390 Notices respecting New Books. 



Volcano in Eruption, by Richard A. Proctor, B.A., F.R.A.S., 

 author of ' Saturn and its System, &c.," in which the author is at 

 some pains to establish the then supposed change on the moon's 

 surface, in the celebrated case of the Crater Linne. We can hardly 

 be mistaken in the authorship of this paper ; for the probabilities are 

 immense against two men bearing the same name and writing on 

 the same subject. Now what does the Air. Proctor of ' Temple Bar ' 

 say of this supposed change ? We would quote the passage at 

 length did space permit. Suffice it to observe that he speaks of an 

 actual change having taken place, which he explains by a mass of 

 matter having been poured into the crater from below, overflowing 

 its barrier, and covering the steep sides of the former ring, and 

 commences his concluding paragraph with these words : " For the 

 first time, then, after so many years of patient labour, we ha\'e 

 undoubted evidence of change upon the moon's surface." His 

 closing words are, " The most sceptical must accept the combined 

 evidence on this interesting point as absolutely decisive." This 

 looks very like a proven case on the part of the author. 



There are a few other records of some importance which appear 

 to have escaped Mr. Proctor's attention. Our space will not allow 

 further notice than merely to refer to the unique view of Venus in 

 the last century, when the surface of the planet appeared to be in- 

 dented with spots similar to those on the moon. 



In Mr. Proctor's remarks on Jupiter as *' a miniature sun," our 

 author calls attention to the absence of any thing in the meteorology 

 of the earth at all comparable with the mutual disturbances of the 

 Sun and Jupiter by each other, sj'nchronous with the "Sun-spot 

 period." This, it appears, was somewhat premature. Professor 

 Meldrum, from a study of the frequency of the cyclones of the 

 Indian Ocean, has succeeded in establishing a periodicity of these 

 phenomena synchronous with the " Sun-spot period." We are 

 now^ therefore, not warranted in concluding that the meteorology 

 of Jupiter alone suffers disturbances originating in the sun; for 

 Professor Meldrum's discovery establishes that our earth sympa- 

 thizes with both. 



Setting aside the instances to which we have alluded as indicating 

 a want of sufficient care by the author in the composition of his 

 pleasing and lucid articles, we consider the book well calculated 

 for its office — that of spreading a knowledge of astronomy among 

 ordinary readers ; and in taking leave of it, we may remark that we 

 have derived much pleasure from its perusal, and hope the author 

 will take an early opportunity of placing before his readers, in his 

 usual familiar style, the omissions we have mentioned. 



The Geometry of Conies. — Part I. By C. Taylor, M.A., Fellow of 

 St. John's College, Cambridge. Cambridge : Deighton, Bell, and 

 Co. London : Bell and Daldy. 1872. (8vo, pp. 88.) 

 We do not find that the author any where states what will be con- 

 tained in the other part or parts of this work, except incidentally 

 that orthogonal Projections and the sections of the Right Cone will 

 be ** discussed in sequel." This first part contains a complete ac- 



