LITERARY NOTICES. 



121 



to total population of illiteracy, of church 

 accommodation, of producers, etc., and the 

 distribution of wealth, public indebtedness, 

 taxation, revenue, expenditures, and agri- 

 cultural products. 



The Transit of Venus. By George Forbes, 



B. A. Macmillan & Co. 99 pages. Price, 



$1.25. 



This timely little volume was contrib- 

 uted in installments to Nature, and these are 

 now collected and issued in the neat form 

 of Maemillan's " Nature Series." It gives 

 an interesting account of the general sub- 

 ject, first, in its historical aspect ; second, 

 the scientific conditions of the problem ; 

 third, the preparations for solving it by the 

 different nations. The volume is copiously 

 illustrated, and will meet the wants of gen- 

 eral readers who wish to know something 

 about the great scientific event that is to 

 happen in December. At the close of the 

 third chapter, the author thus recapitulates 

 the technical view of the subject : 



" 1. We know the relative dimensions of 

 the solar system accurately ; but we do not 

 know the scale. 



" 2. The determination of the distance 

 of the earth from the sun, or from any of 

 the planets, at a fixed date, fixes the scale. 



" 3. This may be determined (1) by the 

 aid of a transit of Venus ; (2) by an oppo- 

 sition of Mais ; (3) by a knowledge of the 

 velocity of light, combined with observa- 

 tions of eclipses of Jupiter's satellites ; (4) 

 by the velocity of light and the constant of 

 aberration ; (5) by the calculated effects of 

 the sun's disturbance upon the lunar mo- 

 tions. 



" 4. A transit of Venus may be util- 

 ized : 



" (a.) By the determination of times of 

 contact at different stations, combined with 

 a knowledge of the longitudes of these sta- 

 tions. 



"(6.) By determining the least distance 

 between the centres of the sun and Venus 

 during the transit, observed from different 

 stations. 



" 5. This last determination may be 

 made by any of these methods : 



" (1.) The photographic method. 



" (2.) The heliometric method. 



" (3.) The method of durations." 



A Work of Great Importance. The 

 twelfth volume of the " International Scien- 

 tific Series" is contributed by Dr. John W. 

 Draper, and will be a " History of the Con- 

 flict between Religion and Science." It 

 might seem strange that such a history has 

 never been written before, but the subject 

 has had to wait for the historian. It is 

 doubtful if there is another man living be- 

 sides Dr. Draper who has had the peculiar 

 preparation necessary for executing so diffi- 

 cult a task. Dr. Draper's familiarity with 

 science is extensive. He has cultivated 

 large tracts of it as an original investigator, 

 and with a success that has given him a 

 world-wide reputation. He has also been a 

 life-long studeut of history, and has con- 

 sidered his questions largely from his point 

 of view as a student of Nature. Dr. Dra- 

 per's " History of the Intellectual Develop- 

 ment of Europe " is one of the great books 

 of this age ; and that it is so appreciated 

 is shown by the fact that it has been trans- 

 lated into nearly all the languages of Eu- 

 rope. The study of the problem of the 

 intellectual development of man which has 

 taken place in Europe in historic times, was 

 a grand preparation for treating the special 

 relations of religion and science in their his- 

 toric aspects. The volume is written in a 

 remarkably clear and attractive style, suit- 

 able for all readers, and it abounds in fresh 

 and striking views, vividly and boldly pre- 

 sented. Dr. Draper's book is certain to 

 make a profound impression upon the pub- 

 lic mind. 



Professor Ttndall's Belfast Address. 

 With Preface and Additions, by the 

 author. First authorized and revised 

 edition. D. Appleton & Co. 68 pages. 

 Price, 25 cents. 



In the Preface to this complete edition 

 of his Address, Prof. Tyndall says that it 

 was written in the Alps, and was sent home 

 in installments to be printed ; but, being too 

 long for oral delivery, he was compelled to 

 omit certain parts, while only what he read 

 was given to the public. The omitted pas- 

 sages are now supplied, the whole has been 

 thoroughly revised, and a Preface is added 

 in which the Professor pays his respects to 

 some of his detractors. Regarding one of 

 these imputations, he says : " In connec- 

 tion with the charge of atheism, I would 



