334 



SCIENCE 



[Vol. XVII. No. 436 



must aflfeot the next contiguous one, and so on ad infinitum, and 

 change the result. 



So, taking his illustration of the action of sand grains, not one 

 of them is bound, nor are they likely ever, in an eternity of shak- 

 ing, to take again the identical position that they have once as- 

 sumed, because there is not supposed or suggested any cause 

 guiding them to it. There is an infinite number of other positions 

 equally possible and likely, — an infinite number can never be ex- 

 hausted. And, further, sand grains or atoms have not, like the 

 dice, one fixed plane on which they must rest : the number of 

 planes which they may occupy is unlimited. 



In his dice illustration he limited the repetition to the one cir- 

 cumstance of numbers uppermost; whereas, had he taken into 

 account lateral position and distance apart, — all of which, and 

 much more, he must do before he is fully prepared for the rehabili- 

 tation of Julius Csesar in his ancient glory, — his reasoning would 

 not apply, even to the dice. 



The former exact position or motion of an atom can have no in- 

 flaence to cause it to be repeated, hence all — conceivable or ineon- 

 ceivable — combinations must be equally possible, equally probable, 

 equally certain ; where then is the suggested improbability that 

 the molecules constituting the author's body " once filled a bung- 

 hole," or, indeed, not once only, but an infinite number of times? 

 Some atoms had to fill it, why not those ? This point needs eluci- 

 dation, or we must hold that, according to his "iron logic of 

 modern dynamics," — which he seems for the moment to have lost 



sight of, — these very atoms must take their turn at the bung-hole 

 from time to time, as weU as the rest. 



The great Solomon, the wisest man that ever lived or ever shall 

 live, erred for once in his oft-quoted doctrine, " There is nothing / 

 new under the sun," inasmuch as he should have said, "There is 

 nothing oW under the sun;" i.e., no combination of things, cir- 

 cumstances, or conditions which ever — precisely — occurred be- 

 fore, or which is absolutely identical with those at any preceding 

 epoch. " The thing that hath been is [not exactly] that which 

 shall be." 



Hence it plainly appears that the recurrence of the same entire 

 range of conditions, which, to the minutest particular and through- 

 out the universe, is requisite to the reproduction of former struc- 

 tures and actions, is as certain never to take place, as is the same 

 epoch, the identical moment of time, certain never to return. 



"W. H. Pratt. 



Minneapolis, Minn., June 5. 



AMONG THE PUBLISHERS. 



The custom of publishing college exercises, which has lately 

 come into vogue, threatens to flood the country with a mass of 

 inferior literature. Several colleges have already adopted the 

 custom ; and now Columbia follows their example, with a series 

 of " Studies in History, Economics, and Public Law," which, vve 

 are informed, " will be chosen mainly from among the doctors' 



A SYSTEM OF 



EASY LETTERING. 



By J. H. CROIttTrEIili, Pli.B. 



Twenty- six different forms of Alphabets. The 

 space to be lettered is divided into squares, and 

 with these as a guide the different letters are drawn 

 and inked. -Price, 50 cents, postpaid. 



E, & F. N. SPON, 12 Cortlandt Street, New York. 



HANDBOOK OF METEOROLOGICAL TABLES. 



By Asst. Prof. H. A. Hazen. 

 127 pp. 8°. 



Professor Waldo says : "I heartily recom- 

 mend them to all workers in meteorology, 

 and do not see how any of our American 

 meteorologiats can afford to be without a 

 copy." 



Professor Symons of London says ; ' ' They 

 are unquestionably valuable helps, which 

 must be kept handy, and replaced when 

 worn out." 



Frice, postpaid, $1. 



N. D. C. HODGES, 11 Lafayette PL, New York. 



OFWHATUSEISTHATPLANT? 



You can find the answer in 



SMITH'S " DICTIONARY OF 

 ECONOMIC PLANTS." 



Sent postaid on receipt of $3.80. Publish- 

 er's price, $3.50. 



SCIENCE BOOK AGENCY, 



47 liafayette Place, Nevr Yorfe 



JVIanascripts prepared for printers; 



Proof-reading, revising, and all work prepara- 

 tory to publl^ing, done; 



Sliortliaiid dictations accurately taken; 



Type-"ivritiug correctly, neatly, and tastefully 

 executed,— by one specially trained in the work, 

 and who has had a long practical experience in 

 all kinds of book-work. 



Scientific Work, a Specialty. Correspondence 

 solicited. 



Reference: Editor of Science. 



H. A. ANDREWS, care "Science," 



47 Lafayette Place, New York. 



THE WEEK, 



A Canadian Journal of Politics, Literature, Science 



and Art. 



PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY. 



$3.00 per Year. $i.oo for Four Months. 



THE WEEK has entered on Its EIGHTH year of 

 publication, greatly Improved in every respect, 

 rendering it more worthy the cordial support of 

 every one Interested in the maintenance of a first- 

 class literary Journal. 



The independence in politics and criticism which 

 has characterized THE WEEK ever since its first 

 Issue will be rigidly maintained ; and unceasing ef- 

 forts will be made to Improve its literary character 

 and increase Its attractiveness as a Journal for the 

 cultured home. Many new and able writers are 

 now, or have promised to become, contributors to 

 its columns, and the constant aim of the Publisher 

 wlU be to make THE WSiEK fully equal to the best 

 literary journals in Britain and the United States. 



As heretofore, Prof, Goldwin Smith will, from 

 time to time, contribute articles. London, Paris, 

 Washington and Montreal letters from accomplished 

 correspondents will appear at regular intervals. 

 Special Ottawa Letters will appear during the ses- 

 sions of Parliament. 



THE WEEK being the same size as " Harper's 

 Weekly,'' is the largest paper of its class on the 

 continent. 



SEND FOR FREE SAMPLE COPY. 



C. BLACKER ROBINSON, Publisher, 



5 J6rdan St., Toronto, Canada. 



THE 



AMERICAN GEOLOGIST FOR 1891 



AND 



BIEH'S NEW ATLAS OF THE METROPOLI- 

 TAN DISTRICT, 



will be given to BJew Suhscribers to the 



Geologist for $25.00 (which is the regular 

 price of the Atlas alone) , if ordered through 

 the Glologist. 



For other premiums see the Geologist for 

 Nov., Dec, and Jan. Address 



THE GEOLOGICAL PUBLISHING COMPANY, 



ITlinueapolis, Minn, 



THE BOTANICAL GAZETTE. 



A monthly illustrated journal of botany in 



all its departments. 



25 cents a number, $2.50 a year. 



Address PUBLISHERS BOTANICAL GAZETTE, 



CratvfordsTllIe, Ind. 



Publications of the University of Pennsylvania. 



SERIES IN 



Philology, Literature and 

 Archaeology. 



1. Poetic and Verse Criticism of the Reign of Eliza- 



beth. By Felix E. Schelling, A.M., Assistant 

 Professor of English Literature. $1.00. 



2. A Fragment of the Babylonian '• Dibbarra"'^ Epic. 

 By Morris Jastrow, Jr., Ph.D., Professor of 

 Arabic. 60 cents. 



3. a. Up6^ -with the Accusative, b. Note on a Pas, 

 sage in the Antigone. By William A. Lamberton 

 A.M., Professor of the Greek Language and Lit- 

 erature. 50 cents. 



4. The Gambling Games of the Chinese in America. 

 P4n t^n and PAk kdp piti. By Stewart Culin, 

 Secretary of the Museum of Archeology and 

 Palaeontology. 40 cents. 



In preparation. 

 The Terrace at Persepolis. By Morton W. Easton, 



Ph.D., Professor of Comparative Philology. 

 An Aztec Manuscript. By Daniel G. Brinton, M.D., 



Professor of American Archaeology and Linguis- 

 tics. 

 A Monograph on the Tempest. By Horace Howard 



Fiirness, Ph.D., LL.D. 

 Recent Archjeological Explorations in New Jersey. 



^y Charles C. Abbott, M.D , Curator of the 



American Collections. 

 ArchEeological Notes in Northern Morocco. By Tal- 



cott Williams, A.M., Secretary of the Museum 



of Egyptian Antiquities. 

 a. On the Aristotelian Dative, b. On a Passage in 



Aristotle's Rhetoric. By William A. Lamberton, 



A;M., Professor of the Greek Language and 



Literature. 

 A Hebrew Bowl Inscription. By Morris Jastrow, 



Jr., Ph.D., Professor of Arabic. 

 The Life and Writings of George Gascoigne. By 



Felix E. Schelling, A.M., Assistant Professor of 



English Literature. 

 The Papers of this Series, prepared by Professors 

 and others connected with the University of Penn- 

 sylvania, will take the form of Monographs on the 

 subjects of Philology, Literature, and Archasology, 

 whereof about 200 or 250 pages will form a volume. 



The price to subscribers to the Series will be $1.50 

 per volume; to others than subscribers, $2.00 per 

 volume. 



Each Monograph, however, is complete in itself, 

 and will be sold separately. 



It is the intention of the University to issue these 

 Monographs from time to time as they sha.^' be pre- 



N. 



D. O. HODG-ES, 



47 Lafayette Place, New Yorfe, N. Y. 



BOOKS : HoH' to get tbem. If there is an; 

 book or pamphlet that you want, write to the Science 

 Book Agency, 47 Lafayette Place, New York. 



