SIR WILLIAM HUGGINS, K.C.B., O.M. 183 



original work of the Observatory which had not been previously 

 published elsewhere ; and in addition, it offers theoretical dis- 

 cussions on this newer work in connection with the earlier 

 observations contained in the separate Papers." The second 

 volume contains a reprint of the published papers recording 

 the work done in the Observatory since its foundation in 1856. 



No one can take up these volumes without being struck with 

 the touches of artistic finish and thought with which they 

 abound. They serve to recall, to those who have experienced 

 the pleasure of a welcome to Sir William Huggins's home, the 

 many objects of interest and old-world beauty which he and 

 Lady Huggins collected about them with full knowledge of their 

 history and significance. When in such visits scientific dis- 

 cussion reached a natural pause, some beautiful old book or old 

 carving rescued by careful hands from destruction would become 

 the talisman wherewith other interests were aroused. Or if the 

 day were tempting, the garden would claim attention, and the 

 company would watch the bees at work, illustrating the little 

 scroll upon their hive " nil nisi labore." The return to the house 

 would seldom be made without a reversion to the scientific 

 theme previously discussed, and without addition of some 

 further considerations bearing on it which showed that in the 

 enjoyment of the garden thought had been at work. 



Out of the leading memoirs in these volumes we can but 

 touch upon a few in this short notice. The earliest work, " on 

 the spectra of some of the fixed stars," was published in 1863 

 and 1864. In this work Huggins had the co-operation of 

 Prof. W. Allen Miller. In their aim at realising trustworthy 

 accuracy they chose a procedure that was much more difficult 

 and laborious than those adopted by their only predecessors in 

 such work. As remarked above, Fraunhofer, in his desire to 

 assure himself that the dark lines in the solar spectrum were 

 not caused by some effect of diffraction, had studied the spectra 

 of a few stars and planets in the period 1814-23. He had 

 arranged a large prism in front of the object-glass of his telescope, 

 so that by properly pointing the instrument he had succeeded in 

 viewing the spectra of the stars. With an ordinary e3^epiece 

 the spectrum would in such a case be excessively narrow, and 

 he therefore employed a cylindrical lens to give breadth to 

 the narrow riband of colour. In this way — the method of the 

 objective prism of modern days — he succeeded in discerning 



