528 



♦ KNOV/LEDGE ♦ 



[June 19, 1885. 



aboki-fi velustas " — than the great departed philosopher to 

 whom this poor homage was rendered. 



" It would seem," says the Astronomer Royal in his 

 report to the Board of Visitors of the Royal Observatory, 

 on June G (page 10), "that the maximum both of sun- 

 spots and facuke occurred about the end of 1883 or begin- 

 ning of 1881." And again (p. 11), "the rainfall of 1884 

 was 18-0 inches, being about 7 inches below the average of 

 the last forty years." I would commend the study of these 

 utterances of Mr. Christie to the lecturer who not very 

 long since presumed upon the ignorance of a working-class 

 audience at the Victoria Hall, by repeating, parrot-like, the 

 dictum of a notorious member of the Solar Physics Com- 

 mittee there. 



Among the vexake qi((rstiones of geology, the precise 

 manner in which coal was formed has always held a 

 prominent place. The last light which has been shed upon 

 this much-disputed question comes to us from the researches 

 of Mr. Edward Wethered, who, from an elaborate series of 

 microscopical observations of coal from Cannock Chase, the 

 Edinburgh Whitehill Colliery, &c., has arrived at the con- 

 clusion that the fossil trees so familiar to botanists grew in 

 the coal, but did not form it, and that it really " was of 

 aquatic habit, growing in a manner similar to modern bogs, 

 though of much larger extent." Every one interested in 

 the subject should consult Mr. Wethered's paper itself in 

 the June number of the " .Journal of the Royal Micro- 

 scopical Society." 



I AM almost afraid to advert here to the fact that on this 

 day 670 years — in other words, on June 19th, 1215— 

 Magna Charta was signed, lest some silly country clergy- 

 man should write next week and assail me for covertly 

 attacking the divine right of kings by doing so. One of 

 these odd days, I will be even with these gentry, and 

 retaliate by printing a specimen of their preposterous 

 •communications in extenso. 



BrbietDS* 



SOME BOOKS ON OUR TABLE. 



A Lump of Gold, from the Mine to the Mint. By 

 Alexander Watt. (London : A. Johnston. 1885.) — 

 The work whose title heads this notice forms one of the 

 companion volumes to the "Lumps of Iron" by the same 

 author, which we reviewed on p. 370 of Volume V. 

 Commencing with a short history of gold, from its first- 

 recorded occurrence in the land of Havilah, Mr. Watt, in 

 the \])o6k before us, goes on to give an account of the 

 alchemists and their efforts to transmute the baser metals. 

 He then enters into the mineralogy and metallurgy of gold, 

 and gives an account of the processes of assaying and 

 coining the precious metal. Then a chapter on jewellers' 

 alloys is followed by one on gold-beating ; as is that in 

 turn by another on its uses in the arts. After this the 

 chemistry of gold is treated of, as is subsequently the com- 

 position of the various imitations of it. A collection of 

 notes and anecdotes on the subject completes the volume, 

 which is at once interesting and instructive. 



The 2Iahdi, Past and Present. By Professor James 

 Darmesteter. (London : T. Fisher XJnwin. 1885.) — 

 " The Mahdi " has become such a household word in the 

 mouth of every reader of current newspaper literature that 



the very interesting little book whose title heads this notice 

 should surely address a very extensive public indeed. 

 Professor Darmesteter traces the origin of the idea of a 

 Mahdi from its inception, and gives succinct histories of 

 the various impostors and fanatics who have arisen from 

 time to time to play that role in the World of Islam; con- 

 cluding with an account of Mohammed Ahmed, whose star 

 is seemingly beginning to wane in the Soudan. The com- 

 parative theologian will find much to ponder over in this 

 small volume, which has been admirably translated from the 

 original French by Miss Ada S. Ballin; who also contributes 

 some notes and an appendix which is far from being the 

 least interesting part of the work. It is difticult to read 

 unmoved the account of the siege of Khartoum with which 

 she concludes. When time removes this pitiable story 

 from the obscuring influence of party polemics, and it 

 becomes history, the desertion of that most gallant Chris- 

 tian Hero, Gordon, by the English Government must cover 

 them with ineradicable infamy. 



Walks in Ejij^ing Forest. By Percy Lindley. (London : 

 123, Fleet-street. 1885.) — Mr. Lindley has succeeded in 

 producing a book which, when we regard its almost 

 nominal cost, can only be described as a surprising one. 

 The geology, topography, antiquities, and arti-stic beauties 

 of Epping Forest are treated of as fully as they can be for 

 the tourist's purpose ; and a large number of really excel- 

 lent and picturesque engravings of the most beautiful 

 views and interesting objects within its boundaries, to- 

 gether with a capital map, adorn the small volume before 

 us. Every Londoner should buy Mr. Lindley's extraor- 

 dinarily cheap guide forthwith, and learn how much that is 

 wild and beautiful, as well as historically interestiog, there 

 is within half-an-hour's railway journey of the metropolis. 



l^hort Essays, Original and Selected. (London : Moffatt 

 & Paige. ) — This is a series of essays intended as models for 

 the unfortunate youths who have to furnish such themes in 

 their " exams ; " and it seems sufllciently well adapted for 

 this purpose. The concluding chapter on " Faulty Expres- 

 sion " may be profitably consulted by a considerable pro- 

 portion of the letter-writers of the present day. 



Xohodijs Boy, by Daniel Darlinghurst. (London : 

 Jarrold & Sons.) — If we were asked to give, in the fewest 

 possible words, an idea of Mr. Darlinglmrst's tale, we 

 should say, borrowing a phrase from the microscopist, that 

 it was like one of Dr. Barnardo's stories magnified about 

 twelve diameters. 



Memoir of Daniel Cooper. By J. M. Weylland. 

 (London : Morgan k Scott. 1885.) — This is the biography 

 of a man, who, apparently beginning life as a linendraper's 

 shopman, ultimately turned his attention to the conversion 

 of women leading a sinful life. The style and character of 

 the book may be pretty well grasped from this indication 

 of its subject. 



Erratum. — At page 507, first column, in the last line but two of 

 Mr. Clodd'a review of " Prehistoric America," " anthochthonous " 

 should have been printed "autochthonous." 



Taking Down a Chimney. — A mill chimney in the Ijuited States 

 was recently t.aken down in the following manner : — The proximity 

 of buildings limited it to falling in one direction. About eight feet 

 from the gi'ound a recess was cut across the side of the chimney 

 and heavy timber shores braced against the chimney. The 

 chimney was cut away beneath the side supported by this 

 timber. Holes were bored in the timber midway between the 

 ends and illuminating coal-oil poured into these holes until the 

 timber was thoroughly impregnated with oil. It was then set on 

 fire, and when too weak to support the load of half the chimney it 

 fell in the desired direction. — Emjineering. 



