678 ANNUAL RECORD OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY. 



it still exists in the handwriting of Copernicus. This book 

 will form one of the four subdivisions of the " Spicilegium 

 Copernicanum," the other divisions being composed of the 

 lesser works, correspondence, etc., of the great astronomer. 

 The original manuscript of the " De Revolutionibus " forms a 

 volume of 217 leaves of small folio, one foot high and eight 

 inches broad, quite clearly written, in uniform small letters, 

 with black ink, the titles and initials of the separate books 

 and chapters being colored red. It has been in the possession 

 of the ISTostitz family since the year 1600. Heis^ Wochen- 

 schrift, 1873, 3. 



APPOINTMENT OF ME. ADAMS IN LONDON. 



Great satisfaction is expressed in scientific circles in En- 

 gland at the appointment of Mr. Adams as Chief Commis- 

 sioner of the Board of Works in the place of Mr. Ayrton, 

 whose interference with Dr. Hooker in the manasfement of the 

 Kew Botanic Gardens excited so much indignation in 1872. 



MEMOEIAL TO GALILEO. 



The citizens of Florence have set a worthy example to the 

 world in having recently erected a durable memento of the 

 immortal Galileo. Galileo stands out pre-eminently as one 

 of the fathers of experimental philosophy. He did not create 

 it, but he introduced a taste for it and enlarged it ; and he 

 possessed in an unusual degree the true spirit of philosoph- 

 ical inquiry, the ardent love of research, through which all 

 progress is made in knowledge. The Tuscan memorial to 

 Galileo is entirely the work of Tuscans, and is said to have 

 been constructed at the cost of nearly $200,000. It is erect- 

 ed in Florence, and consists simply of a vestibule, from which 

 opens a small rectangular hall with a semicircular tribune, in 

 which is placed the statue of Galileo by Costoli. The inte- 

 rior of the hall is entirely lined with white marble, and with 

 frescos, in admirable taste. The vestibule is also lined with 

 frescos, representing, among other things, Leonardo da Vin- 

 ci in the presence of the Duke of Milan, and also Volta ex- 

 plaining his inventions to the members of the French Insti- 

 tute, in the presence of Napoleon and La Grange. In the 

 hall is a fresco representing Galileo lecturing in Pisa, which 

 is spoken of as a striking and well-conceived j^ainting, the 



