NATURE 
489 
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 1899. 
iGEIPSES. 
The Indian Eclipse, 1898. Edited by E. W. Maunder, 
F.R.A.S. Pp. xii +172. (London: Hazell, Watson, 
and Viney, 1899.) 
The Story of Eclipses. By G. F. Chambers, F.R.A.S. 
Pp. viii + 259. (London: George Newnes, 1899.) 
OTWITHSTANDING the fact that the totally 
eclipsed sun can only be observed for something 
like three hours in a century, an extensive literature 
dealing with the phenomena has come into existence. 
Two distinct branches of the subject may be recognised 
—one referring chiefly to past eclipses, which have their 
principal use in chronology, and the other bearing upon 
the more recent eclipses, in which attempts to extend 
our knowledge of the sun itself have taken the place of 
superstitious fear. Of the two books named above, the 
first belongs to the latter category, while the other is 
apparently intended to give a simple survey of the whole 
subject. 
The first book forms the report of the two expeditions 
organised by the British Astronomical Association to 
observe the total eclipse of January 22, 1898, and gives 
an account of the objects and results of the observations 
made. The organisation of the expedition, combining 
science with pleasure, appears to have been in capable 
hands, and the Association is to be congratulated on 
the fact that some of those who took part in the observ- 
ations gave the first place to science. Mr. Maunder’s 
party at Talni was especially active, but Mr. Bacon’s 
party appears to have arrived at Buxar too late to under- 
take anything very serious. The duplication of results, 
which - inevitably followed from the fact that the 
eclipse was well visible to observers all along the line, to 
a certain extent reduces the value of the work at any par- 
ticular station, each party probably being able to claim 
but little in the way of novel results which would not 
otherwise have been brought to light. Thusit is that the 
more specially valuable results of these expeditions are 
those obtained by Mr. Evershed and Mrs. Maunder— 
the former with the ultra-violet region of his photographs 
of the so-called “flash” and coronal spectra, and the 
latter indicating the best means of photographing the 
long extensions of the corona. Miscellaneous observ- 
ations of the usual character are included in the report, 
as well as a chapter of hints for future work. No effort 
has been spared to make the report attractive; the 
general story of the expeditions forms very interesting 
reading, and the explanatory matter is very clear and 
concise, while the numerous illustrations from photo- 
graphs—not all of scientific value, however—are 
beautifully reproduced. The chief scientific interest 
undoubtedly belongs to Mr. Evershed’s fine photographs, 
taken with a very modest prismatic camera, and the full 
discussion of these wlll doubtless yield valuable results. 
Mr. Chambers’s book has been written primarily for the 
benefit of the English-speaking people who may expect to 
witness the phenomena of the total eclipse of May 28, 
1900, in Spain or the United States. A very small part, 
however, is given to the information which seems to us 
what the average probable observer will desire to know 
NO. 1560, VOL. 60] 
the greater part of the book being a sort of descriptive 
catalogue of eclipses, ancient and modern, including 
lunar eclipses. A complete want of proportion is, in 
fact, shown throughout ; for instance, more than a dozen 
pages are taken up by an attempt to prove that the back- 
ward motion of the shadow on the dial of Ahaz was 
caused by a partial eclipse, while only two pages are 
given to the three important eclipses of 1893, 1896, and 
1898. The author appears to have entirely failed to- 
grasp the enormous advances which have lately beem 
made, and leaves his readers in complete ignorance of 
the more important observations which now occupy 
the attention of astronomers during eclipses ; thus, 
less than a single page is occupied by references to 
the spectroscope, and most of the statements made are 
now known to be erroneous. Finally, in his desire to- 
satisfy the thirst for knowledge which it is one of the 
main objects of this series of books to create, the author 
refers almost entirely to works which comparatively few 
will be able to read, and quite omits to mention even the 
late Mr. Ranyard’s classical compilation. The only 
redeeming features of the book, bearing in mind its more 
particular aim, are the thirty-three pages of matter 
describing the general phenomena of a total eclipse, and 
the appendix indicating how one may get to Spain or 
Portugal for the next eclipse. 
A FRENCH WRITER ON CLASSIFICATION. 
Aperwus de Taxinomte Générale. Par J.-P. Durand. 
(de Gros). Pp. 265. (Paris: Félix Alcan, 1899.) 
| ese scientific worker who takes in hand the task. 
of classifying the objects of his study comes thereby 
into relation with the domain of logic and metaphysics. 
Whether this be done consciously or unconsciously, the 
classifier cannot avoid raising and dealing with questions. 
which are the concern of philosophy as well as of physical 
science. The author of the book before us, starting from 
the position that all taxinomy (which form he prefers, on 
etymological grounds, to the more usual “taxonomy ”) 
must conform to logical requirements, proceeds to give a 
careful and elaborate analysis of the principles of logical 
division so far as they are involved in the classifications. 
of science. To this he adds a free criticism, mainly from, 
the logical point of view, of the labours of scientific 
taxinomists ; and in the last place he furnishes some 
suggestions for the guidance of future workers in the 
same field. His preliminary analysis, if not very pro- 
found in its reasoning, is marked by the lucidity and 
good sense so constantly to be met with in writers of his 
nation. It does not add very much, except in clearness 
and fulness of treatment, to what is to be found in most 
standard works on logic, nor does it always avoid insist- 
ing at considerable length on the trite and obvious. 
This, however, evidently arises from the anxiety of the 
author to make himself thoroughly understood, and to 
allow no omission or ambiguity in the steps of his argu- 
ment. He has certainly succeeded in expressing him- 
self so clearly that whatever may be thought of his 
doctrine, no mistake can arise as to his meaning. 
With regard to the critical portion of the work, it must 
be granted that most of the author’s strictures are, from 
his own point of view, well founded. Nevertheless, it may 
be questioned whether the logical blots he contrives to_hit 
We 
