Ush Mag., XXVII, 1882, 140. 
Discussion of tlie Tides of tiie racifio 
Coast. — U.S.C'oant and Geodetic Survey 
Beport for 1882. App. Xo. 17, 437-451. 
Keport on the Hiirmonic Analysis of 
the Tides of Sandy Hook.— i»o.. App. 
No. 0, 247-262. 
Maxima and Minima Tide Predicting 
Machine.— />o., App. No. 10, 253-273. Ab- 
stract, Science, III, 408-410. 
Temperature of the Atmosphere and 
the Earth's Surface. — Pfofeasioiwl Paper 
of the Signal Service, No. XIII, 4", (JO 
pp. 
Solar Theiniometer. — Amer. Mel. 
,/(>«)•., II. 303-30G. 
Arago-Davy Actinonietei . — Do.. 350- 
364 and 395-400. 
Results of Solar Radiation Observations 
in the Neighborhood of Birmingham, 
(Eng.;; by Rupert T. Smith. Reviewed 
in Dn., II, 5()3-5C5. 
Relation of the Pressure to the Velocity 
of the Wind.— Z)o., IV, 1887, 173-177. 
Sensitiveness of tlie Wind-vane. — Do., 
Ill, 452-454. 
Note on the IntUience of Forests upon 
Ilainfall.—X»o..V, 433-435. 
Decrease of T<'mperature with Increase 
of Altitude.— Do., VI, 115-150. 
Comments on Mr. Searle's -Atmos- 
X)heric Economy of Solar Radiation." — 
Do., VI, 177-179. 
Temperature of the JMoon. — h'Cience, 
VI, 1885, 541-542. V1J,32 and 122-123. 
Sea- level and* Ocean Currents. — Do., 
VII, 75-77, VIII, 99-101 and 187-189. 
Note on the Wind-Pressure Constant. 
—Do., Xlll. 171. 
Note on the IJobinson Anemometer 
Constant.— X'C'., 204-205. 
Recent Advances in Moterology. — Be- 
port oj Chief Signal Officer, 1885, Part II, 
440 pp, 
Tlie Law of 'J'hcrm.'il Radiation. — 
Amer. Jour. Sci., XXXVllI. July, 1889. 
Laplace's Solution of the Tidal Equa- 
tions. — Goi.ilTs Astrom. Jour., IX, 1889, 
41-44. 
A Popular Treatise on the Winds. — 
John Wileint ,S'o/(.s, New York, 1889, 504 
pp 
The Anterior Arts. 
By -TeTiNus.'' 
There is not, perhaps, a more ci itical 
subject left to the discretion of the peo- 
ple, in which they differ more widelj' in 
their opinions, than in matters pertain- 
ing to art; art in general and art in its 
several branches. Art, as we behold it 
to-day. is the fi::islied work of the past; 
its history is the history of nations. 
In order to understand and appreciate 
the value of art. as we see it at the pres- 
ent, we should read what it has been and 
study the history ,>f its growth. But 
this is an age of hurry and endless con- 
fusion ; so we take hasty glances at the 
arts ; all from various modern standpoints. 
As a natural consequence ^^•e obtain dif- 
ferent perspective images, or impressions, 
none of which are exactly alike. We 
are not surprised that many reach con- 
clusions which are diametrically opposed 
to those of others. We try to judge the 
value of the arts froai modern stand- 
points or conditions, when we know that 
the arts (the work of the past) were de- 
veloped thousands of years ago. when 
modern conditions were not even 
di earned of. 
History informs us that the road over 
which the arts traveled was not a smooth 
one. That at certain times they were 
advanced with peculiar energy, were 
hiinored, respected and beloved; while at 
other times they were fallen into a state 
of indift'erence, neglect or contempt. It 
is, therefore, both wise and natural to 
divide its growth into periods of glory 
and periods of barbarism ; but it is of the 
utmost importance to understand the 
true meaning of these terms and especi- 
ally of the word ''barbarism. " A ijHojde 
may be barbarous, that is, ravage, fanat- 
ical, superstitious, governed by inipei'- 
fect laws, and yet they may develope a 
high grade of art; and, on the contrary, 
a nation may revel in the highest ci\ ili- 
zatiou and be arra}^ed in the most polite 
manners, and yet, in its arts, be low. de- 
graded and even barbarous. Barbarism, 
iu the sense of cruelty, can have no in- 
fluence over ai't, for history afl'ords too 
I many examples of the pi'evalenc '. of this 
I savage instinct of human nature among 
people who have hrought the arts to the 
very "acme" of perfection and glory. 
Thus, while; the Greeks were linilding 
the Parthenon on the Acropolis, in Ath- 
ens, they were ]ilnnged in all the terrors 
and cruelties of the Pelopoiniesian war. 
AVliile the Romans w'ere spreading their 
civilization over the known woiJd. and 
beautifying their emi)ire with monu- 
ments and buildings, they were amusing 
themselves at home by seeing innocent 
slaves slaughter one amither in the arena, 
an/I w ild beasts devom- human victims 
in the circus; ami in later days, when the 
Christians were adoi-ning the East and 
the \Vest with the most inimitable 
woi'ks of art, they were burning one an- 
other at the stake for mere diti'erence of 
ojilnion on their creed. While the French 
were building the VerseiDes and the 
Invalides, in the midst of a true August- 
an Age of poets and artists, the courts of 
justice of t he seventeenth century were 
barbarously sending to the stake knaves 
who called themselves sorcerei-s. History 
shows, that often, when the state is in- 
volved in tlie miseries and l orrors of 
war. art is develoiied \vith unusual ener- 
gy and, like a helping angel, devotes it- 
.self to beautiiying the land, by rearing 
up monunieiits to the j^ast, and by its 
silence give evidence of a dawn of peace. 
It is plain that barbarism, in the senses 
of cruelty and war, does iiot materially 
atl'ect the growth ot art. We will now 
consider the tei-m iri its broader sense of 
uncivilized. When we would compare 
the condition of art at dift'ei'ent periods, 
the question is not whether this or that 
period .was more or less civilized than 
anolher.but whether it was distinguished 
for (piallties more or less favorable for 
the developement of art. The different 
branches of civilization do not keep pace 
one with another. In their onwai'il jour- 
ney. If they did, our paintings, dramas 
and sculptures, and our many forms of 
government and our institutions would 
all be in advance of those of the past, for 
we live in the most advanced age, Our 
poets would excell the 'Tliad"' and '"Par- 
adise Lost," and our dramas would be 
more expressive than those of Racine; 
and our church buildings would make 
even a Gothic cathedral sink into Insig- 
nilicance. 
Nations, like people, are less civilized 
In their Infancy, and are most civilized 
and intelligent after having reached 
tlieir maturity. They decline when the 
nnichinei-y which combined and held 
them together, is worn out from over 
exertion or excessive strain on its power: 
just as an old man, whose organs have 
ceased to perform their functions with 
regularity, falls into his second chlld- 
liood. Every art age has, in like manner, 
its infancy, its moment of m.aturity, that 
inapijreciable Interval between progress 
and decline, and its old age. Its infancy 
is an anticipation; its old age is a mem- 
ory of its mat urer perfections. Yet, in 
its different phases, art iievei' becomes 
barbarous, so long as it remains true to 
Itself. But when it Intentionally con- 
ceals, or thoughtlessly disregards the 
laws on which it is based, or the practi- 
cal needs it is meant to supi)ly : when it 
yields to the fleeting whims of fashion, 
then it has become a, mere tool foi- ai tists, 
'Alio act from impulse or custom, and 
emotion, and not from reason ; and when 
expressing no longer the manners of the 
people who develoi) it; no longer pliant 
to all the de;;rees and necessities of life, 
it has become a m.atter of luxury to the 
few and an object of wonder and curio.s- 
ity to the many. Then it has ce.ased to 
be true art and has fallen into barbarism. 
[To be Contiiuied.J 
The need for an authoritative reference i.s a 
conunon want amongst those who are either 
reading up on some special subject or who 
wish to verify or hiid a particular fact; to 
oil such inquirers, an encyclopedia is a ne- 
cessity. 
The Encyclopedia Britannica, the ninth 
edition of which has been just completed, is 
the latest universal reference book in the 
1 English language, and in point of authority 
and completeness, it stands unrivaled by an)' 
in the world. The Scientific, not the Dic- 
tionary plan has been used, thus giving us 
long, full treatises of from ^o to 150 pages 
on all the leading topics in every depart- 
ment of human knowledge, so indexed and 
noteil, liowever, that the particular fact de- 
sired can be found at once and in its prop- 
er place in relation to the general subject to 
which it belongs. And a noteworthy fact 
about these long treatises is that they are 
by specialists chosen from the ranks of the 
ablest living scholars. Besides these there 
is a multitude of brief articles supplement- 
ing the treatises. American subjects 
were prepared untler the supervision of an 
American editor, thus insuring their correct 
and thorougli preparation, and in fact all 
parts of the world have been treated fully, 
with the single end in view of presenting 
the facts of the universe, as they are known 
to tlie most advanced scholars of to-day. 
riie want of a copyright la\\ has made it 
possible for alkdged reprints ol this « ork to 
be issued in this country, w hich in the lan- 
guage of the Faculty of Vale Uni \ ersity, ' 'are 
not only inferior in print and illustration, 
but more or less mutilated, defective and un- 
reliable for reference, and as unauthorized 
reprints are unworthy of honest support." 
Such condemnation, however, has not pre- 
vented these so-called reprints from being 
imposed upon the people and it behooves 
our readers to beware of such in their pur- 
chases. There is but one Encyclopedia Bri- 
tannica and that is published by A. and C. 
Black, of Edinburgh, Scotland, which work 
is imported into this country only by Messrs 
Charles Scribner's Sons. The Kansas City 
branch of this Imu^c is at 1214 Main street, 
—Adr. 
