SCIENTIFIC BOOKS FOR BOYS.
The Boy's Book of Model Aeroplanes, by F. A. Collins (Eveleigh Nash, 3s. 641. net), comes from America, where the model aero- plane seems to have a great vogue. There are clubs and tourna- ments for competing owners of these little craft, which propel themselves across a room by the force of ropes of incliarubber bands. The lads are not only the owners but the constructors too. One learns with admiration that it is a. point of honour to appear only with the machines of the competitors' own manu- facture. Mr. Collins describes the various designs, and in simple language explains the elementary laws of aerostatics which affect both models and the engine-driven vessels of the air. In the second half of the book he sketches the history of aviation, from the first efforts of Daedalus and Icarus down to the successes a the Wrights and Paullian. It is illustrated with many very practical phobographs.—The title of Mr. T. W. Corbin's book The Romance of Submarine Engineering (Seeley, Service, and Co.: 58.) must not lead anyone to the hasty conclusion that it is only concerned with "submarines," the term which has been specialized to mean submersible warships. It deals with them up to date, but it also treats of many other matters which will appeal to boys and men who see the romance of engineering under water. The author does not even neglect the sponge-diver, or any form of diving with or without artificial aids. He tells, too, of the science of tunnelling under water, of cable-laying, salvage, and of harbour works carried on without divers. The book is illustrated with numerous photographs and diagrams.—Mr. Grahame-White is presumably no small hero in the eyes of boys, and with Mr. H. Harper he presents them with some of his experience in With the Airmen. (IL Frowde, Hodder and Stoughton. 6s.) It is a dis- cursive and net a highly scientific volume, though there are technical portions. Mr. White takes his readers to his Flying School at Hendon and lets them see all that goes on there. There are many stories of his own and other "airmen's" feats which leave an appalling sense of the dangers encountered by these pioneers. The book is illustrated with coloured pictures by Cyrus Cuneo, diagrams by Max Millar, and photographs.—Much less exciting is The World's Work (same publishers, 2s. 6d. net), in which Mr. A. 0. Cooke takes us for some very full days of interesting sightseeing down a coal mine, over ironworks, a ship- yard, a tannery and boot manufactory, and cotton and woollen mills. The only criticism we have to make on such an instructive
book for young people is that the language is appropriate to children rather more youthful than those who are likely to be most interested in the subjects. There are photographs and pictures in colour.
"Let us now praise famous men." In his Heroes of Science (same publishers and price), Mr. C. B. Gibson does not profess to teach any science in particular, but he ought to succeed in stirring up admiration and ambition. He points out that the last four and a half centuries almost exactly coincide with the living chain of Copernicus, Tycho Brake, Galileo, Newton, Franklin, Davy, and Kelvin. But ho begins with Pythagoras and the Pythagoreans, Anaxagera.s and Archimedes. The first Englishman mentioned is Boger Bacon, and among other British heroes are Priestley, Cavendish, the Horschels, Dalton, Faraday, Darwin, and Clerk- Maxwell. Mr. Gibson tells us of their personalities in a lively and interesting manner, and the book is illustrated with numerous photographs.
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