Literary Notices. 317 



LITERARY NOTICES. 



Handbook of Astronomy, by Dionysius Lardner, D.C.L., for- 

 merly Professor of Natural Philosophy and Astronomy in University 

 College, London. Third Edition. Revised and Edited by Edward 

 Dtjnkxn, E.R.A.S., Superintendent of the Altazimuth Department, 

 Royal Observatory, Greenwich, with illustrations on stone and 

 wood. (J. Walton.) — The plan of this work is to give first brief 

 descriptions of methods and instruments, then to describe the 

 earth, the moon, the tides and trade-winds ; then to pass to the 

 sun, the planets, comets, and fixed stars. Thus a large range of 

 subjects is included in a comparatively small well-printed work, 

 which contains the kind of matter required by general students. 

 The illustrations are very numerous, and generally good ; but those 

 of nebula and clusters cannot be commended, and must be taken 

 with large grains of allowance ; that, for example, of the Great Orion 

 nebulas would scarcely be recognized by any one acquainted with 

 its telescopic appearance. The chapter on the sun required more 

 revision than it has been subjected to, and it is somewhat absurd on 

 turning to " Stellar Clusters and Nebulas," to find the latter spoken 

 of as all resolvable if sufficient telescopic power were employed. 

 Some defects of this description are corrected in an appendix ; and, 

 on the whole, the new edition may take its place among the useful 

 manuals of the day. 



The Electric Telegraph, by Dr. Lardner. A new Edition, 

 Revised and Re- written by Edward B. Bright, E.R.A.S., Secretary of 

 the British and Irish Magnetic Telegraph Company, With 140 

 illustrations. (James Walton.) — An interesting volume well brought 

 down to date by its editor, and containing in a small compass a 

 large quantity of important matter. We should have recommended 

 the disuse of such a phrase as " the electric fluid is deposited in a 

 latent state in an unlimited quantity in the earth," etc. Electric 

 science certainly knows nothing of deposits of electric fluid, though 

 the phrase may be excusable in newspaper paragraphs; and the depo- 

 sition of fluid in latent state sounds absurd, unless it were a slang 

 periphrasis for hiding a barrel of beer. There are many other 

 passages to which objections might be taken, but, on the whole, 

 it is a good popular work. 



A Dictionary of Science, Literature, and Art, comprising the 

 Definitions and Derivations of the Scientific Terms in General Use, 

 together with the History and Description of the Scientific Principles 

 of nearly every branch of Human Knowledge. Fourth Edition, 

 Reconstructed and Extended by the late Dr. T. Bliande, D.C.L., 

 P.R.S.L. and E., of Her Majesty's Mint ; and the Hev. George 

 William Cox, M.A., late Scholar of Trinity College, Oxford, 

 assisted by Contributors of Scientific and Literary acquirements. 

 (Longmans, Part xii. April, 18G7.) — This number is a very thick one, 

 commencing with Sigurdh, and ending with Zymotic, thus closing 

 the work. We have very often expressed our opinion of this work. 

 On the whole it is well done, and calculated to serve the ordinary 

 requirements of educated families. The subjects of the articles are 



