Notices respecting New Boohs. 67 



these heads may be deduced from the general laws by which they 

 are governed. The demonstrations are not always complete, but 

 they are short and clear so far as they go. The law of Falling 

 Bodies, as its importance deserves, is treated at greater length than 

 most other subjects, and, we think, very successfully. 



In view of a future edition, it is perhaps worth while to call the 

 author's attention to one or two passages where his meaning seems 

 to admit of being made still clearer. For instance, in Pneumatics, 

 § 1 (p. 62), we read, " But whereas, in liquids, the pressure exerted 

 is entirely due either to their own weight or to the application of 

 some external pressure, transmitted in this way, the pressure of an 

 elastic fluid depends chiefly upon its elastic force." We would ask 

 — if its own weight and external pressure were removed from an 

 elastic fluid, what would become of its elastic force ? In the follow- 

 ing passage the meaning is plain enough from the context, but the 

 construction seems to imply that the law of gravitation is a force: — 

 " Before we conclude we will say a few words concerning the law of 

 gravitation. Hitherto we have treated it as if it were a force of always 

 the same amount, &c." 



But, notwithstanding such very slight blemishes as these, the 

 author has well executed the task he proposed to himself, and has 

 produced a book which cannot fail to be very acceptable to all who 

 wish to acquire the knowledge he undertakes to convey. 



Complete Solutions of every class of Examples in Algebra, forming a 

 complete Course on the subject, and calculated to facilitate and ex- 

 tend the Study of Mathematics as a logical Course. By J. Wharton, 

 B.A.,M.C.P., Pp.430. 



We learn from the preface that Mr. Wharton had nearly finished 

 this work at the time of his death, and consequently we do not 

 know whether the title-page is due to the author or editor ; but who- 

 ever is responsible for it would have done well to have omitted the 

 last clause. Its meaning, though not very obvious, we suppose to 

 be that particular care has been paid to the systematic development 

 of the subject so far as treated in the book : but this is by no means 

 the case ; the arrangement of the work is much the same as that 

 generally followed — not bad, nor yet specially good. 



The book itself consists of about fifteen hundred examples in 

 Elementary Algebra, together with their Solutions in full. Con- 

 siderable labour must have been bestowed in collecting or making 

 the examples, and undoubtedly a learner who could solve them all 

 would be well grounded in the Elements of Algebra up to, but not 

 including, the Binomial Theorem. That each example should be 

 followed by its Solution in full seems to us to neutralize completely 

 the value of the collection. The use of an example consists solely 

 in its being done by the learner, not in its being done for him. 

 Some examples, it is true, are so difficult that few learners could 

 solve them without assistance ; but in this case a hint, not a solution 

 in full, is the thing wanted. For this reason we will not say more, 

 except to express our regret that the patient and accurate labour 

 expended on the book should have been spent to no useful purpose. 



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