horizon he may write out the characteristic products of the animal, vegetable and mineral kingdoms of the different latitudes. By successive exercises of this kind the child reproduces for himself a picture of the great world in which he lives, and thereby lays the foundation for a masterly knowledge of geography, ever vivid and abiding a knowledge indispensible in this age of mechanical wonders, when electric cables are beginning to span the ocean, and great distances on land are traversed in such brief intervals of time.

In the opinion of the late Prof. Olmsted, this unpretending globe, of which we speak, will be quite as useful in the study of spherics and astronomy as in physical and mathematical geography. The ecliptic, the colures, and indeed all the celestial circles may be quickly drawn with great accuracy, and marked in their order, so that one globe serves every purpose of a pair of ordinary globes. There is no reason to think, however, that the sale of printed globes, or of geographies and atlases will be diminished; but rather increased by the introduction of this new globe. These slate globes are made of various sizes up to thirty inches in diameter, and have already been introduced into various High Schools, Normal Schools, as well as common schools and colleges in different parts of our country.

HOOKER'S PRIMARY GEOGRAPHY.*-The peculiar feature of this geography is, that "what the child is already familiar with is made the basis of the extension of his knowledge." The scholar is therefore made to begin with the geography of the school-house, and then is carried on to that of the house-lot, the town, and the state.

PERIODICAL LITERATURE.

JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ORIENTAL SOCIETY.t-It is more than two years since the last preceding issue of this Journal-the second number of the fifth volume-made its appearance. The intermission has been owing partly to the temporary absence of its principal conductors from the country, and partly to the want of pecuniary means. As regards the latter cause of delay, we are glad to learn that not only is it removed for the present, but there is reason to hope that it may

*Geography for Primary Schools, on the true method. By WORTHINGTON HOOKER, M. D. New Haven: Peck, White & Peck. 1859. 18mo. pp. 144.

Journal of the American Oriental Society. Sixth volume. Number I. New Haven. 1859. pp. 268.

not recur in the future. Within the last two years, the membership of the Society has been largely extended, and thus its resources greatly increased; and it is expected, that from this time forward, the members will receive every year, in return for their yearly contributions, an octavo volume of several hundred pages. Of this return, we are confident that they will have neither reason nor disposition to complain, so long as the matter furnished to them shall continue to be of the same high order as the contents of the number before us. The first Article, of more than a hundred pages, is contributed by the learned and excellent Chevalier Khanikoff, Russian Consul-General at Tabrîz in Persia. His name is familiar to the American public from the reports of our missionaries in that part of the world, who have been much indebted to his enlightened interest and uniform friendship. In this communication to the Oriental Society, he gives an account of a very interesting Arabic manuscript, which has come into his possession. It is entitled Book of the Balance of Wisdom, and relates to the water-balance and the determination of specific gravities. The subject is discussed in a copious and exhaustive manner. The writer gives the views of preceding philosophers, both Grecian and Arabian, combining with them the results of his own researches and experiments. His name is so modestly and obscurely stated in his work, as to have escaped the notice of M. Khanikoff; but in the notes appended by the Committee of Publication, it is shown to have been al-Khâzinî. The book itself proves that he lived, for some time at least, in Jurjânîyah, a city of Khuwârazm, (Chorasmia,) near the Sea of Aral, and that he wrote in the days of the Saljûke Sultan Sanjar, who reigned in Eastern Asia from A. D. 1117 to 1157. M. Khanikoff gives an extended analysis of the work, accompanied by considerable extracts, which appear in very elegant and exact Arabic typography, with a subjoined English version prepared by Mr. Salisbury, of the Committee of Publication. It is interesting to find, that the Persian philosopher-for M. Khanikoff protests against the common practice of designating as Arabian all who wrote in the Arabic language that the Persian philosopher of the twelfth century had determined with surprising exactness the specific gravities of the principal substances with which he was acquainted.

In the second Article, which is much shorter than the first or third, we find a series of comparisons between the particles of the Isizulu and its cognate languages in southern and eastern Africa. It is contributed by Rev. Lewis Grout, a missionary of the American Board and an active correspondent of the Oriental Society. His observations given here are

of great interest for comparative philology, as showing the real connection and original identity of the languages to which they refer.

In the remaining Article, of 128 pages, we have a translation of the Sûrya-Siddhânta, accompanied by a very copious and thorough commentary. The Hindus have a number of treatises on astronomy, to which they give the common name of Siddhântas; of these, the one here translated enjoys, on the whole, the highest esteem and veneration. Like other Sanskrit works of science, it is composed in verse, and couched in a style concise, involved, and technical to the last degree—a style which seems designed rather to conceal the thought than to express it. A few years ago, Rev. E. Burgess, then a missionary of the American Board in India, while preparing an astronomical text-book for the use of Hindus, was led to study the native astronomy; and the difficulties which he experienced from the want of any connected and complete view of the subject, suggested the happy thought of supplying the deficiency by a translation and explanation of this Siddhânta. In the execution of that design, he had made considerable progress; but being prevented by other engagements from finishing it to his satisfaction, he surrendered his materials with honorable liberality to the Society's Committee of Publication. The work of recasting the translation and of preparing the necessary commentary has fallen mainly upon one member of the Committee, Professor Whitney of Yale College, and has been elaborately and skillfully executed. Not only are the principles and processes given in the text explained with great clearness of statement and fullness of illustration; constant attention has been paid also to the relations between the Greek and Hindu systems of astronomy, which are shown to be connected in a way that seems to preclude the hypothesis of their independent origination, and to establish the belief that the Hindu system is to a considerable extent dependent on the Greek. The three chapters translated in this number bear the headings" of the mean motions of the planets"-" of the true places of the planets," and "of direction, place, and time." The remaining chapters of the work will appear in the subsequent number, to be published, it is expected, early in 1860. This exhibition of the Hindu astronomical system-a system which has been the subject of much discussion and criticism, of extravagant laulation and undue disparagement, but has never yet been fairly exhibited or understood-will be heartily welcomed by all who take an interest in the history of astronomy. We happen to know that the venerable M. Biot, who, at the great age of eighty-five years, is still an active and enthusiastic

student, and whose attention has of late been directed to the Indian astronomy, having heard of this publication as in progress, addressed to Professor Whitney, through a common friend, an earnest request that the sheets might be forwarded to him at the earliest possible time. We may add, what we find stated on the cover, that a small separate edition of this Article is struck off, which will be for sale by the Society's Agents when the work is completed.

BOOKS AND PAMPHLETS RECEIVED.

Seacliff, or the Mystery of the Westervelts. By J. W. DeForest. Boston Phillips, Sampson & Co. 1859. pp. 466.

Tribute to the Memory of Humboldt. THE PULPIT AND ROSTRUM, No. 6. Addresses of J. P. Thompson, D. D., Prof. Lieber, Prof. Bache, Prof. Guyot, Hon. George Bancroft, Prof. Agassiz. New York: H. H. Lloyd & Co. 1859. 18mo. pp. 36.

1859.

Frank Elliott; or, Wells in the Desert. By JAMES CHALLEN. Philadelphia: James Challen & Sons. 12mo. pp. 347. Igdrasil; or, The Tree of Existence. A Poem. LEN. Philadelphia: Lindsay and Blakiston. 1859.

By JAMES CHAL12mo. pp. 170.

Anna Clayton; or, The Inquirer After Truth. By Rev. FRANCIS MARION DIMMICK, A. M. Philadelphia: Lindsay & Blakiston. 1859. 12mo. pp. 427.

Hemlock Ridge; or, Only Dan White's Son. 18mo. Illustrated. 1859. Boston: Henry Hoyt. Price 40 cents. For sale by F. T. Jarman.

The Mothers of the Bible. By Mrs. S. G. ASHTON. With an Introductory Essay by Rev. A. L. STONE. Boston: J. E. Tilton & Co. 1859. pp. 335. 12mo.

Truth is Everything. A Tale for Young Persons. By Mrs. THOMAS GELDART. First American from Third London Edition. New York. Sheldon & Co., No. 115 Nassau street. 1859. 18mo. pp. 171.

My Sister Margaret. A Temperance Story. By Mrs. C. M. EDWARDS. Four Illustrations. New York: Carleton & Porter. 1859. 12mo. pp. 328. For sale by F. T. Jarman.

The Mother's Mission. Sketches from Real Life. By the Author of "The Object of Life." Five Illustrations. New York: Carleton & Porter. 1859. 12mo. pp. 311. For sale by F. T. Jarman.

To the Readers of the Evangelist. With reference to the recent organization of an Old School church at Geneseo, N. Y. pp. 14.

Rights of Congregationalists in Knox College. Being the Report of a Committee of Investigation of the General Association of Illinois. With an Appendix. Chicago. 1859.

How Shall Man be Just with God? Ay ALBERT BARNES. Philadelphia. Presbyterian Publication Committee. 1859. pp. 132.

The Lord's Supper. By Rev. S. LUCKEY, D. D. With an Introduction by Rev. Bishop JANES. New York: Carleton & Porter. 1859. pp. 284. 24mo. For sale by F. T. Jarman.

Pleasant Surprises. A Book for the Young.

Henry Hoyt, No. 9 Cornhill. 24mo. pp. 132.

Jarman.

1859. Boston: For sale by F. T.

Teddy While; or, The Little Orange Seller. Boston: Henry Hoyt. 1859. pp. 183. For sale by F. T. Jarman.

The Pulpit and True Freedom. A Sermon preached before the Rhode Island Baptist State Convention at Pawtucket, R. I., April 26, 1859. By WILLIAM C. RICHARDS. New York: Shelton & Co. 1859. pp. 46.

Anniversary Address on Ministerial Union. By T. H. STOCKTON, Pastor of the Church of, the New Testament. Philadelphia: T. H. Stockton, 1400 Chestnut street. 1859. pp. 36.

Kind Words for Children, to guide them in the path of peace. By Rev. HARVEY NEWCOMB. Boston: Gould & Lincoln. 1859.

Pp. 141. The Orthographical Hobgoblin. By PHILORTHOS. Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam. 1859. pp. 14.

The Bible and Politics; or, an humble plea for equal, perfect, absolute religious freedom, and against all sectarianism in our public schools. By Rev. W. A. Scorr, D. D. San Francisco: H. H. Bancroft &. Co. 1859. pp. 146.

The Family Christian Almanac. 1860. American Tract Society. Price six cents. For sale by F. T. Jarman.

Report exhibiting the experience of the Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York, for fifteen years ending February 1st, 1858. Printed by order of the Board of Trustees. New York. 1859. 4to. pp. 34.