AN THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 1871 THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION N excellent article in the New York Journal of Commerce makes us acquainted with several points in the organisation of the Smithsonian Institution—that most cosmopolitan of our existing scientific organisations-to which we are anxious to draw attention. It is too much to hope for a similar institution in this country, but it is, nevertheless, interesting to watch the development of the American one under the wise direction of Prof. Henry. Many years ago the Institution established what is known as the "Smithsonian system of exchanges," whereby, in exchange for those of America, the scientific publications of societies and individuals throughout the civilised world are placed without cost within easy access of the student of science in this country. This system, promising at its inauguration all that could be expected, rapidly expanded, and during the past few years has yielded an abundance of fruit in the way of a knowledge of the progress of science in every part of the world, far exceeding the anticipation of its must sanguine supporters. Indeed, so eminently beneficial, not only to the scientific, but to the general interests of the country, has the system proved, that Congress a few years since directed the establishment, on a similar plan, of an international exchange of official publications, to be placed under the especial charge of the Institution, and voted, as a basis of operations, for distribution, fifty complete sets of the documents of the Fortieth Congress. These will shortly be ready for transmission by the Institution, in the name of the United States, to such foreign Powers as have either requested to be included in the list of exchange, or in some other way announced their approval of the plan, and are, therefore, known to be prepared to return similar publications of their own Governments respectively. Thus, in time, will be added to the great Congressional library a fund of knowledge which can hardly fail to be of vast importance to this Government. It is mainly through its system of exchanges that the Institution has accumulated, and will continue to increase, that vast storehouse of scientific truths denominated the "Smithsonian Library," which, numbering about 70,000 volumes (inclusive of pamphlets, &c.), contains, besides complete series of the Transactions of many of the older societies of England and France, which it would now be difficult, if not impossible, to replace, hundreds of works which, like those of the societies in question, can be obtained in no other way than by exchange. On account, however, of the limited space provided for its proper accommodation in the Smithsonian building, but chiefly owing to danger from fire, the Institution a few years ago transferred its library to the Capitol, where, in company with the library of Congress, it still continues to occupy fire-proof roomy quarters. With regard to the library, the secretary of the Institution, in his last printed report, remarks: "The transfer of the Smithsonian Library still continues to be approved by all who have attentively considered the advantages it affords the Institution, the VOL. IV. Government, and the public;" . . . that while, "by its transfer the Smithson fund has been relieved of a serious burden in the cost of binding and cataloguing the books ...it has enriched the library of Congress with a class of valuable works which could scarcely be procured by purchase, and has facilitated the use of the books by collecting them in one locality, under the same system, readily accessible to the public." Again, Prof. Henry remarks: "The library of Congress, or, as we think it should now be denominated, the 'National Library,' contains about 180,000 volumes" (1868). . . . This library is, emphatically, a library of progress, for while it continues to increase by purchase in its own series of standard works at all times, its additions through the contributions of the Institution include the Transactions of the principal learned societies of the world, or the works which mark more definitely than any other publications the actual advance of the age in higher civilisation;" adding, in order to counteract the impression that the Institution, since the transfer of its library, no longer desires to receive books, "that no change in this respect has taken place in the policy of the Institution." It is gratifying to learn that this is the case; and to know that while Congress uses the books, it carefully cares for them. On account of the large expense attending the transmission of a few packages when the Institution first put in operation its now great system of exchange, but owing much more to the greater expense that it was anticipated would have to be met in connection with return transmissions for American addresses; and, moreover, since the total charges for transportation both to and from the United States would have to be defrayed almost entirely by the Institution, while the results of its efforts would be placed at the free command of all, both organised bodies and individuals; it was soon found necessary to attempt to secure reduced rates for its ocean freight. In addition, it was absolutely requisite that foreign ports should be opened to the entry free of duty of the packages of a scientific character bearing the Smithsonian label; and to the accomplishment of both these ends the eminent head of the Institution bent every energy. Upon a proper presentation of the subject, the leading steamship. lines plying between the United States and foreign countries, besides several companies sailing in waters exclusively foreign (with merely representative houses in this country), one after another became impressed with the importance of scientific intercommunication between the Old and the New World, as developed under the Smithsonian system, until now all, with great liberality, grant free freights to books and specimens interchanged under the auspices of the Institution. With the ports of the rest of the world open to the free entry of scientific truth, the continuance on the part of Italy, year after year, to withhold from her people this right, was long deemed sufficient cause for the suspension, by the Institution, of inter-communication in the line of transmission of books and specimens. But not till three years ago did such suspension take place, and then solely because of the great expense to the Institution, on account of taxes levied at Italian ports on parcels whose contents, while purely of a scientific character, were intended as presents to that people. The suspension, Y however, was but for a brief period. A knowledge of the cordial welcome which American contributions to science had always met with at the hands of the principal scientists and learned bodies of Italy, was sufficient to convince the Institution that a cessation of intercourse would last but a short time, while it would terminate beneficially to both parties. The result was as predicted. Shortly after the stoppage of transmission, there was manifested by the scientific portion of the Italian people a strong desire that it should be resumed. Negotiations were soon begun, and after two years Italy acceded free entry to parcels bearing the familiar endorsement of the Institution. The decree guaranteeing this right may properly be said to mark an epoch in the history of the Smithsonian Institution, as well as in that of the advance of scientific education. The Institution has a printed catalogue of foreign correspondents, numbering nearly 1,600 learned bodies, and, in addition, an extended manuscript list of individuals with whom it is in correspondence abroad, which embraces the names of the most eminent savans of the Old World. This shows that outside the United States, the policy of the Institution is everywhere highly endorsed; while fresh evidence of the fact is continually being received from new organisations, having for their object the advancement of science, in the form of applications for enrolment in the Smithsonian list of correspondents. With no desire for a knowledge of the terms of the bequest, and satisfied as to the correctness of their own opinion that Smithson's gift was solely for the people of the United States, many Americans do not approve of extending the benefits of the said gift beyond the narrow limits of the land in which they themselves reside. In so enlightened an age, and with Smithson's will easily accessible, the error of such an opinion is unpardonable. The mistake made by Congress, however, shortly after the bequest was accepted, is in a measure to be excused. The trust was of a novel character, while the instrument conveying it to the care of the United States made known but briefly the design of the giver. The life and character of the testator ought to have been closely investigated in order to arrive at a proper appreciaion of the true spirit of the terms upon which the money was given and accepted. It would appear that without an investigation of this kind, or certainly without a knowledge of Smithson's intention, Congress directed the management of the interest from the fund, for a few years immediately subsequent to its acceptance by the United States Government, in such manner as to divert the bequest for a long time almost entirely from its legitimate purpose. Several hundred thousand dollars yielded by a fund left for the "increase and diffusion of knowledge among men," was sunk in "brick and mortar." Had the amount expended in the erection, not to speak of the large sums paid out for the maintenance and repair, of the stupendous structure known as the Smithsonian building, been added to the principal of the original fund, the Institution would have been enabled to realise to a much fuller extent than has been done the anticipations of the generous foreigner whose name it perpetuates. While many were convinced of the fact at the time the fund was accepted, it is now universally admitted that for the "increase and diffusion of knowledge," brains and the printing press are the essential requisites, and that for the accommodation of these a building of moderate size and of small cost is all that is needed. The Smithsonian Institution, however, the especial object of which is that just set forth, continues to occupy a structure which in point of dimensions is vastly more extensive than is needed for its operations. The cost of maintaining such an edifice is very great, while, owing to its peculiar style of architecture, contingent repairs are frequent as well as expensive. It is to be hoped that the building will, before long, become the property of the Government, and the purchase money be added to the present Smithson fund. This vast edifice is suitably adapted to the exhibition of a Museum on a scale worthy the capital of the nation. The nucleus of such an establishment is already cared for by the Institution, but, although belonging to, is not maintained entirely at the expense of, the Government. The purchase in question of this building would be an acknowledgment of the intention of the United States to correct, as far as possible, the errors committed when the trust was accepted, and would prove an earnest to the people of other lands (for whom, equally with ourselves, the gift is designed) that the trustees of the munificent liberality of Smithson intended hereafter to carry out his wishes according to the letter and spirit of his will. The efforts of the distinguished head of the Institution so to conduct the establishment as that the greatest good may eventually result to the greatest number, are appreciated far and wide, while his untiring devotion to the cause of education has rendered his name familiar to the most distant portions of mankind. PHYSIOLOGICAL RESEARCHES AT GRATZ Untersuchungen aus dem Institut für Physiologie und Histologie in Gratz. Herausgegeben von Alexander Rollet. Zweites Heft. (Leipzig: Wilhelm Engelmann, 1871. London: Williams and Norgate.) THIS HIS record of Histological and Physiological research in Styria contains a series of interesting and important papers. The first of these is one by the editor on the classification of tissues. Nearly every author who has written on Histology generally has put forth some classification or other. Amongst these, that of Dr. Beale in Todd and Bowman's " Physiological Anatomy and Physiology" (Ed. 1866, p. 70) is cited as one of the worst and most illogical. It is a difficult question to determine what are and what are not elementary units of histological structures. Dr. Rollet founds his classification, as far as possible, on the data afforded by the history of the development of the tissues. Thus, endothelial structures are classed with connective tissue, and separated entirely from epithelial, as being developed in the pleuroperitoneal cavity of the embryo. The classification arrived at is as follows:1. Sencocytes. 2. Red blood corpuscles. 3. Elementary parts of connective tissue. 4. Elementary parts of fatty tissue. 5. Elementary parts of muscular tissue. 6. Elementary parts of nerve tissue. 7. Elementary parts of epithelial tissue. For This classification seems to be an excellent one. its further development we must refer to the paper itself. A paper on the septic glands of the stomach by Dr. Rollet follows the former, and is most exhaustive in character, and the fact that the methods by which the results have been arrived at are most carefully described is especially to be commended. A new carmine solution is recommended which we have tried with excellent results. It has the advantage of being neutral, and of allowing of the addition of a certain amount of acid without suffering precipitation. It is prepared by boiling for five hours 35 grains of carmine with 270 cc. of dilute sulphuric acid (one volume of concentrated acid to fifteen volumes water), the volume being kept constant by the addition from time to time of water. The resulting solution is filtered and diluted with four times its volume of water. The sulphuric acid is then neutralised with carbonate of barium, and the solution quickly filtered. As soon as the filtrate has run off, a fresh quantity of water is poured on the precipitate, and comes through strongly coloured. Four or five filtrates may thus be obtained. The first two do not keep well, the third, fourth, and fifth do. From these solutions may be obtained what is called by Dr. Rollet carmine-red, which is soluble in distilled water. It is too much the fashion amongst English histologists to aim at staining the nuclei only of the cells of tissues, whereas what is far more valuable is a clear definition of the boundaries of the cell itself. This result is in most cases only to be obtained by using a perfectly neutral solution of carmine such as the one just described. Dr. Rollet has found it yield very good results in cases where carminate of ammonium had failed. It would probably be found very good for silver preparations. In a short notice it is impossible to do justice to such a paper as this. Dr. Rollet describes the glands of the rabbit, cat, dog, ox, sheep, pig, hedgehog, and other animals. He has also compared the appearance presented by the glands of the hybernating and active bat. The journal contains also an account of a "Commutator for Batteries in Physiological Laboratories," invented by Dr. Rollet; a paper on the "Development of Spermatozoa," by Dr. Victor V. Ebor, of great importance; another, on the "Glands of the Larynx and Trachea," by Dr. Mathias Boldyrew, who describes glands in all respects resembling pyers glands, as occurring occasionally in the larynx of the dog; and "Remarks on the effects of the administration of small quantities of curare in successive injections," by Julius Glase. The results are very remarkable. The animal becomes at each injection more and more sensitive to the poison, and finally reaches a state in which an extremely small quantity produces immediate convulsions and even death. Moreover, the injections may be intermitted for days and yet the animal remain as sensitive as before. The author believes that the system becomes adapted to the poison in such a way as to absorb it more rapidly, or that an actual change in some of the nervous centres occurs. Of course we can not consider this a case of so-called cumulative poisoning, since the animal remains apparently perfectly healthy between the doses. The last paper is one on the "Ciliated Epithelium of the Uterine Glands." The author, Dr. Gustav Sott, has observed cilia in motion in the uterus of the cow, sheep, pig, rabbit, and moose. H. N. M. OUR BOOK SHELF A History of British Birds. By the late William Yarrell, V.P.L.S., F.Z.S. Fourth Edition, revised by Alfred Newton, M.A., F.Z.S. Parts 1 and 2. (London: Van "YARRELL'S British Birds" is without doubt one of Voorst, 1871.) the best known and most widely appreciated books on Natural History ever published in this country, and has probably done more than any other work to excite and augment an interest in one of the most attractive branches of zoology. At the same time, "Yarrell's Birds" is neither cheap nor popular in the ordinary sense of these terms, and the fact of three large editions of it having been sold, and a fourth being now called for, is a sterling proof of its extraordinary merits. The third edition of the work was issued in 1856, a few months before the author's death. For the editorship of the present (fourth) edition the publisher has secured the services of Prof. Newton of Cambridge, than whom no one is better qualified for the undertaking. Moreover, what is of still greater consequence, it may be added that, so far as we can judge from the parts of the work that have as yet reached us, Prof. Newton has set about the task entrusted to him in a very thorough way. As has been of the subject has been nearly doubled within these last observed in the prospectus of the new edition, the literature thirty years-that is, since the date of the publication of Mr. Yarrell's original work, while even since the issue of the last edition an extraordinary augmentation has been made of our knowledge of British Birds. "Very many of the species respecting which little was actually known breeding-quarters, and their habits ascertained, and in in 1856 have been traced by competent observers to their some instances minutely recorded." Mr. Yarrell's later editions having been little more than reprints of the original, with the intercalation of certain species recorded from time to time in the "Zoologist" and similar periodicals as "new British birds," it follows that a good deal of alteration and addition was necessary to bring the work up to the present standard of ornithological knowledge. This the new editor has apparently determined to effect, in spite of the vast amount of labour involved in so doing, which, on the whole, will fall little short of that of preparing an entirely new work on the subject. Such articles as those on the Griffon and Egyptian Vultures and the Greenland and Iceland Falcons in the first number require to be entirely rewritten, while material additions have to be made to the history of even the commonest species, particularly as regards their geographical range and their representation by allied forms. The woodcuts of the present edition are mostly the same as those prepared for the original work. It is certainly a decisive proof of the present popularity of ornithology, so far at any rate as regards the knowledge of our native species, that while Mr. Gould's “Birds of Great Britain" is still unfinished, and Messrs. Sharpe and Dresser have lately begun an entirely new work occupying nearly the same ground, a fourth edition of Mr. Yarrell's "History of British Birds" should be commenced with every prospect of permanent success. P. L. S. WE have lately received the last published Report on the progress of Entomology prepared in connection with the Archiv für Naturgeschichte. In the space of 225 pages it includes a review of all the works and papers published in 1867-68 on the subject of Entomology, taking that word in what may be called its Linnean sense, namely, as embracing the study of Insects, Arachnida, Myriopoda, and Crustacea. Of these reports, commenced by Erichson, continued by Schaum, and after his illness by Gerstäcker, it is impossible to over-estimate the value, for although the information contained in them upon the species and sys tematic matters is rather less detailed than in the English "Zoological Record," the notices of anatomical and phy. siological papers are fuller, and the student will always find indications of the direction in which to look for information on other subjects. The conductors of these useful Reports have always been in the habit of delaying their publication until the literature of each year could be analysed as completely as possible, and in the present issue we have only the particulars of the contributions to entomological knowledge published during the years 1867-68. The Insecta proper are reported upon by M. F. Brauer of Vienna, whilst Prof. Gerstäcker confines his labours to the Myriopoda, Arachnida, and Crustacea. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR W. S. D. [The Editor does not hold himself responsible for opinions expressed by his Correspondents. No notice is taken of anonymous communications.] The Science and Art Department BELIEVING your columns to be at all times open for the discussion of matters connected with Science and Art teaching, I venture to offer a few remarks on the administration of the abovenamed Department. Since the arrival of the results of the last May examination, the teachers have been enabled to make up their claims for payment, and there has been a great outcry from all parts of the country on account of the serious reduction that has taken place in the amounts the teachers are entitied to claim for their work. This reduction arises from the operation of the last alteration by the Department of the scale of payments on results, the full effect of which was not felt until this year. Many objections were raised at the time the minute was issued (in the latter part of 1869), especially to its being introduced after the commencement of the work of the session, and in deference to these remonstrances it was modified in its application to the May examinations of 1870, and its full operation deferred till the May just past. When I say just past I am speaking after the manner of the Department, for they are so far behind that the Annual Report for the session of 1869-70 has not yet been received by the committees here. students sit idle the greater part of the evening, or leave the examination room as soon as permitted to do so by the regulations, through not being able to attempt to answer more than two or three quest ons. With regard to another matter of which complaint has been made, viz., the recent minute of the Department imposing fines on Committees who ask for a larger number of papers than they require, I must say I cannot see the r asonableness of the complaint. At the last May examination in Plymouth, one school alone (according to the printed list issued by the department) sent up a requisition for 714 papers in the various subjects of Art and Science, while the total number of papers worked by pup ls of that school, and by strangers whose papers were asked for through its committee, was only 339-less than half. If this case is at all a sample of what was occurring in the country generally, and the issue of the minute leads me to think such must have been the case, I consider it was quite time for something to be done to prevent such wholesale waste. Of course in all schools there will be a certain number who will shrink back at the last moment, after having given in their names for the examination, and this being fairly provided for, I do not see anything in this regulation that efficient schools and committees should complain of. A LOCAL COMMITTEEMAN Plymouth, Sept. 14 Elementary Geometry I HAVE to thank the Editor of NATURE for inserting my letter, and Mr. Wilson for writing so fully. I was not aware when I wrote, that Mr. Wilson had himself published an ele mentary book on geometry He has modestly omitted to refer to it; but I have seen it, and it appears to me a suggestive book for a teacher. He acknowledges himself unable to recommend one suited to boys, f r laying the foundation of geometry. Mr. Wilson's advice seems rather suited to teachers of geometrical drawing than of mathematics. Of course it is essential that a boy should know what measuring means; but scales of measurement have no essential connec ion with geometry. Nevertheless, I entirely agree with him that much trouble must be taken to teach the metrical system, especially as it is not likely to be popularly used in England, at least while our children are living. To purchase a simple metrical rule is by no means an easy task. They are not kept, that I can find, at any ordinary instrument makers in London, Oxford, or Cambridge. With your permiss on I will say what I think is required in a committed to memory, as Euclid is. No child is capable of bok for boys. It must, to a certain extent, be sui able for being taking in a subject, especially if it involves logical thought, except by very slow degrees; and must at the beginning com. mit much to memory which he does not comprehend. What I write will appear, to those who do not know children, to involve a most vicious principle in teaching; but it is, never Now I venture to submit that this reduction in the scale of payments is likely to have a very injurious effect on the spread of education in Science. In many cases, especially in smal towns, and here a teacher has a class in only one or two subjects, the amount of payment to be received is so small as to give rise to the apprehension that such classes will be given up, because of the utter inadequacy of the payment to remunerate a teacher for the time and trouble spent in the work of instru tingtheless, a fact. Our new book must, therefore, contain all the them. To give an illustration, I have just been informed of an instance where a teacher has had to proceed fourteen miles by rail to give his lectures to a class, and the result of the recent examination is that he received absolutely nothing from the Department in respect of this clas, all those of the students who passed being persons of the middle classes. When in conjunction with such facts as these we read that the payment for instruc ion in Science and Art in 1870 was 17,000/. less than in the previous year, there seems great reason for the complaints of the teachers, and one must, I think, come to the conclusion that the Department has proceeded too far in the direction of ec nomy to be conducive to efficiency or to the continued spread of scientific instruction. If the present scale is to be retained, I think the suggestion of a writer in the Daily News recently, that the system of payment by results alone should be modified, is worthy of consideration. The teacher often has the greatest amount of trouble with those students who just miss obtaining a certificate, and in these cases the master receives nothing at all for the labours of the session. It would be more encouraging to the teacher if a small payment was made for those students who have attended the required number of class lectures, although they may not be able to pass the examination for proficiency. Of course, there should be safeguards provided against the abuse of such a rule, say, by excluding from its operation all such as are unable to attempt a stated proportion of the questions propou ded. Even under the present arrangements I have seen many steps of every proof in ful, and no symbols must be used. In the next place, it must not be artificial It seems agreed that the use of compasses ought to be of the nature of a pos tulate, which would at once get rid of such propositions as the second and third of Euclid. There can be no reason for excluding the idea of the motion of a point, since in practice no figures can be drawn except by moving the pencil's point. It appears then that, having once got over the difficulty of defing a point, a ine should be "the path of a point," a definition which would easily lead on to the doctrines of curvature and tangents; and a straight 1ne would be that which does not alter its direction (virtually Euclid's definition); and, as in Mr. Wilson's book, parallel straight lines, those whose directions are the same. It seems to me that it would be better to retain Euclid's definition of proportion, only converting it into a test of proportion; because the constructions founded upon it are so convenient for geometrical purposes; and if it be superseded by the algebraical mode of treating the subject, reasoning on in commensurable quantities must be introduced. In fine, the book which is to supplant Euchd appears to be at present a desideratum. When it appears, it probably must be the work of more heads than one, if it is to be generally accepted A FATHER among teachers. THE circumstances attending my own introduction to geometry lead me to doubt whether a long course of practical geometry is the best beginning. I believe that, on the contrary, unless the demonstrative and deductive principles of the science are soon introduced to the student's notice, he is likely to acquire a distaste for the subject. I was learning, under an infliction of practical geometry (at school), to detest the very sight of a box of mathematical instruments, when a fortunate illness kept me at home for two or three years. I believe that Euclid, as it would have been introduced to me at school, would have rendered my dislike for mathematics complete. But becoming possessed of a Simson's "Euclid," and reading it instead of learning it for "class," I found geometry the most enjoyable of subjects. In a very few months I came to the end of the book, and I have never lost the liking for geometry which I had by that time acquired. Let it not be supposed, however, that I advocate the claims of Euclid as a text-book. The first, third, and sixth books might indeed be retained-with certain omissions and modifications; but the second and fourth books (setting aside a few propositions) are monstrosities of clumsiness.* The fifth, eleventh, and twelfth could never be generally used in their present form. whether a totally new text-book be adopted or Euclid be modified, I am convinced that until the demonstrative and deductive nature of the science is recognised the interest of the student will not be excited. But While, however, my own experience will not permit me to believe that a cour-e of practical constructions is a suitable introduction to geometry, I certainly agree with Mr. Wilson in regarding careful constructions as of the utmost importance to the learner. But, in my judgment, the processes of construction should accompany, not precede, the study of some demonstrative and deducive treatise. So soon as a I believe the chief difficulty under which we labour at present, resides in the fact that, owing to the small encouragement given to the study of geometry at our Universities, we have, even among our ablest mathematicians, very few able geometricians. One cannot read the Cambridge text-books of mathematicswritten though these are, in many instances, wih singular ability-without becoming convinced of this. geometrical construction is introduced we recognise the clearest traces of inaptitude. The fact is s ill more clearly evidenced in treatises professedly geometrical. I take up an edition of Euclid, prepared by a very eminent mathematician, a senior wrangler, and, opening at random the portion relating to deductions, I find the following problem :-" Required to draw a circle through a given point to touch two intersecting lines;" and to solve this obvious third book problem the aid of the sixth book is called in. But it is hardly to be wondered at that university mathematicians are, as a rule, not strong in geometry, for the study of geometry is very little encouraged by university tutors. Indeed, an aptitude for geometrica! methods is generally regarded as more mischievous than useful in the Tripos. I can remember the hints A few instances may perhaps I myself received on this point. interest your readers. The first hint was given me in the lecture-room by a high wrangler (an excellent geometrician). The following proposition had been submitted-"A ball is placed on a horizontal plane, above which is a luminous point; show that the length of the minor axis of the ball's elliptic shadow depends only on the height of the luminous point above the plane." I wrote for answer that the fact is obvious, because two sloping planes touching the ball, and with a horizontal intersection through the luminous point, must clearly have the same slope wherever the ball is placed. The proof was accepted, and even regarded (to my infinite surprise) as ingenious; but I was warned not to leave the safe track of analysis. The next hint was given me by my private tutor, a senior wrangler with fine (but untrained) geometrical powers, on the score of my solving geometrically some problems relating to epicycloidal and hypercycloidal areas. The third hint was given me by a vacation tutor, also a senior wrangler, and was perhaps the best deserved of the three. He had set me a problem relating to a curve which chanced to be a projection of the four-pointed hypercycloid, and the problem was meant as an exercise in analytical processes. Knowing very I first prolittle about these, I ven ured to proceed more meo. jected the curve back again (so to speak), established the property in the case of the quadricuspid hypercycloid, and repro All the proposition of Book II, save f ur, may be established (usual y) in three lines from the first two, of which they are in act little more than corol'aries The main bjection to the fourth book relates to the inscription and circumscription of the regular figures; but throughout the book the heaviness of Euclid's method is much felt. I jected all my constructions on the original plane of the curve. } From the day that I gave a geometrical solution of this problem So little encouragement is given to geometrical work, that I One must Unfortunately (for me at any rate) Messrs. Longmans submitted this pamphlet to "a competent mathematician," who imme diately misunderstood my plan; took the imagined difficulties for real difficulties of my own, and solved for my behoof an immensely difficult problem-the first worked-out example in Potts's Euclid. This achievement (par parenthèse my pamphlet also) was then submitted to another competent mathematician, and he, excited to emulation, suggested another solution of a problem which a boy of twelve might safely attack. Finally, these labours were submitted to Messrs. Longmans and (signatures removed) to myself. So my pamphlet has remained in my desk; for I thought better of it than to send it begging. We want geometricians more than text-books just now. If our universities would give geometry a reasonable position among the subjects for mathematical examination, we should probably soon have both. At present a man with geometrical tastes must either turn from his favourite subject during his university career (with small chance, perhaps, of resuming it) or must be content with but a small share of university success. Brighton, September 15 (R. A. PROCTOR Captain Sladen's Expedition IN reply to F.R.S.'s inquiry in your issue of September 14, I may state that the last number of the "Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London" (1871, part 1) contains several articles by Dr. John Anderson relating to discoveries made during Capt. Sladen's expedition to Yunan, and that the next number (1871, part 2), which I am now preparing for the press, will contain others. It was Dr. Thomas Anderson, Curator of the Botanic Garden at Calcutta, whose untimely death we have recently to lament. Dr. John Anderson (his brother) is, I am happy to say, in good health at his official post as Curator of the Indian Museum and Professor of Comparative Anatomy at Calcutta, or was so, at all events, at the date of his last letters to me, about a month since. P. L. SCLATER 11, Hanover Square, Sept 16 Deschanel's Physics As regards the particular passage in my edition of Deschanel been indicated that H and h, as well as 760, denote so many |