236 



NATURE 



{Jan. II, 1877 



these signs with hours and days ; on the other side is 

 shown the movement of the planets around the sun. It 

 is worked by means of a clockwork mechanism in the 

 interior, and is made to indicate the days, months, 

 and years. In other rooms are shown the curious 

 Arab zodiac represented in Fig. 3, and a French astro- 

 labe (Fig. 4) made by Frangois Chassignet, and of date 



Rome, 1622. Another interesting object is a facsimile 

 map of the world, painted on parchment by order of 

 Henri II. (1547-15 59). Some critics, among others M. 

 D'Anezac, date it as far back as the time of Francois I. 

 (1515-47). In Fig. 6 we have reproduced a portion of 

 South America after this curious document. 

 Among other objects is a facsimile of the well-known 



Fig. 6. — North-east region of South America (i6th c ). 



globe ot Martin Behaim, of date 1492, the original of 

 which is at Nuremberg. This globe is extremely curious, 

 specially on account of the lacuna in the region where 

 America should be, that continent not having been dis- 

 covered when the globe was made. An idea of the con- 

 tents of this globe may be obtained from the illustration, 

 F'g- 5- There is also the only known copy of the cele- 



brated map of the world of Sebastian Cabot, of date 1544. 

 A valuable legend in Latin and Spanish informs us, 

 among other things, that John and Sebastian Cabot 

 landed on the new continent in 1494. 



Such are a few of the objects exhibited in this extremely 

 interesting and instructive collection. No doubt many 

 of our readers will be glad to know of its existence, and 



