The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-12-08

conclusions. but rather serves to marx tho ,.,.
ress OF science toward exactitude. So TOO as.
nomenclature In use at the time when tho -
eral disquisitions were penned has connect
been retained. Among other subjects troo,os
in these pages tho reader will remark n, H.
vestigaton Of the temperature at which bodia.
become rcd hot. as well as tho nature NJ A.
light they emit at different degrees and tho ~
nection between their condition as to ylbro,,o.
and their heat. 1t is further shown that ign,,o,
solids yield a spectrum that is eontinn
Gus. not interrupted n phenomenon which
has eince become fundamental fact in ns,,o.
nomical spectroscopy. And it Is worth notin,
that ut the time when DR.. Diapers experiment
in this direction were first published no onoin
America and few in Europe except Frnun.
hofer. had given attention TO the spcctroseono
In another paper first communicated 10 ibs
London. Edinburgh and Dublin Philos,nhicol
Magazine In 1S43. the author pointed out tbo,
tho fixed lines in the suns spectrum might
be photographed doubled their numbor
and detected other new lines at the rcd
ond, Tho data thus acquired were ann
seduently applied in an investigation Of tbs
nature Of flame. and an inquiry into thu
condition OF the suns surface. Still anotho,
memoir chronicles an experimental study n
phosphorescence. In the course Of which soma
phosphoresccnt pictures Of the moon wero ar
tanned. Other essays dealing with photogranb,
will be found peculiarly interesting when ,ro
remind the reader that the first Photographic
portrait taken from life was made by Dr. bra.
per The process by which this Initial ptrnra
was secured Ia here described. These paees
include likewise an account of the -,
rious method employed for obtninlc,
Photographic OF microscopic objects and
exhibit specimens OF the results To nj.
ologists the most striking and sttrae,iv,
paper in this volume will douhtlrss 10, the ma
moir numbered 26." I'm which facts gathered
while observing the passage u gases through
thin films. such a. soap bubbles ami the Zero.
with which these movements are ACCOMPLISHED
are applied to an explanation " the circulation
Of the sap In plants and Of the blood in nninols
In general II may be said Of the discussion,
here collected that they represent the aborofs
lifetime. Such publication. therefor. assume,
the character OF an autobiography and IN a
reader imbued with the true srirt of research
even the shortcomings that may he found In A
carry with them useful suggestions.
M WI
Under the title Of Contributions 10 Naiara
History tMillerl. Mr.. JAMES SIMsoS has col.
ected n number OF papers the most interesting
OF Wnlcn DISCUSS various moot questions
specting snakes and vpers. In which the author
takes opposite ground 10 such wcllsnor-p
authorities as Mr. Frank Buckland and Viii.
OF Selborne. Among the matters in 1lsla,s
and "a to which the evidence in possessi,n8
naturalists is conflicting the following rayk
cited: Does the viper. or any other snake swal
low it, young9 What Ia the process b. w.sb
snakes cast their skins. and what is ths real
nature OF the phenomenon known rs bird
charming7 Upon all Of those heads Mr. Simp.
son has some observations Of his own 10 Offer
and has drawn good deal u testimony from
sources not easily accessible. In each case his
conclusions diner from those commonly &C.
cepted by naturaists and he does not hesitate
TO sanction the popular notion that certain
species OF the serpent kind do in truth swailow
their young-a phenomenon often pronounced
apocryphal.