LITERARY NOTICES. 



627 



performance of functions, and therefore of 

 highest import. These conformities would 

 of course differ from those of -the Chinese, 

 being based on more complex relations and 

 wider knowledge of Nature, and hence more 

 open to changes of detail ; but their ethical 

 ground is really the same. Thus the minute 

 ritual of Chinese filial piety consists in rou- 

 tines of conduct which are recognized as 

 beyond all question the best, and indeed 

 the only, ways in which an ideal love and 

 reverence can be fulfilled. It is sufficiently 

 clear, from the spirit of these prescriptions, 

 that this minuteness itself is simply an en- 

 deavor to inspire the whole of domestic life 

 with real reverence and love." 



After a bi'oad sketch of the Chinese 

 character and quality, Mr. Johnson passes 

 to a study of the Chinese sages, their doc- 

 trines and influence, and the national beliefs 

 on religious subjects, the development of 

 Chinese Buddhism, missionary experiences, 

 and closes his work by a presentation of 

 the philosophy, metaphysics, arid anthro- 

 pology, that prevail in China. We cannot 

 here even attempt to give the author's con- ' 

 elusions upon many important topics which 

 he considers, and will only say that while 

 he evidently has great respect for much 

 that is to be found in the institutions and 

 ideas of this great division of the Oriental 

 world, he is by no means an undiscrimi- 

 nating admirer of everything Chinese. Of 

 course they are benighted heathen, and we 

 send missionaries to instruct them in better 

 religious ways. This attitude, however, is 

 not altogether favorable to a just judgment 

 of the Chinese character, and Mr. Johnson 

 has done an excellent service in correcting 

 our prejudices and giving us truer views of 

 the faith and life of so large a portion of 

 the human family. 



A Hand-book of Descriptive Astronomy. 

 By George F. Chambers, F. R. A. S., of the 

 Inner Temple, Barrister-at-Law. New 

 York : Macmillan & Co. Pp. 938. Price, 

 $10. 



This is in all respects a most excellent 

 book on astronomy, clear, full, splendidly 

 illustrated, carefully accurate, and in a high 

 degree popular. The first edition was issued 

 ten years ago, and a third being now called 

 for, the author has thoroughly revised it and 

 added two hundred pages of new matter, 



bringing it sharply up to the time. His rea- 

 son for making the book is thus stated; 

 " There is a lack of works in the English lan- 

 guage which are at one and the same time 

 attractive to the general reader, serviceable 

 to the student, and handy, for purposes of 

 reference, to the professional astronomer ; 

 in fact, of works which are popular without 

 being vapid, and scientific without being un- 

 duly technical." In regard to the present 

 edition Mr. Chambers says : " There is 

 scarcely a single page which has not been 

 to a greater op less extent dressed up, or in 

 some way amended, with the object of mak- 

 ing its statements more accurate in sub- 

 stance or intelligible in diction. The most 

 important changes will be found in the chap- 

 ters dealing with the sun, sidereal astron- 

 omy, and astronomical instruments. The 

 descriptions of clusters and nebulse have 

 been made more numerous, and the lists of 

 objects critically revised one by one actu- 

 ally at the telescope, so as to make that por- 

 tion of the work more completely than for- 

 merly a vade mecujn for the mere star-gazer, 

 who is an astronomer simply in the respect 

 that he is the owner of a telescope. Indeed, 

 it has been chiefly with this idea in view 

 that so much additional matter has been 

 introduced into the chapters relating to 

 astronomical instruments. The ' Practical 

 Hints ' and suggestions have been gathered 

 from so many sources, and embody the col- 

 lective wisdom and experience of so many 

 men, that they cannot fail to deserve atten- 

 tion. I believe also that this volume now 

 stands alone in its full description, so far as 

 regards the wants of amateur observers, of 

 the mounting and use of reflecting tele- 

 scopes." 



List of Elevations, principally in that 

 Portion of the United States west of 

 THE Mississippi. By H. Gannett, M. E. 

 Washington : Government Printing-Of- 

 fice. Pp. 164. 



This fourth edition of the work named 

 above embodies the results of its author's 

 continued labors down to 1877. It con- 

 tains profiles of nearly all the railroads in 

 the region west of the Mississippi ; eleva- 

 tions of many thousands of points ; mean 

 heights of the States and Territories ; slopes 

 of the principal streams in the West, etc. 

 A map of the United States, in approximate 



