A Handbook and Atlas of Astroneng, By William Peek. (Gall
and Inglis.)—This is the most complete book on the subject of popular astronomy that we remember to have seen. Whether we can accept Mr. Peek's theory as to the origin of the constellation figures or no, we can have no doubt as to the value and adequacy of his work when he gets on to the firm ground of scientific observation. It is startling indeed to find him demanding for the observations of Egyptian astronomers—and it is in Egypt that he finds the origin of the sidereal names—a period of fifteen thousand years. What do the Egyptologists say to this ? Passing on to other sections of his work, we have a classification of the stars, a list of double stars, illustrated by charts—the illustra- tions are plentiful and excellent throughout the volume—a table of the number of the stars (it mounts up, according to calcula- tion, to more than fifty millions), and a description of the nebulas. This brings us to the fourth chapter, in which the Sun is dis- cussed. After this we have the planets in order. The seventh chapter is given to the Moon, and the eighth to Eclipses. A description of "Astronomical Instruments" follows, the spectro- scope occupying an important place among them. The rest of the volume is given to a niunber of " Star-Maps " and "Star- Charts," accompanied with appropriate explanations. The book will be chiefly useful to the amateur teleseopiet ; but all observers of the heavens will learn much from it, It gives abundance of information, some of it for the first time in a popular treatise, and gives it in a very lucid way. We must repeat and emphasise our praise of the illustrations.
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