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THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



The Verbalist: A Manual devoted to 

 Brief Discussions of the Right and 

 the Wrong Use of Words. By Alfred 

 Atres. New York: D. Appleton & Co. 

 18S2. Pp. 220. Price, $1. 

 There can be no doubt concerning the 

 importance of using the right words in the 

 right places ; and any guide which ap- 

 proaches the subject in the right way and 

 in the right spirit is of value. Mr. Ayres 

 has given such a guide. He does not as 

 sume to be an authority, but a student of 

 authorities and a representative of them. 

 Following a strictly alphabetical arrange- 

 ment of words and topics in regard to 

 which a wrong usage exists or authorities 

 differ, he gives in brief what the authorities 

 declare about each, with their differences 

 where they differ ; and, while he does this 

 with apparent impartiality, he is not afraid 

 to add his own view, which, so far as we 

 have noticed, is the one agreeable to rea- 

 son and common sense. As a whole, " The 

 Verbalist" is equal to the best of the small 

 works in this department. 



New System of Ventilation, which has 

 been thoroughly tested under the 

 Patronage of many Distinguished Per- 

 sons. A Book for the Household. 

 Fourth edition, enlarged, with New Il- 

 lustrations. By Henry A. Gouge. New 

 York : D. Van Xostrand. 1881. Pp.176. 



Mr. Gouge's system of ventilation has 

 been in use for several years, and has given 

 general satisfaction as a cheap, simple, and 

 effective method of solving the problem. 

 It is adapted for any of the twenty or more 

 kinds of buildings and apartments which 

 he enumerates in his title-page, and can be 

 applied with but little alteration of plans. 

 The present volume gives an explanation of 

 its operation, and a selection of miscellane- 

 ous paragraphs on the need of ventilation, 

 good and bad ventilation, and the defects 

 of modern buildings and modern life gener- 

 ally in respect to the subject. 



Celestial Objects for Common Telescopes. 

 Bv the Rev. T. W. Webb, M.A., F.R. 

 A. S. Fourth edition, revised and jireat- 

 ly enlarged. New York: Industrial Pub- 

 lication Company. Pp. 493. 

 Tins work appears to be one of great 

 value to amateur astronomers. Its purpose 

 is to furnish the possessors of ordinary tel- 



escopes with plain directions for their use, 

 and a list of objects for their advantageous 

 employment. It begins with a description 

 of the telescope, especially of ordinary tel- 

 escopes (refractors of from three to five 

 inches aperture, and reflectors of a little 

 larger diameter), and directions for their 

 practical care and use, after which are given 

 descriptions of the sun, moon, planets, com- 

 ets, and of the double stars, clusters, and 

 nebula? coming within the range of the class 

 of observations contemplated. The account 

 of the moon is accompanied with a large 

 sheet-map, on which every point and object 

 is distinctly marked and numbered, and that 

 of Mars by a polar map of similar character. 

 The chapter on double stars, clusters, and 

 nebula?, is arranged by constellations, under 

 the head of which each object is specifically 

 and separately located and described. 



The Labor Question, or an Exact Science 

 of Equivalents; and also contain- 

 ing a New Theory of Cosmogony. By 

 Amicus Humani Generis. Chicago : The 

 Chicago Legal News Company. Pp. 186. 



This is an example of the kind of work 

 that an active mind of some ability may pro- 

 duce without having any of the knowledge 

 that is gained by investigation and careful 

 study. It offers a mixture of native ideas, 

 some of which are good, with the utmost 

 confusion of all that is taught by history 

 and science. The author assumes that the 

 great evils that afflict the world are land 

 tenure, rents, interest, and the price of 

 stocks that is, all that furnishes the capi- 

 tal on which labor depends ; and that it is 

 the duty of labor to destroy these and es- 

 tablish a kind of communism. With all 

 this he has some sound ideas on free trade 

 and tariffs, and the spirit in which trades- 

 unions ought to be managed. 



Elements of Quaternions. By A. S. Hardy, 

 Fh D , Professor of Mathematics, Dart- 

 mouth' College. Boston: Ginn, Heath 

 & Co. Pp. 230. 



The object of this treatise is to exhibit 

 the elementary principles and notation of the 

 quaternion calculus, so as to meet the wants 

 of beginners in the class-room ; and to give 

 them such a conception of the value and 

 beauty of this instrument of research as 



