1871.] Notices of Books. 533 



A Handbook of Practical Telegraphy. By R. S. Culley, 

 Member of the Institute of Civil Engineers, Engineer- 

 in-Chief to the Post Office Telegraphs. Fifth Edition. 

 London : Longmans and Co. 

 That another edition of Mr. Culley's work should be so soon on 

 hand shows that it is in increasing demand as a professional 

 text-book. This edition far surpasses the preceding in com- 

 pleteness. Much that before was left unexplained to the 

 student is now considerably elaborated, and there has been a 

 valuable addition of plates and descriptive matter relating to the 

 connections of Sir C. Wheatstone's automatic system. Pro- 

 fessor Hughes's type-printing telegraph is also more fully 

 detailed. There is introduced an explanation of Sir W. Thomp- 

 son's new syphon-recorder ; and much necessary detail has been 

 added on the subject of relay and translating systems. A relay 

 is, perhaps, the instrument presenting the greatest difficulty 

 to the learner, because the most complicated on an ordinary 

 telegraph line. In submarine work especially, much has been 

 done for the reader ; the formulas have been re-arranged, engra- 

 vings introduced showing the connections of the Atlantic and 

 other long cables, and secondary and cable currents very tersely 

 explained. There are also many data and general remarks as to 

 the management of circuits in this edition that will be valuable 

 to the working engineer. It must be remembered that Mr. 

 Culley has to write with a double purpose — to convey informa- 

 tion to learners, and to provide a handbook for the gentlemen of 

 his staff; and certainly he is to be congratulated on the happy 

 result attending his endeavours. There is no doubt that the 

 edition now submitted to the public is the most practical hand- 

 book in the profession ;* it is devoid of the unnecessary mathe- 

 matical theorising that has unluckily beset telegraphy generally. 

 The book will be very acceptable to those now studying for con- 

 tingent appointments in the Indian Telegraphs, especially as it 

 is the recognised text-book of the department. 



A Complete Course of Problems in Practical Plane Geometry ; 

 adapted for the use of Students preparing for the Examina- 

 tions conducted by the Science and Art Department. By 

 John William Palliser, Second Master, and Lecturer on 

 Geometrical Drawing at the Leeds School of Art and 

 Science, Mech. Inst., &c. London : Simpkin, Marshall, 

 and Co. 1871. 

 This is a capital little work, giving the construction of the 

 geometrical figures plainly and systematically. But there is one 

 great fault— it has been too hastily edited, and numerous typo- 

 graphical errors have been allowed to pass ; thus, the radical 

 sign of square root in the definition is said to signify that the 



