-¥fi 



202 SCIENTIFIC RECORD FOR 1884. 



numbers are largely devoted to reviews of published work. Some of 

 these reviews are of the highest order. To quote only recent ones, we 

 may name Schoenfckl's review of Dreyers paper on the constant of pre- 

 cession, and Auwers' review of Grant's Glasgow catalogue. 



The Geruian Astronomical Society is also concerned in the publica- 

 tiou of the Astronomische Nachrichtcn, both directly and through its 

 membe?-, Professor Krueger, the editor. 



The new impulse is plainly evident in the editing of this journal, 

 which is of the best kind, as will be evident to all its readers and con- 

 tributors. ]S'othiug passes without scrutinj', and, in a way, the editor 

 makes himself responsible for the accuracy of the articles printed. 



On the theory of editing which is adopted, nothing could be more per- 

 fect.* 



CoperwicM.'?, which had reached its third yearofi)ublication, has lately 

 been discontinued, to the regret of all interested in the maintainattce of 

 high class journals. But even before its last number it found a worthy 

 successor in the Bulletin Asironomique, \mh\ished by MM. Tisseraud, 

 Kadau, Bigourdan, and Callaudreau, in Paris. This journal has at once 

 taken a very high rank. It contains observations, usually such as are 

 made at Fieuch observatories, just as the Astronomische NachriclUen 

 contains series of observations from all over the world. The Bulletin 

 also i)ul)lishes i)apers on special subjects, but its distinctive feature is 

 monthly abstracts of other scientific journals, in which the articles cited 

 are accom[)anied by very full and complete reviews. In this way the 

 Bulletin does for France what the Is achricltten and the Vierteljahrsschn/t 

 do for Germany, and what the Monthly Notices does for England. The 

 same thing was attempted by Science, in this couutry, but tiually aban- 

 doned — unfortunately. England has, moreover, two special journals 

 the Observatory iiu(\ the Astrono7nical Register, which cover slightly dif- 

 ferent fields; Germany has Sirius, and l-iance has the new journal of 

 Flammarion, V Astronomie, In this couutry we have had the Sidereal 

 Mtssenyer of Mitchell, the Astronomical Notices of Bruennow, and the 

 Astronomical Journal of Goulil, all of which are now discontinued. 



The Sidereal Messenger, published by Carleton College Observatory, 

 is our only astronomical journal at this writing. 



A new astronomical journal.] — An astronomical serial, under the 

 auspices of the Observatory of Paris, will be a welcome addition to 

 the literature of the science, and may well be expected to occupy a 

 prominent place on the list of such periodicals. 



Admiral Mouchez, in his introductoiy note, alludes to the great im- 

 petus which has been lately given in France to the progress of astron- 

 omy by the establishment or resuscitation of observatories, aided as well 

 by national funds as by contributions from the municipal authorities 



* Compare Bessel's Itecensionen, p. 2iii. 



t Bulletin Astroiioiiiiqitf, piibli6 sous les auspices de l'0b8«rvatoiie do Paris, paj 

 M. F. Ti«»erand, etc. (Paris, Gautliier-Villars, 1884.) 



