THIS book should be of especial usefulness owing to its combination of practical in formation, including branches of the subject not usually considered in general text-books on oil-mining, and its clear and accurate statements of scientific principles. The twenty-three chapters may be divided into thtee groups: the first is devoted to the chemistry, physical qualities, and geology of oil and natural gas; the second includes eleven chapters on the development and management of oil and gas wells; and the third, consisting of one chapter which occupies nearly a third of the book, gives a most useful summary of existing knowledge of the oil and gas fields of North America.