New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-04-14
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

FAMILIAR SCIENCE STUDIES. BY R,c wun,s,n a:
ton. 1889.
These studies are moro familiar than tney arc
scientific There can be no question ABOUT 'ne easy
upconstrained way in which MI. froctoI oinuses
s.i.rco INIT "A bappens too often that the science
which be has 70 impart is of doubtful quality.
This ia serious matter for it impairs the useful
mesa Of n man who is admirably fitted in several
wavs for the work Of popularizing science sucn
mistakes bring what is known as popular science
into contempt by giving the impression that science
made popular means superficial science or no
science at all. Now 1t is not reasonable 70 expect
that the great mass Of intelligent people will ever
be careful investigators close thinkers, or even
that they will be able to follow hard after the fore
most explorers in their search for natures secrets
or comprehend clearly the deductions and generan-
cations of the greatest philosophers But there are
of the first truths of physical science W
spec,al cases which can be understood and must DC
understood IL human life is to be ordered 10 'no
best advantage And just here is the heid lor popu
lar science There must be men who Know anu "no
can explain. develop and apply what they Know
MIR Proctor is a man of recognized. II not Oh tno
highest. scientific attachments, and he has sihsu-
larry happy faculty of expression. Ills style ID "
model of cearness and direct vigor nd IL is ad'r
ably adapted to the task OF bringing aostruse iao
and relations within the range of ordinary compfe-
hension II he would devote larger percentage Oh
his intellectual activity to severer study ana re-
strain his facility for utterance he would serve ms
generation TO better purpose First OF ALL he shoulo
see 10 il that his mathematics, his astronomy HIS
chemistry are genuine science. lie shouid DC ceI-
tain that he has taken from the mine the pure gou
of scientific truth before he minis II INTO small
coin for everyday circulation. If he has not the
time or talent to dig successfully himself, he should
test the ore which others have uneartEed before NC
stamps it and gives it popular currency.
In the present volume great variety OF topics
are discussed from the mathematical certanties Oh
the fifteen puzzle to the hypothetical horrors
threatened by cranky comet. Many OF INC
studies are trivial, and some of them are excur-
s;ons into that misty borderland between ascer-
tanned truth and more or less plausible guessing
One of these is the paper entitled "a Menacing
Comet" which has been widely discussed, and IN
which Mr. Proctor tells what disagreeable expert
ences might possibly be in store for the solar system
IL the comet which appeared IN the SOUTHERN
heavens in 1880 was the comet which somebody
guessed it was and moved in the orbit somebody
else believed 1t did. The book contains no great
amount of information which is OF substantial
value and the pleasant pictorial way IN when TINS
little is given will deepen the regret OF the reader
that there is no more of it.
AMERICAN ETCHINGs Edited by ERNEST KNAUFfr.
Published by the ArtInterchange PuDnsning 10
Parts H. "
Since the regretted decease of The American art
Pcrietr there has been 10 means by which Amer
lean etchers get their work before the general
public. except by the ordinary channels of trade.
Mr.. s. r. Koehler the Editor of the Review, was
enthuthiasticay interested in the art of etching,
apd did all that Law in his power to develop it and
aid its growth in this country by giving commits
sions TO artists to make etchings for his Review,
and by bringing his own very thorough knowledge
of the matter to bear in setting them before the
public with every advantage of paper, INK, ana
careful printing In the two years of the existence
of the Review if Mr.. Koehler cannot be said liter
ally to have created a school of etchers on this
side the water, he certainly did more than any
other man has done to encourage and build up such
q school, The present venture OF the Art-Inter-
change Publishing Company aims to continue tins
good work. and we heartily wish our contemporary
success in its undertaking. Each number contains
single etching and brief biographical sketch OF
the artist who made it, No. 1 contained,
"The House on the Hilltop" by Kruseman van
Elten No. "A Poor Relation by J. A. Mitchell;
No. 9. Sunset, Maine Coast by H. Farrer No. 4,
Burnt Pines y by ]. c. Nicoll; ana No 5, " Shan
ties on the Harlem by c. A. Platt None of these
etchings are of great value as compared with the
works which have given their authors reputation
In artistic circles, and, in some cases, with the
general public we think too the price is high, and
that wider public could be reached and the
publication of better work made possible, by
over charge for the separate numbers Mr. f. A.
Mitchelps "A Poor Relation " is not remarkable as
an etching but as anecdote it is certainly very
funny.