CONTENTS OF VOLUME I. 



mon Looking-GIasses analyzed. A flattering Glass explained. Metallic Specula. Reflection in 

 Liquids. Image of the Banks of a Lake or River. 



PROSPECTS OF STEAM-NAVIGATION PAGE 267 



Retrospect of Atlantic Steamers. Origin of the Great Western. Cunard Steamers. Can Steam 



Packet Ships be successful ? Difficulties attending their Operation. In a commercial Sense. 

 In a mechanical and nautical Sense. Great Expedition must be given up. Defects of common 

 Paddle-Wheels. Defects of the present Steam- Vessels as applicable to War. Difficulty of long 

 Ocean- Voyages. Ericsson's Propeller. Loper's Propeller. Advantages of Submerged Propel- 

 ler. Method of raising the Propeller out of the Water. Fuel. Form and Arrangement of the 

 proposed Steam Packet-Ships. War-Steamers. The Princeton. Effects to ensue from the new 

 Steamships. Conclusion. 



THE BAROMETER 283 



Maxim of the Ancients. Abhorrence of a Vacuum. Suction. Galileo's Investigations. Torricelli 

 discovers the Atmospheric Pressure. The Barometer. Pascal's Experiment. Requisites for a 

 good Barometer. Means of securing them. Diagonal Barometer. Wheel Barometer. Ver- 

 nier. Uses of the Barometer. Variation of Atmospheric Pressure. Weather- Glasses. Rules in 

 common Use absurd. Correct Rules. Measurement of Heights. Pressure on Bodies. Why 

 not apparent. Effect of a Leather Sucker. How Flies adhere to Ceilings and Fishes to Rocks. 

 Breathing. Common Bellows. Forge Bellows. Vent Peg. Teapot. Kettle. Ink-Bottles. 

 Pneumatic Trough. Gurgling Noise in decanting Wine. 



THE MOON 305 



Popular Interest attached to the Moon. Its Distance. Its Rotation. Same Face always toward 

 the Earth. Its Phases. Its changes of Position with regard to the Sun. Has it an Atmosphere ? 

 Optical Test to determine it. Physical dualities of Moonlight. Is Moonlight warm or 

 cold? Does Water exist on the Moon? Does the Moon influence the Weather? Mode of 

 determining this. Physical Condition of the lunar Surface. Absence of Air and Gases. Ab- 

 sence of Liquids. Appearance of the Earth as -seen from the Moon. Prevalence of Mountains 

 upon it. Their general volcanic Character. Appearance of the Mountain Tycho. Heights of 

 lunar Mountains and Depths of Ravines. Telescopic Views of the Moon by Beer and Madler. 

 Detached Views of the lunar Surface. Condition of a lunar Crater deduced from Analogy. 



HEAT 323 



Heat as a Branch of elementary Physics neglected. Has as strong Claims as Light, Electricity, or 

 Magnetism. Is a universal Agent in Nature. In Art. In Science. Astronomy. Chemistry. 

 In every Situation of Life. Applications of it in Clothing and artificial Warming and Cooling. 

 Lighting. Admits of easy explanation. Dilatation. Examples. Thermometer. Melting and 

 boiling Points. Evaporation. Specific Heat. Heat produced by Compression. Radiation. 

 Conduction. Incandescence. 



THE ATLANTIC STEAM QUESTION 335 



The Project proposed in 1835. Previous Condition of Steam Navigation in Europe. Practicability 

 of the Atlantic Voyage not denied or doubted. Report of the Meeting of the British Association 

 at Bristol. Extract from the London Times. Ocean Voyages for Steamers and sailing Vessels 

 compared. Effect of the westerly Winds in the Atlantic. The British Postoffice Contract 

 necessary for the commercial Success of the Project. Review of the Proceedings since 1837. 

 Cunard Line of Steamers. The Support received by them from the British Postoffice. Total 

 Failure of the Project to establish New York and Liverpool Steam-Liners. Essay on the Ques- 

 tion, " Has Atlantic Steam Navigation been successful?" published in the London Civil Engineer 

 and Architect's Journal. 



GALVANISM 359 



Origin of the Discovery. Galvani Professor at Bologna. Accidental Effect on Frogs. Ignorance 

 of Galvani. His Experiments on the Frog. Accidental Discovery of the Effect of metallic 

 Contact. Animal Electricity. Galvani opposed by Volta. Volta's Theory of Contact prevails. 

 Fabroni's Experiments. Invention of the Voltaic Pile. La Couronne des Tasses. Napoleon s 

 Invitation to Volta. Physiological Effects of the Pile. Anecdote of Napoleon. Decompc 

 of Water. Cruickshank's 'Experiments. Davy commences his Researches. Effect of Chemical 

 Action discovered. Ritter's Secondary Pile. Calorific Effects of the Pile. Hypothesis of 

 Grotthus. Davy's celebrated Bakerian Lecture. Prize awarded him by the French Academy. 

 His Discovery of the Transferring Power of the Pile in chemical Action. His Electro-Chemici 

 Theory. Decomposition of Potash and Soda. New Metals, Potassium and Sodium. Discovery 

 of Barium. Strontium, Calcium, and Magnesium. Rapid Discovery of the other new Metals. 

 Dry Piles. 



THE MOON AND THE WEATHER ; 403 



Ancient Prognostics of Aristotle. Theophrastus, Aratus, Theon, Pliny, Virgil. Recent Pr< 

 Theory of Lunar Attraction not in accordance with popular Opinion. Changes c 

 pared with Changes of the Moon. Prevalence of Rain compared with mnar Phases 

 of the Wind. Height of Barometer compared with lunar Phases. Erroneous Notions of Cycle 

 of nineteen and nine Years. Cycle of four and eight Years mentioned by Pliny. 



PERIODIC COMETS ; J 



Encke's Comet.-Its Period and Orbit. How its Motion shows the Existence 

 Medium This Result corroborated by the Theory of Light Newton s Conject 



