January, 1913. 



KNOWLEDGE. 



31 



Tables of Star Distances, and so on ; IX, Index, quite good; 

 X, Additional maps. 



The whole-page illustrations of Stellar objects are numerous 

 and are scattered through the chapters. The selection of 

 those relating to nebulae has been judicious, representing 

 many of the most striking and well-known types ; as the 

 photographs have been excellently reproduced from the 

 unsurpassed photographs made at the Yerkes Observatory, it 

 is almost needless to say that they are of the best. The 

 night star- maps from pages 38 to 61 are given both in black 

 and white stars on opposite pages, and below each map is 

 added much information for use without and with small instru- 

 mental aid. The chief features of the Sun, Moon, Planets 

 and Comets are given, also with plates from photographs 

 taken at the Mount Wilson, Lowell and Lick Observatories. 

 Chapter VII consists of an alphabetical description of the 

 Constellations, proper names and their pronunciation ; much 

 useful and accurate information has been provided in a small 

 space of twenty-one pages: Webb, Smyth, Ambronn and 

 Harvard Observatory books have been utilized in forming 

 the catalogue. This chapter is followed by another con- 

 taining lists of distances of double and of variable stars, 

 also the photometric magnitudes of the seventy brightest 

 stars ; and at the end is a summary or list of books useful 

 to an astronomical observer. We do not think this portion is 

 so replete with information as the other portions of the book ; 

 we notice that a number of most useful elementary and 

 general books on Astronomy of recent publication are omitted. 



For such a book of information and excellent illustrations 

 the price is quite moderate. There is one objection to the 

 book, and that is the highly-surfaced coated paper upon 



a good index. The author expresses his great indebtedness 

 and gratitude to Mr. H. P. Hollis for his valuable help in 

 instruction, in suggestions, and in the revision of the manuscript. 

 This is a book that all who are interested in transit and time 

 observations should possess. 



F. A. B. 



which the text is printed. 



F. A. B. 



Their Winged Destiny : being a Tale of Two Planets. — 



By D. W. Horner. 240 pages, with a frontispiece, 



7i-in. X 5-in. 



(Simpkin, Marshall & Co. Price 2/- net). 



This is a book of convenient size for the pocket, being 

 nicely printed with good-sized type and on rough laid paper. 

 The author need hardly have remarked in his preliminary 

 note that the narrative was purely imaginary. The tale 

 reminds us of our Jules Verne days. Certain definite scientific 

 facts — this time the airship — are carefully worked in with the 

 author's imagination " run-riot." Sudden difficulties arise 

 and they are just as quickly and easily overcome. A journey 

 is made in the airship to an unknown planet and the return 

 to the Devonshire moors is accomplished in the thirty-third 

 chapter, — some of the more useless members of the party 

 having been left behind on the planet, — when the happy end 

 is achieved in the marriage of the airman and the once 

 little girl. F A B 



Notes on the use of the Portable Reversible Transit 



Instrument. — By C. E. Monro. 60 pages, 2 Plates, 



8 Figures. 8-in. X 5-in. 



(J. D. Potter. Price 3/-.) 



The author made good use of his time by recording notes 

 when he was at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, learning 

 the practical use of a transit instrument for the purpose of 

 longitude determinations. These notes, supplemented by 

 later experience when at Ascension, form the basis and body 

 of this useful little hand-book. The author states that the 

 book is " intended purely for the use of beginners." 



Chapters I-IV. form nearly half the book and deal with the 

 description and principle of the instrument in considerable 

 detail, also with its level and mounting. Chapter V. is concerned 

 with the method of observation. Chapter VI. relates to the 

 reduction of the observations ; this chapter with appendices 

 II to V. constitutes the most important part of the book; the 

 forms and methods of reduction are those in use at Greenwich. 

 A theoretical explanation of the reduction of transit observa- 

 tions is given in Appendix I. There are two plates and eight 

 diagrams to aid the explanations. Pages three and four contain 



CHEMISTRY. 



Modem Research in Organic Chemistry. — By F. G. Pope, 

 B.Sc. (Lond.) 324 pages. 261 illustrations. 7 { -in. X 4^ -in. 



(Methuen & Co. Price 7/6.) 



In no branch of chemistry has greater advance been made 

 through the application of pregnant hypotheses, than in the 

 study of the compounds of carbon. Until about half a century 

 ago all was confusion, and it was not until the theory of 

 organic radicles had been proved workable that order began 

 to develop out of an accumulated mass of apparently 

 unrelated details, and that organic chemistry was shown to be 

 as capable of systematic treatment as was the inorganic branch 

 of the science. The series of brilliant researches which laid 

 the foundations of the structural formulae of carbon com- 

 pounds formed another stage in the advance, and now we 

 have reached the stage of establishing the relationship between 

 physical properties and the structure of different bodies. 



All these successive steps in the development of organic 

 chemistry are sketched in an interesting preface to the book, 

 by Dr. J. T. Hewitt, and this forms a fitting introduction to 

 the subjects of which the text treats. 



The book is conveniently divided into chapters dealing with 

 the work that has been done in connection with different 

 classes of compounds, such as the polymethylenes, terpenes 

 and camphors, the uric acid group, and the alkaloids. There 

 is also an interesting chapter upon the relationship between 

 colour and the constitution of chemical compounds. Although 

 much work has been done in this direction, there are still 

 numerous instances where no such relationship has been 

 discovered. In the author's opinion, however, it is not 

 improbable that even in such cases as these further investiga- 

 tion may show that certain molecular groupings are associated 

 with the particular vibrations giving the impressions of certain 

 , colours. 



Research will also probably prove fruitful in establishing a 

 relationship between physiological properties and chemical 

 constitution, and in a future edition of the book a chapter 

 upon this aspect of the subject might with advantage be 

 added. 



The work is well illustrated with diagrams, and, as is 

 essential in a book of the kind, gives full references to the 

 original papers. It is not intended to be an elementary text 

 book, but to the research student it should prove an invaluable 

 companion. Q A M _ 



Industrial and Manufacturing Chemistry [Organic). — 

 By Geoffrey Martin, Ph. D., M. Sc. Assisted by 



Specialists. 726 pages. 249 illustrations. 10-in. X6£-in. 

 (Crosby Lockwood & Son. Price 21/- net.) 



The name of Dr. Martin will be familiar to the readers of 

 " Knowledge," and its occurrence on the title-page of a 

 book is of itself presumptive evidence that the work will be 

 interesting and well written. 



The aim of this book is quite different from that of Allen's 

 " Organic Analysis," for its object is to give a clear outline of 

 the numerous manufacturing processes based upon organic 

 chemistry, together with some details of the methods used in 

 the examination of the different products — sufficient to follow 

 the meaning of an analytical report, though not for the making 

 of an analysis. 



The extent of ground covered may be gathered from the 

 fact that it deals with industries as far apart as the making 

 of soap and the brewing of beer, or the manufacture of 

 artificial perfumes and the preservation of timber. Chemistry 

 is now so much a matter of specialisation that no man can 

 hope to have a thorough knowledge of more than one or two 

 branches, and the chief author and editor has therefore very 



