310 Notices respecting Neiv Books. 



with great rigour of proof, the theorems and processes which enable 

 computers to draw up these same seven-figure logarithmic tables, 

 leaving the teacher to adopt Hoiiel's suggestions or not. One 

 thing our author commends, though he does not yet" adopt the 

 practice, and that is the use — gradually coming into vogue amongst 

 continental mathematicians — of the logarithms of the Natural 

 Series, &c, in place of the so-called Tabular Logarithms. Several 

 French treatises, in addition to the English one by Hymers (Dr. 

 Casey does not recognize apparently as independent treatises in 

 English any of the more modern works), as well as numerous 

 papers in mathematical journals and college examination-papers, 

 have been drawn upon with the happiest results. The outcome is 

 a work admirably adapted for students. Eor the use of Physical 

 students especially the author, though he has been anticipated here, 

 gives a good systematic account of the Hyperbolic and other func- 

 tions, which " from their great analogy to circular functions are very 

 interesting, and of great and increasing importance in Mathematical 

 Physics." The generality of English students, we believe, will 

 come across much that will be new to them in these pages, and 

 need not fear to find a dish of the crambe rejpetita. 



XXX I Y. Proceedings of Learned Societies. 



GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 

 [Continued from p. 238.] 



June 20, 1888.— W. T. Blanford, LL.D., F.K.S., President, 

 in the Chair. 

 HPHE following communications were read : — 

 -*■ 1. " On the Occurrence of Marine Fossils in the Coal- Measures 

 of Fife." By Jas. W. Kirkby, Esq. 



2. " Directions of Ice-flow in the North of Ireland, as determined 

 by the observations of the Geological Survey." By J". E. Kilroe, Esq. 



While the striae S.E. of a line drawn from Strangford Lough to 

 Galway Bay all trend in one direction, two sets of striae occur N.W. 



un nombre sacre en mathematiques comme ailleurs), et de noyer leurs 

 idees dans les flots de chifFres, ne serait-il pas mieux de faire plus souvent 

 appel a leur intelligence et a leur bon sens, et de leur montrer que Vart 

 du calcul, loin d'etre une routine aveugle et abrutissante, fournit, au 

 contraire, au calculateur des occasions continuelles de developper les res- 

 sources de son esprit d'invention, en lui offrant des sujets d'experiences 

 aussi varies qu'interessants, et donnant lieu a l'emploi de procedes plus 

 ou moins exacts, plus ou moins expeditifs ? Loin dela, dans les Traites 

 menie les plus en vogue, on ne trouve pas un seul mot pour avertir l'ecolier 

 que 1'on perd absolument son temps en prenant avec sept figures le loga- 

 rithms d'un nombre connu seulement a un centieme ou un millieme pres 

 de sa valeur, et qu'il est insense de conserver dans une addition plus de 

 chifFres dans une partie des termes qu'il n'en existe dans le terme qui en a 

 le moins." 



