Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 24.djvu/867

Rh its last meeting in Copenhagen, in August, 1883. In it Dr. Brinton shows that the native Americans had a literary faculty, which is indicated by a vivid imagination, a love of narration, and an ample, appropriate, and logically developed vocabulary. They have left behind them a creditable literature of considerable extent which would have been larger, but much of it was wantonly destroyed by their self-styled civilized conquerors. They wrote in their own language, in Spanish, and in Latin, narrative, didactic, and oratorical works, poems, and dramas, the general character of which is briefly sketched and a partial list given. The Northern Indians are less fully represented in this literature than the Mexican and South American.

is conducted with reference to the tastes of the family, and is designed to furnish that which will profit as well as amuse. Well-selected fiction is provided, in serial stories as well as in those that are completed in one number; and in addition to this are given, regularly, papers on "Household Management," "Domestic Cookery," "Gardening," "Education and Recreation," the "Family Doctor's Papers"; a department for the discussion of social questions of the day, papers on remunerative employment for women, records of useful inventions and discoveries, and numerous illustrations.

many text-books on natural philosophy have appeared within the past few years that the teacher of to-day is embarrassed by the surplus of riches. In most of these an effort may be observed to introduce the only true method, that of personal experimentation. Many difficulties remain to be overcome, and the task is not an easy one. Although the authors state in their introduction that this treatise differs from others in the large number of practical experiments and exercises which it contains, we are somewhat disappointed at the small number of novel and simple experiments adapted to the average school-room, while more difficult and dangerous experiments are given in detail, such as the preparation of cyanide of silver from a silver coin for electro-plating. In other cases there is a lack of fullness, as for example, under electrolysis of water no mention is made of the kind or size of battery required; under electrophorus the composition of the rosin-cake is not given, and the pupil is led to infer that it is pure rosin. Neither the Holtz nor Windhurst electrical machines is pictured and described, but the old cylindrical machine takes their place. The Morse registering apparatus is illustrated instead of the sounder actually in use, and the duplex, quadruplex, and ocean-cable systems are referred to in a manner neither satisfying nor instructive. Notwithstanding these obvious defects, there is much to recommend the book as quite equal to the average text-books on this subject, and in some respects it is an improvement on them. The illustrations are excellent, the type clear, and the paper good.

pamphlet contains the official report of the proceedings of the Association, with abstracts of the papers read, a list of publications and writings of members of the Association during the year ending in July, 1883, and a statistical report of cases treated.

attractive and popular guide-book to a whole region of health resorts and winter residences that are every year attracting more attention. It furnishes brief descriptions of the points of interest to the tourist, invalid, immigrant, or sportsman, and of the way to reach them.