SCIENTIFIC SUMMARY. 
95 
“ cocked hats,” as was said of one of Herschel’s best mirrors, and it lines on 
polishing. Now we know of no De la Rue, or Lord Rosse, or Lassell, or 
Grubb, in Australia, to supply the necessary pabulum ; and as to the expense, 
we believe that the 25-inch refractor, now nearly completed by Messrs. Cooke 
and Sons, will cost less money. 
And now one word about small telescopes. We think it our duty to 
enter our protest against much that has lately been written on the subject of 
Steinheil’s new telescopes constructed on the Gaussian system, which has 
recently formed the subject of an interesting address to the Astronomical 
Society, by Mr. Pritchard. 
It may be that the new form of telescope does nearly as much as the 
English one does ; but that it does so much as the English form in the hands 
of such artists as Cooke and Dallmeyer, in the absence of evidence, we do not 
believe. Besides, the new form bristles with adjustments, and all tried 
observers with alarm look upon its much-belauded short focal length as a 
positive bane. There is no power so genuine as that which results from focal 
length, and simply because the defects of the image are reduced to a mini- 
mum. When Dr. Steinheil produces a 3f- which shows the sixth star on the 
trapezium, as one of that size by Cooke has done, and a 4^ which will 
elongate as one of that size by Dallmeyer has done, and when, moreover, his 
object-glasses require as little adjustment, then we will acknowledge that the 
Gaussian form is as good as the English one — but not till then. 
Geodesy is really making important strides and attracting marked attention 
on the Continent. At the fourth meeting of the Swiss Geodesical Com- 
mission recently held at the observatory of Neufchatel, under the presidency 
of General Dufour, much good work was reported. The first meeting of 
the Italian Commission was held at Turin in J une, General Ricci occupying 
the chair. 
It is intended to measure chains of triangles along three meridians and 
three parallels ; the former being on the prolongation of those chosen by the 
conference of Berlin. It will also be attempted to connect Sicily trigonome- 
trically with Africa. The local disturbing causes in Italy, due to volcanoes, &c., 
will necessitate a large number of astronomical determinations. 
The President of the Royal Astronomical Society will hold a soiree at 
Willis’s Rooms, on January 17, at 9 p.m. 
BOTANY. 
The Rat-tail Radish . — At the meeting of the Edinburgh Botanical So- 
ciety, held on the 9th of November, Mr. McNab presented specimens of 
this plant (. Raphanus caudatus ) grown in the open air. The seeds were 
received from Mr. William Bell, superintendent of the Botanic Gardens, 
Saharunpore, in April, 1865, under the vague name of “ Radish three feet 
long.” These were dibbled into a piece of ground, and covered with a two- 
light frame. They very soon commenced to grow, so that the glazed frame 
had to be removed. Seven weeks after being sowd, they flowered profusely, 
and numerous seed-vessels of a purplish-green colour were produced. These 
