1871.] Notices of Booh. 269 



more remarkably drawn out, regarding them in their helicoidal 

 character." 



The work is terminated by two appendices ; the one relating 

 to " the approaching transits of Venus, and the best means for 

 observing them ; " the other to Eclipses. By means of the 

 transits of Venus we can obtain, with greater accuracy than by 

 other means, knowledge as to the sun's distance from us, — it is 

 needless to say a matter of the extremest importance. The next 

 transit will take place in 1874, and the Government has voted 

 a sum of £10,000 for the purposes of the observing expeditions. 

 Two maps accompany this appendix, and it contains many 

 very useful hints as to the most effective method of observing 

 it completely. There will be a second transit in 1882. 



We have endeavoured to give some insight into a book which 

 commends itself both to the man of science and to the general 

 reader. The complete astronomer must revel in this book, not 

 less than the man who, when he opened it, did not know the 

 meaning of parallax or proper motion, and who was all ignorant 

 of solar willow leaves and spiral prominences. The most recent 

 results have been introduced, yet the book is popular in style. 

 Popular scientific books are seldom the work of the real savant, 

 yet Mr. Proctor is an accomplished astronomer and sound 

 mathematician, and scarce a number of the " Journal of the 

 Royal Astronomical Society " appears without a paper from his 

 pen. We have long wanted books in this country of the he Ciel> 

 and Phenomenes de la Physique of the Guillemin class: popularly 

 written, well printed, profusely illustrated, and accurate withal ; 

 instructive without being dull; stimulative and of a nature to 

 lead the reader deeper and deeper into the depths of science. 

 Mr. Proctor has supplied us with such a book as regards 

 astronomy, and we cannot be too grateful to him. 



