. Griffin and Co., Ltd.,
Tms admirable work of reference again makes a 1924.) 16s. net.
punctual appearance and shows the same commendable ALIGNMENT charts have apparently fascinated the
thoroughness of revision as in previous years. It writers of engineering text-books to such an extent
can be no light task to revise the statistics of every that they can write of nothing else. That they are
country in the world ; yet with few exceptions figures interesting and useful cannot be doubted ; but the
are given for last year or the latest year in which basic principle is so simple, and the application so
returns were made. As the new states of the world direct, that the production of so many text-books on
settle their affairs and get into working order the the same subject all covering the same narrow field,
task of the editors has no doubt become less difficult. with elaborate and tiresome explanatory details of
Even from Russia and Turkey a great deal of informa- familiar algebraic processes, implies a distinct weakness
tion is now available. The plan of former years has in the training of our engineers. Once the fundamental
been maintained in the general arrangement of the idea has been explained, there is little in most of these
book; and in spite of several additions, particularly books that could not be developed by any intelligent
with regard to changes in the constitution in Greece, second-year engineering student ; yet engineers must
Italy, Spain, and Turkey, the length of the book has buy them, else why do publishers produce them? Has
been reduced by some fifty pages. Space has been this process of educational spoon-feeding become
saved by a revision of many of the lists of books of typical of engineering college training ? In fairness to
reference. By eliminating some of the less important the present volume it ought to be added that this is
titles in these lists, their value is enhanced. The one of the best we have seen. Some of the diagrams are
additions and corrections contain facts and figures rather sprawly, but generally the subject is well de-
published so late as April of this year. The number veloped without too much needless detail. A very
of states has been reduced by one by the merging of valuable series of 35 alignment charts is provided
Fiume in Italy. This indicates a reversal of the covering a wide field of engineering design.
process of multiplication of states which has held
for several years. There are coloured maps to show In Quest of El Dorado. By Stephen Graham. Pp.
Turkey according to the Treaty of Lausanne and the xiii+ 346. (London : Macmillan and Co., Ltd.,
Syria-Palestine boundary according to the Beyrouth 1924.) 12s. net.
agreement. MR. STEPHEN GRAHAM travelled on the trail of the
Spanish adventurers of old from Spain to the West
The Carbon Compounds: a Text-book of Organic Indies, through Porto Rico, Haiti, and Cuba, and then
Chemistry. By Prof. C. W. Porter. Pp. ix+ 494. to New Mexico, Panama, and Mexico itself. The book
(Boston and London : Ginn and Co., 1924.) 2u. net. is full of colour and high spirits, with just enough of
DrvmED into three sections, this is essentially a text- history to allow the reader to understand present
book for the student who has had already a good conditions. In its vivid description and sympathetic
grounding in the principles of,. organic chemistry. insight, the book gives a far truer picture of tropical
After a consideration of theories of valency and of America and its inhabitants than most larger and
atomic structure, the author then proceeds to the detailed works. The author's reflections on present
study of the aliphatic hydrocarbons and their deriva- tendencies in Latin America add a practical value to a
tives. The nitroparaffins, the amines, and the ketones book that is full of charm.
NO. 2851, VOL, 113]
© 1924 Nature Publishing Group