302 Analysis of Scientific Books. 



lying on the table, we found upon referring to the former, that 

 water takes up 0.27 parts of sugar of lead ; and in the latter, this 

 salt is represented as " almost equally soluble in hot and cold 

 water, viz., to about one-fourth the weight of the fluid." We hope 

 Drs. Thomson and Henry will make a memorandum of this over- 

 sight and correct it in future editions. 



A little further, in p. 46, we are told that crystals of alum 

 exactly resemble those of natural quartz, whereas we had always 

 ignorantly supposed that the former were octoedra, and the latter 

 six-sided prisms. 



In the second lecture Mr. Gurney rectifies Dr. Wollaston's 1 

 errors respecting the theory of crystallization, but as we can un- 

 derstand Dr. Wollaston, and cannot understand Mr. Gurney, we 

 consider ourselves inadequate to discuss the question. The argu- 

 ments enunciated in pages 59, 60, et seq. of our author's] lec- 

 ture in reference to this subject are doubtless novel and pro- 

 found ; that they are, to our humble capacity, unintelligible, 

 arises doubtless from the want of his " moveable diagram," the 

 place of which is very inadequately supplied by Mr. Scharf's im- 

 moveable lithography. With great regret, therefore, do we pass 

 over the new facts " connected with general as well as with chemi- 

 cal science," and tending to explain effects " which have hitherto 

 baffled the most ingenious inquiry," set forth in this and in the 

 succeeding lecture. We must leave the atoms " to seize their 

 previous partners," or let them alone as they think fit, since our 

 downright dulness prohibits our officiating as masters of the ce- 

 remonies upon the occasion. 



Our ignorance also obliges us to decline any attempt at impart- 

 ing to our readers the contents of Lecture IV, on chemical affinity, 

 which if we mistake not, Mr. Gurney refers to the same laws as 

 those which govern " musical vibrations ;" when, therefore, he talks 

 of vibration of sound combining three to two, and five to three, 

 constituting thirds and great sixths ; of tone being produced by a 

 series of detonations, and detonations by the sudden formation 

 and filling of a series of vacuums ; of the definite divisions of the 

 organ pipe, and the concords of the French horn, the iEolian harp, 

 and the musical glasses ; and lastly, when we are informed that 

 musical and chemical combinations depend on the same" regula- 

 tions," that modulation is an imitation of definite proportions, and 

 that in respect to time, every different note in the scale of music, 

 is a simple multiple or division of the other, we unwillingly feel 

 ourselves obliged to resign our critical labours as connected with 

 this individual lectire, and to leave the decision upon its value and 

 merits, to those who have more music in their souls, since our own 

 attainments in that delightful art never exceeded the performance 

 of the obligato part upon comb and paper, or an occas\oxia\fa?itasia 

 upon the jews' harp. Thus much in candour to Mr. Gurney. 





