Morning journal and courier., 1881-02-01
RECENT PUBLICATIONS.


 thousand words, is published by J. B. Lip
 pincott & Co.,, of Philadelphia. This little book
 will be found of decided benefit by both writers and speakers It differs from any
 other collection of synonyms in containing only such words as are in constant use in or
 dinary conversation and correspondence, and l it will be found that precision and variety are 1 the principal qualities which are aimed at and which have been effectually achieved in the compilation. For sale in this city by Judd the bookseller.
 | ''Sir William Berschel: His Life and Works" by Edward s. Holden, supplies | want, for up to this time there has been no ! biography of the great astronomer accessible ! to general readers, and none which approach 1 es completeness. In this volume Prof. Hol- den gives in condensed form an account of the works of Herschel. In preparing it, the I thor has had to depend upon data already in print, upon the memoir of Herschel's sister, l his scientific writings, and the memoirs and diaries of his contemporaries. Sir William Herschel was born in Hanover, in 173s But little is actually known of his early life, and most of what is known is found in a letter written by Herschsl himself, which is here published in full The volume contains a sketch of the astronomers life from 173S to 1772, of his life in Bath from 1772 to 17S2, during which time his astronomical studies and researches were fairly begun. In 1775 he made his first review of the heavens with Newtonian telescope, one of the first made by himself but during all these years his profession and means of livelihood was that of musical composer and leader of concerts and oratorios, and his last musical duty wns performed on Whit-Sunday, 1782, in St. Margaret's Chapel, Bath when the anthem for the day was of his own composition. From that time The was 8 private man no longer. Henceforth he belongs to the whole world" The third chapter describes Her. sohels life at Datchet, Hale and Slough. In 17sS he was married to the widow of John Pitt, lady of singular suitability and gen. tleness of character, who entirely sympa- thized with his scientific pursuits, and whose fortune removed all anxiety about money matters. Herschel died in August, 1922, at the age of eighty-four years and was buried at Upton, near Windsor. The fourth chap ter of the work is devoted to a reviewof the scientific labors of iierschel. Published by Charles Scribner's Sons, New York, and for sale in this city by Judd the bookseller
 1.-The Atomic Theory.'' by Ad. Wurtz, translated by E. Clsminshaw, is 8 statement, explanatory and analytical, of the modern hypothesis of atoms. The atomic hypothesis is advanced to explain the fact that in chem ical combinations clements unite in fixed pro portions and in certain cases in multiple pro- portions These proportions are held to rep resent the relative weights of indivisible par ticles of the bodies, which particles are brought into contact and grouped by the fact of combination. In the development of this idea the composition of bodies comes to be represented by symbols representing the na- ture and number of these particles and the ! proportion of the clements entering into combination. Here are two things, facts and hypothesis, and Professor Wurtz un- dertakes to show that this hypothesis in ifs I origin, progress and results, must be given the rank of scientific theory. The volume | is the twenty-ninth of the International | Scientific Series, published by D. Appleton < | Co.,, New York, and is for sale in this city by ! Judd the bookseller.
 "An Anecdotal History of the British Parlia- ment from the Earliest Periods to the Present I Time; with Notices of Eminent Parliament ary Men and Examples of their Oratory," by ! George Henry Jennings, is a very useful and l interesting book. The materials have been so arranged that they furnish an orderlry l history of Parliament, illustrated at every point by anecdotes and personal sketches. The editor has wisely adopted the plan of presenting his matter in it's original form, supplementing paragraph from one writer l with paragraph from another, and making | an ingenious mosaic of the whole which has ! the advantage of revealing good deal con- l corning the literary and social as we'll as the ! parliamentary history of England. The work | is divided into three parts and an appendix. Part first is devoted to the rise and progress of parliamentary institutions part second to l personal anecdotes. and part third to miscel- ! laneous anecdotes concerning elections, priv 1 ilege, parliamentary usages, etc. The appen- dix gives lists of the parliaments of England | and of the United Kingdom, chronological | and alphabetical lists of the Speakers of the House of Commons, and chronological list | of prime ministers chancellors and secreta- | ries of state from 1715 to 1880. Published by D. Appleton < Co, New York, and for sale in this city by Judd the bookseller.
 Miss Parloa's New Cook Book, ? just pub iished by Fstes IR Iauriat of Roaton ia in