320 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. XXI. No 540 



the kindred industries embracing Wood Tar, Asphalt, Ozokinite, 

 Peat, Lignite, Bone Oil, Fixed Oils, Cellulose, etc. Appendix 

 A provides a description of the six principal types of shale re- 

 torts, each being illustrated by a figure, and appendix B furnishes 

 a complete bibliography of destructive distillation in its modern 

 development. A neat summary describes the application of heat 

 to cellulose and kindred bodies as leading to cumulative resolu- 

 tion, the process being in principle the same whether performed 

 by nature or by human contrivance. At a high temperature the 

 liquid distillate is characteristically "aromatic'; at a low tem- 

 perature "fatty." In either case the persistence of the n Cj 

 group can be freely traced throughout. Inasmuch as a chemical 

 equivalent for much of the "temperature" can be found in 

 "time," petroleum may appear in rocks never actually igneous; 

 and we can understand the occurrence of degraded hydrides, such 

 as turpentine and other " aromatic " compounds in living trees. 



C. P. 



Poole Brothers' Celestial Handbook and Planisphere. Compiled 

 and edited by Jules A. Colas. Chicago, Poole Brothers. 



The above publication is made up of two parts, the Handbook 

 and the Planisphere. 



The planisphere consists of a stiff, circular cardboard, about 

 twenty inches in diameter, upon which has been engraved all the 

 principal constellations that can be seen from the North Pole to 50° 

 south declination. Fastened to the circular disc is a frame made 

 of the same substance, and formed so as to project the horizon 

 upon the sky, and also to assist in noting the days of the year. 

 The planisphere is exceedingly handy, as the explanations printed 

 upon it suffice for finding the approximate time at which any 

 celestial body rises, culminates, or sets. In the hands of the 

 learner of the constellations the planisphere is a great improve- 

 ment upon the ordinary star-maps. 



The handbook, which serves as a companion to the planisphere, 

 contains in a neat form references to the principal constellations, 



the interesting double stars, the same being neatly illustrated, 

 and the brighter nebula; and star clusters. Short notes are given 

 which contain the names, magnitudes, distances, and colors of 

 the doubles. Tables are also to be found, giving the names of the 

 bright, fixed stars, the principal binaries, colored stars, and those 

 having a parallax. These are followed by short sketches of the 

 phenomena of shooting stars, the principal periodic comets, and 

 those that have an interesting history, and, last, the principal 

 planets. 



As Mr. Colas has simply compiled the remarks in the handbook, 

 it is possible for one to find certain statements that may be ques- 

 tionable. He has probably fallen into pitfalls by following too 

 closely some of the writings of Flammarion. For example, the 

 statement that the earth and moon as seen from Sirius would ap- 

 pear as a spot is exceedingly misleading. A simple calculation 

 would show that from the boundary of the solar system, that is, 

 from Neptune, the moon as seen from that point would never de- 

 part more than 18 seconds of arc from the earth. 



We note that Arcturus and Alpha Bootis are mentioned as if 

 they were two distinct stars. This is probably a slip of the pen, 

 as well as the statement that the constellation Cassiopeia can be 

 seen every day. 



The author has carried his book well down to date, as mention 

 is made of Barnard's discovery of the fifth satellite of Jupiter, 

 and Anderson's discovery of the new star in Aurigse. 



In our opinion the statement quoted from Flammarion's "Les 

 Etoiles," that Baron Dembowski observed the yellow companion 

 to 15 Lyncis covering the blue one by one-fourth of the former's 

 diameter, is exceedingly doubtful. 



A star, as seen in the most powerful telescope, is a point of 

 light, never a disc, and such statements as the above are, to say 

 the least, misleading. 



The compiler has, in a note on Neptune, raised the question of 

 priority of the discovery of the position in which the outermost 

 planet would be found. 



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