giving particular attention to the fauna of the country, taking back with him to England a fine collection of birds. In February, 1820, he sailed a third time for Demerara, and, continuing his explorations for a season, returned to England at the end of a year with a larger number of specimens than he had before been able to obtain. But this time a stinging disappointment awaited his arrival. Although his specimens were intended solely for his own museum, and were none of them for sale, impudent and overzealous custom-house officials gave no end of trouble when he landed by detaining his cases of material, and subsequently exacting heavy duties as a condition of their release. Appeal to the Government did no good, and, smarting under a sense of the outrage, he retired to his home in Yorkshire, resolved not to expose himself to similar annoyance and insult again. Three years later, however, he started on his fourth and last journey, described in the "Wanderings," this time going first to New York, and, after a short trip in the United States, returning by the way of the British West Indies to Demerara. After a stay of a few months, mostly spent in further explorations, he resumed his homeward voyage, reaching England early in 1825.
Mr. Waterton was a keen observer, and in the regions which he visited permitted little in the line of natural history to escape him. The topography of the country, its plants and animals, and the character and habits of its human inhabitants, all received attention; and though at first many of his descriptions were met with incredulity and some of them even with derision, fifty years have served to confirm their accuracy in nearly every particular, and to show that, as an enthusiastic and painstaking investigator, Mr. Waterton had few equals and no superiors. Added to this, the story is simply and most charmingly told, an abundant sprinkling of quiet humor and occasional vivid descriptions of exciting adventures serving to enliven and give variety to the narrative. The "Wanderings" close with a chapter on taxidermy, in which the author attained remarkable proficiency, especially in the mounting of birds. He introduced many improvements in the art, and offers numerous valuable hints for those interested in the preservation of natural history specimens.
Besides the biography, which occupies the first five chapters of the book, Mr. Wood has supplied a full "Explanatory Index," which contains a large amount of valuable information regarding the animals and plants mentioned in the "Wanderings." Many of these were described by Mr. Waterton under their local names, which, for scientific purposes, were of little use. In type, paper, illustrations, and binding, the publisher has left nothing to be desired.
The American Journal of Otology. Edited by Clarence J. Blake, M. D. Quarterly. Vol. I., No. 1. New York: William Wood & Co. Pp. 80. Price, $3 per year.
As the editor of this new journal remarks in his introductory note, "the past ten years have seen a remarkable increase of interest in the study of the laws which govern the production and propagation of sonorous vibrations, and correspondingly in the structure, functions, and diseases" of the ear. Hence the "Journal of Otology" is a welcome addition to the list of American medical and scientific periodicals. The editor is assisted by a very strong staff, viz., Professor A. M. Mayer, Dr. Albert H. Buck, Dr. C. H. Burnett, Dr. J. Orne Green, and Dr. H. N. Spencer. The articles in the present number are: "Graphic and Photographic Illustrations of Sound-Waves," by the editor; "Growth of Aspergillus in the Living Human Ear," by Dr. C. H. Burnett; "Syphilitic Affections of the Ear," by Dr. A. H. Buck; "Use of Calcium Sulphide in the Treatment of Inflammations of the External Auditory Meatus," by Dr. S. Sexton; Book Notices; and Reviews.
Industrial Education. By Professor Alexander Hogg. Galveston, Texas: "News" Print. 1879. Pp. 52.
The author, who is a Professor of Mathematics in the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, in his first chapter sketches a course of studies suitable for an institution of that kind; in his second and third chapters he describes the present state of the Texas Agricultural College, and points to some of its more pressing needs.
