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and whether they are characteristic or not. Three alkaloids-colchicine, solanine, and apocodeine, failed to yield crystalline compounds with all the reagents tried. The results obtained with thirteen other alkaloids have not been recorded in the book because the author considered them of doubtful purity. The results which were obtained have been arranged in tabular form as an insert a t the end of the microscopic part of the book. This table is most interesting and will prove invaluable to all who have occasion to undertake the identification of alkaloids of unknown nature after they have been obtained in a condition of approximate purity by any one of our standard separation methods. The data here gathered together will also prove a time and labor saver to the investigator who may be tempted to enter this intricate, but amazingly fascinating, field. The tests described are supplemented and rendered more easily interpreted by excellent illustrations consisting of 27 plates comprising 162 photo-micrographs. These plates are beautifully executed and represent an unlimited patience, good judgment and a high degree of technical skill. The second part of the book, pp. 84-105,is devoted to a critical study of the chemical reactions of the alkaloids used by Stephenson. The author of this section, C. E. Parker, of the Bureau of Chemistry, carefully describes the chemical behaviour of the alkaloids and points out their similarity. The usual standard color, odor and precipitation tests are given for each alkaloid as also the source of the alkaloid (with the exception of eight); a most valuable feature, for,'although it is a well known fact that certain alkaloids purchased from different manufacturers may show marked variations in their chemical reactions, few authors state the source of the material upon which they have worked and the reader referring to the literature not infrequently finds it difficult to reconcile the apparent discrepancies in the descriptions given. Part I1 would have been rendered more useful for reference had the same typography been followed as appears in Part I. A solid running page with no double spacing between topics and no change in type, combined with the absence of an index forces the reader to glance over page after page in order to locate a particular alkaloid whose chemical reactions he wishes to check. The expert will find this book of interest and value, particularly as a guide for the development of methods for the examination of impure or complex mixtures. E . M . Chamot Errata I n the paper by Dhar and Sen (27,376), seven lines from top, change 23x10J to 23x10.~. I n the paper by Sharp and Gortner (27, 771), Figures I and 2 have wrong legends. Figures ra, rb, and I C are graphic representations of the data obtained with flour from which the salts had been eztracted with water. Figures 2a, 2b and 2c are similar data obtained on the uneztracted flours. Whenever Fig. I occurs in the text, it, should read Fig. 2 and whenever Fig. 2 occurs, it should read Fig. I .
