June 1, 1896.] 



KNOWLEDGE. 



135 



these illustrations basiusa they are the nearest to the 

 object the position of which is required, and it will be 

 understood that the same result could have been obtained 

 by usini; instead of them any other two of the fiducial 

 marked on the photograph. The fiiucial star (:•:) is 

 Y Sacfittarii, which is variable between .5-8 and 66 

 magnitude. 



A Table 

 For converting the measured Riffht Ascensions of the Stars 

 shown on the Photographs ( which are to the scale of 

 1 millime:re to 24 seconds of arc I into intervals of 

 time at each Degree in Declination between the 

 Equator and the Pole. 



Editokial Note. — The August and September numbers 

 of Knowledge, it is hoped, will contain illustrated articles 

 on the Total Eclipse of the Sun. These articles will be 

 written by Mr. E. Walter Maunder, F.R.A.S., who has 

 arranged to visit Norway on board the Norse King, to 

 observe the eclipse. 



Noticc g of IS ooltg. 



Popular Telescopic Astronomy. By A. Fowler, A.R.C.S., 

 F.R.A.S. (G. Philip & Son.) Illustrated. 2s. There 

 are many who would procure a telescope and direct it 

 heavenwards, but they think that a small instrument is 

 incapable of bringing good views within the vision of an 

 observer. They forget that Galileo's telescope was no 

 better than one which can now bo purchased for a couple 

 of shillings ; yet he discovered with it the phases of 

 Venus, the stellar constitution of the Milky Way, and four 

 moons of Jupiter. Large instruments have their functions, 

 but there is plenty of work for possessors of smaller ones, 

 and, even if no remarkable discoveries are made, the 

 increased knowledge derived from observation will bring 

 untold satisfaction. With such a guide to the heavens as 

 this of Mr. Fowler's, an observer will soon find his way 

 about the constellations. Of orderly construction, clear 



composition, and trustworthy character, the book is an 

 ideal companion for students beginning the outdoor study 

 of astronomy. Less than twenty pages are taken up with 

 descriptions by the guidance of which a workable two-inch 

 achromatic telescope can be constructed ; the remainder 

 of the book is concerned with the sun, moon, planets, 

 and stars. We confidently anticipate a successful career 

 for a volume possessing all the features required in an 

 introduction to observational astronomy. 



An Introduction to the Study of Seaweeds. By George 

 Murray, F.R.S E., F.L.S. (Macmillan.) lUustrated. 

 7s. 6d. Many people, actuated by aesthetic considerations, 

 collect and preserve seaweeds, and others do so because 

 they like to possess collections, and think that algie are as 

 worthy objects of attention as postage stamps. The student 

 is distinct from both these classes ; for he collects speci- 

 mens for the purpose of inquiring into their characteristics 

 and discovering their relationships to one another. This 

 book is intended for such seekers after knowledge, and it 

 possesses all the attributes of a good test-book, being 

 trustworthy, clear, and a true image of the present state 

 of the subject treated. In the opening chapter, Mr. 

 Murray gives an admirable review of the growth of know- 

 ledge of "the flora of the sea," and equipped with the facts 

 therein contained students wUl be in a position to take a 

 clearer and broader view of the subject than if they were 

 launched at once among descriptions of species. A list 

 of selected books and papers on marine algie follows the 

 introduction, and the remainder of the volume is taken up 

 with descriptions of the various orders of the five sub- 

 classes. 



Our Country's Butttrjlies and Motli.<i, nnd How to Know 

 Tlu-m. By W. J. Gordon. Illustrated. (Day & Son.) 

 Although an extraordinary number of books have been 

 published during the last twelve months on the British 

 lepidoptera, yet they are all quite different, and each one 

 seems to have its use. The object of the book now before 

 us is to pro\ide a handy means for identifying specimens. 

 It aims neither at classification nor at elaborate description. 

 The chief means of identifying specimens by this book lies, 

 therefore, in its illustrations. These consist of a thousand 

 coloured examples by Mr. H. Lynn. Considering their 

 number and the small size of the book these are good on 

 the whole, but we fear that the novice wUl never be able 

 to identify some of his specimens from them, the colouring 

 in many instances being much at fault. The book is well 

 arranged, however, and should prove useful to the young 

 collector. 



Furs and Fur Garments, By Richard Davey. (The 

 Roxburghe Press.) Illustrated. This little book affords 

 both interesting and instructive reading. It deals with 

 the history of furs as garments from the earliest times up 

 to the present, and dwells at considerable length on the fur 

 garments worn by royal and noted persons of different 

 countries and times. The history of the fur trade and of 

 a good many of the fur-bearing animals is also included, 

 as well as the mode of procuring and preparing the skins. 

 The illustrations are excellent, and the book forms a 

 valuable record. 



Th. Artist. (Constable.) The May Number of this 

 monthly is a positive triumph, whether considered from 

 an artistic, literary, or tochnioal point of view. Its motto 

 seems to be " thoroughness." In its own line wo do not 

 know a better work, and it should be in the hands of all 

 who concern themselves in art matters. The supplement, 

 "The Harvest of the Studios," with its wealth of fine 

 reproductions, makes this number a truly wonderful six- 

 pennyworth. 



