216 NATURE [ Dec. 23, 1869 
structure of sun spots, the fact being that Father Secchi} with the timid, feeble, faith-lacking tone of many of 
has only clumsily followed in the footsteps of others, and } the more modern orthodox. 
has contradicted himself in the process. We might have Besides the star-maps and key-maps, specimens of which 
expected also a little notice of the bearing of the recent | we give, there are excellent telescopic views of the star-clus- 
work on the theories of the constitution of the sun and | ter in Perseus, the moon, comets, &c.,and drawings of Sir 
W. Herschel’s forty-foot re- 
flecting telescope, the Royal 
Observatory in Flamsteed’s 
time and to-day, the great 
Equatorial in the Royal Ob- 
servatory, and of many more 
interesting subjects either 
astronomical in themselves 
or connected in some way 
with the science. From 
these we have chosen an 
stars, and of the new theory, 
based on that work, which 
has been put forward. 
But enough of criticism. 
No; we have a little more. 
We think the last chapter 
out of place, or at all events 
very unhappy in its treat- 
ment, and we believe that 
Bishop Hall would have 
thought so too, and we com- 
mend the following extract exquisite wood-cut repre- 
from his Contemplations * ; a senting a meteoric shower 
to the attention of the Re- : SES 2 Draco ios as seen off Cape Florida. 
ligious Tract Society :— BW eds Noone SS 2 Draconis 4 We know no better way of 
“Human learning, well im- : : : ie giving our readers an idea 
proved, makes us capable of of these splendid pheno- 
Divine. There is no know- mena visible so rarely, than 
ledge whereof God is not re by placing this plate before 
the author: He would never them. With our ordinary ex- 
_have bestowed any, that perience of meteor showers, 
should lead us away from Himself. /¢ 2s an ignorant \ even including the brilliant one of 1866, it is almost im- 
conceit, that inguiry into nature should make men | possible to believe that such a splendid sight should ever 
atheistical.” "This remarkable passage contrasts strongly | have been realised, but the many published accounts 
which we have, leave no doubt that here also Nature had 
* Vol ii. Book I. p. 25 beggared description, F.R.S. 
