TRANSACTIONS 
OF THE 
HERTFORDSHIRE NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. 
i. 
ADDRESS. 
SUN-DIALS AND THEIR MOTTOES. 
By the President, Lewis Evans, E.S.A., E.R.A.S. 
Delivered at the Anniversary Meeting at Watford , 24 tli March , 1903. 
Toadies and Gentlemen,— 
In addressing you this evening on the subject of Sun-dials 
I have no intention of going into either the astronomical or the 
mathematical aspect of dialling: for such matters you may refer 
to some of the five hundred or so books which have been printed 
on this art; and I know that you will appreciate my forbearance 
when you see the size of a volume which explains the art of 
dialling in a fairly comprehensive manner. It measures 16^ inches 
by 11 inches by 3 inches, and weighs twelve pounds; and its name 
is ‘ Ars magna lucis et urnbrce ’ (The Great Art of Light and Shade), 
by Athanasius Kircher, 2nd ed., Amsterdam, 1671. All books on 
the subject are not of such vast bulk, and I have here the first 
book on dialling published in this country : ‘ Horologiogrctphia ’ 
(The Art of Dialling), by Thomas Eale, 1593. This, however, is 
the second edition, 1626. Besides that, I have a copy of the first 
book on dialling ever printed: 1 Compositio Horologiorum , in piano , 
muro , truncis, anulo , concavo , cylindro 8f variis quadrantibus , cum 
signorum zodiaci Sf diversarum horarum inscriptionibus : autore 
Sebast . Munstero ,’ Basle, 1531, 4to ; and also the last English 
book on dials : ‘ The Book of Sun-dials,’ 4th ed., 1900. 
Nothing is known as to the first invention of sun-dials, but it 
seems probable that they originated in Chaldsea or Babylonia. 
There is little doubt that Berosus of Chaldaea (not the historian 
VOL XII.—FART I. 
1 
