462 Notices respecting New Sooks. 



secute the science with pleasure to himself and advantage tcf 

 others. The author informs us, tliat for the last fifteen years 

 he has been in possession of every description of reflecting as 

 well as refractini; tcieseopes, and has ascertr-incd tlicir powers 

 experiment;dly; modestly assuring his readers, that the consider- 

 able expense of time and money which his puisuits have cost 

 him, will in his estimation be overpaid, should the peru'al of his 

 treatise " afford any satisfactory intelligence, or i)e useful to the 

 novice in optics and astronomy, by directing hiiu in the choice 

 and assisting him in the u-e of his instruments." 



The author then proceeds to explain his views in publishing 

 his treatise. 



*' The principal prejudice," he observes, " which has confined 

 llie study of tlio minuti;e of astronomy to the observatories of the 

 state, and of a few opulent individuals, is, that an imi;<ense ap- 

 paratus of unwieldy nagiiituuc, extremely costly to purchase, 

 difficult to procure, and troublesome to use, is indispensably ne- 

 cessary to discern what has been described by various astrono- 

 mers. 



" I hope I shall succeed in mv endeavours to extinguish this 

 vulgar error, and be able to prove, that neither such enormous 

 instruments, nor monstrous magnifying })ovvers, are either ne- 

 cessarily recjuired or coinmonlv u&ed ; and thereby the contem- 

 plation of the wonderful and beautiful celestial bodies may be- 

 come more general, the science simplified and made easy, and 

 the study of it rendered universally attractive, and no longer con- 

 fined to the haj)])y few whose good fortunes will furnish them 

 with such expensive instruments : and I hope I shall clearly con- 

 •fince the amateurs of astronomy, that all the principal and most 

 interesting phsenomena are visible with glasses which are easy 

 to procure, and handy to use ; and that the rationale of tele- 

 scopes has this in common with other sciences, that \\'hat is most 

 worth learning is easiest learned; and is, like all other sciences, 

 reduced to a few clear points. There are not inamj certain truths 

 in this world." 



After paying a just tribute of respect and admiration to the 

 labours of Dr. Herschel, Dr. Kitchener proceeds to describe the 

 various forms and properties of the telescopes now in use, giving 

 the historyof their invention, and noticing the progress of astro- 

 nomy as therewith, connected. 



The follov/ing hints to persons desirous of having a good in- 

 strument may be usefiil to opticians also : 



" Whoever desires to have a perfect and fine instrument, must 

 have at least two sets of specula made : this alone will give the 

 optician a fair chance of doing his best; for such is the extreme 

 uncertainty of obtaining a perfect figure^ that, if their employers- 

 are 



