Silverwork and Jewelry. H. Wilson, D. Appleton & Co., New York, 7 3/4 x 5, 346 pp. 169 illustrations and 16 page plates. $1.40 net.

Wood Carving. George Jack, D. Appleton & Co., New York, 7 3/4 x 5, 310 pp. 77 illustrations and 16 page plates. $1.40 net.

These two books are the second and third to appear in the "Artistic Crafts Series of Technical Hand Books " which is destined, as the number and range increases, to become a valuable source of information and instruction. In the first book above mentioned, the author gives practical instruction in the use of the tools and the making of quite a range of metal work, including the hammered work now so popular in many manual training schools. The numerous examples illustrating the different kinds of work are all well selected and artistic.

The treatment of wood carving is essentially artistic, and because of this fact has decided value to a student of the subject who would avoid being misled in the early stages of his work, before his mind has been trained to clearly distinguish between good and poor design. The " technique " is described as clearly as the subject will permit, the tools and their appropriate uses, being shown by numerous illustrations. An excellent book.

Machine Design, Part I. Charles L. Griffin, S. B. American School of Correspondence, Chicago, 111. 9 3/4 x 7, 74 pp.

To those who are unable to attend a resident technical school, the correspondence system of instruction is of decided value. Thousands of men have utilized this method of increasing the knowledge with manifest advantage, both intel-lectural, and financially, to themselves and their associates. It is necessary, from the nature of the methods used, that instruction papers be plain and as complete as possible, to enable the student to make suitable progress without unnecessary loss of time. This paper on machine design certainly complies with these requirements, and contains much excellent instruction as to proper methods of working when original work is attempted.

"Technics " is the name of a new magazine published by George Newnes, Ltd., London, for "technical students." If the high standard of the first number be maintained, it should certainly find many readers. Among the subjects there presented are: - Charlottenburg, the Berlin Technical High School ; Radium, Mural Decoration, Modern Art of Dyeing, Textile Design, Elementary Technical Education, Continuous Current Dynamo, Rapid Cutting Steel, and others. The International News Co., New York, are American agents.

A new metal which is similar to aluminum, but still of lesser weight, has been discovered by the French engineer Albert Nodon, and called 'mod-ium," after him. It is manufactured by an electric process. In color, luster, and structure it is almost exactly like steel. Its specific weight when molten is only 2.4. Its resistance against breaking is given as about 20 pounds per square of 0.04 inch. Its constancy in the air is higher than that of aluminum. Its ductility is between 6 to 8 inches; the malleability can be compared to that of bronze. It melts at about 600°. It is suitable for being cast into forms. The conducti-bility for the electric current is as high as that of copper of equal weight. If natural power especially water power, can be used for its manufacture, the cost in round figures is about 15 cents per pound. The inventor expects numerous uses of nodium in the near future, especially for electric wires and cables, for light but strong parts of motor cars, torpedo boats, men-of-war, street cars, military outfits, air ships, etc., and for castings in place of bronze, German Silver, and similar metals. Nothing definite hasyetbeen communicated as to the chemical composition of nodium nor as to the mode of its manufacture.

One of the points of interest in the motor-car or automobile development is the fact that the facilities offered by up-to-date automobiles for traveling long distances quickly and easily, and without regarding to fixed time tables, increases the radius of the residential section of a city, thus combining the advantages of country life, with a command of city conveniences.