80 
NATURE 
[Nov. 18, 1869 
why he also is not taught something about these strange 
and beautiful works of God, and something of the science 
which investigates them, instead of the mispronounced 
Latin and Greek, in learning which (and most imperfectly) 
he spends the ten or twelve golden years of youth. He 
will receive for answer (or rather he will soon learn to 
answer himself) that those who have the monopoly of 
education know nothing of these matters, and therefore 
cannot teach them ; while those who do know about them 
are not asked to teach them, because they will not pay 
in an examination. But that discovery may make him 
resolve, for the sake of his children or his younger 
brothers, to do what in him lies when he grows up, to 
alter radically the course of instruction now pursued in 
almost every boys’ school in these islands; in which case 
this book, and others like it, will not have been published 
in vain. C, KINGSLEY 
BARFF’S HANDBOOK _OF CHEMISTRY 
An Introduction to Scientifie Chemistry, designed for 
the use of Schools, and Candidates for University 
Matriculation Examinations. By F.S. Barff, M.A. 
Second Edition. Fcap. 8vo. pp. xv. and 315, with 
woodcuts, price 4s. (London: Groombridge.) 
HE rapid progress of experimental discovery is in itself 
an obstacle to the elementary teaching of any scientific 
subject. Nowhere has the truth of this observation been 
more frequently attested than in chemistry, a science 
which, during the present century, has had a more 
brilliant, or at least a more active, career than any of 
its old companions. We cannot, therefore, be surprised 
that the superior attractions of research have so far 
had a depreciating influence on the dogmatic department 
of this study, that many chemical manuals are meagre, 
partial, or unsystematic. It is true that a large number 
of such books has appeared during the last few years, 
under the powerful stimulus of an increasing demand for 
chemical education ; but their general character is such 
as we have assigned, and the composition of a treatise 
for the use of school-boys seems to have been in many 
cases shelved, as either too humble or too great a task 
for an author. 
Such considerations induce us to welcome very cor- 
dially the little handbook which Mr. Barff has just 
republished. The first edition must be too well known, 
and too fresh in the memory of many of our readers 
to render any detailed reference to the present one 
necessary. The writer's efforts have evidently been di- 
rected towards attaining as much as possible of both 
clearness and brevity in exposition ; but his tendency to 
avoid speculative assumptions is still more meritorious. 
No one is more sceptical than a boy ; no one more diffi- 
cult to convince by experiment of the truth of a theory. 
The teacher will therefore economise his time in the most 
useful manner by putting before his class only the simpler 
practical illustrations in which he knows he can succeed, 
and but a few of the most general and securely established 
laws. Hence Mr. Barff has boldly, but very judiciously, 
postponed the entire discussion of formulz and symbols 
to the concluding portion of his work, using in its former 
part only absolute units of weight and measure—which, 
of course, have the advantage over the usual abstract 
numbers, that an audience can see and handle them, 
The nomenclature is that first systematised by Berzelius, 
and introduced into this country by Professor Williamson ; 
it has also been adopted of late in the examinations of the 
University of London. 
The method of imparting elementary instruction in 
chemistry is, as we have indicated, neither mature nor on 
the point of attainment. But whatever course may 
ultimately be decided upon, we can hardly doubt that it 
will include Mr. Barff’s fundamental principle. Mean- 
while this little volume, with its business-like spirit and 
undeniable accomplishment of its design, deserves the 
general and hearty commendation of teachers. 
LS fo ETE 
= 
OUR BOOK SHELF 
Contribution to Climatology.—AVimatologische Beitrige, 
By Professor A. W. Dove. (Berlin, 1869.) 
ISOTHERMAL Charts like those published by Professor 
Dove in 1864 derive their chief interest from the fact that 
they permit a birds-eye view of the great climatological 
features of the globe, but they are of comparatively little 
value to the meteorologist, unless accompanied by the 
numerical data on which they are founded. ‘These are 
now supplied by the publication of the present volume, 
which, however, contains also a great deal of matter of 
interest to the intellectual community generally. The 
introductory remarks to the tables on the climate of 
Western Europe, and on non-periodical meteorological 
phenomena, will show that the distinguished author has 
just claims to be considered the greatest master of meteoro- 
logical generalisations. B. L. 
Wonders of Italian Art.—By Louis Viardot. Small 8vo. 
Pp. 257. Illustrated with photographs and engravings. 
(Sampson Low & Co.) 
IF photographs were not children of the sun, and if artists 
were not sometimes—like Leonardo da Vinci—men of 
science, and would always work the better for a knowledge 
of it, and if scientific men were not among those who can 
most highly appreciate works of art, this book would hardly 
come within our programme. It is a beautiful book, full 
of beautiful photographs and engravings of the best and 
most typical pictures of the Italian school, and one 
altogether refreshing to look upon. We should also add, 
that it is translated from the “ Bibliothéque des Mer- 
veilles,” which contains so many works on science. 
Astronomical Publications.—1. Astronomische Mittheil- 
lungen von der Koniglischen Sternwarte zu Gottingen. 
(Gottingen, 1869.) 2. Sammlung von Hilfstafeln der 
Berliner Sternwarte. By W. Foerster. (Berlin, 1869.) 
THE first publication is an account of some recent astro- 
nomical labours at the Observatory in Géttingen, and 
contains the results of observations with the meridian 
circle in zone o° and 1°, made in accordance with the 
well-known scheme of a zone revision so successfully 
initiated and established by English and Continental 
astronomers. The volume, which deserves in every re- 
spect the special attention of star observers, contains the 
mean places of stars up to the ninth magnitude, reduced 
to 1875.0. A new method of calculating the determina- 
tions of time, originally proposed by Gauss, has been for 
the first time made use of by the observers. It is shown 
at page ix. of the Introduction, and will be found of the 
highest merit. 
The Berlin publication contains a set of tables for the 
routine business of the Observatory. Although calcu- 
lated with reference to the local circumstances of the 
Berlin establishment, they are likely to be instructive 
elsewhere, their arrangement being extremely compact 
and at the same time lucid. Bol. 
