CONTENTS.


PART I.

THE PHENOMENA OF VISION.

CHAPTER I.

PAGE
THE EYE[15]

CHAPTER II.

THE STRUCTURE OF THE EYE[22]

CHAPTER III.

THE ERRORS OF THE EYE[30]

CHAPTER IV.

OPTICAL ILLUSIONS[36]

CHAPTER V.

THE APPRECIATION OF COLOUR[44]

CHAPTER VI.

ILLUSIONS CAUSED BY LIGHT ITSELF[53]

CHAPTER VII.

THE INFLUENCE OF THE IMAGINATION[60]

PART II.

THE LAWS OF LIGHT.

CHAPTER I.

WHAT IS LIGHT?[73]

CHAPTER II.

THE SOLAR SPECTRUM[84]

CHAPTER III.

OTHER CAUSES OF COLOUR[94]

CHAPTER IV.

LUMINOUS, CALORIFIC, CHEMICAL, AND MAGNETIC PROPERTIES OF THE SPECTRUM[100]

CHAPTER V.

THE LAWS OF REFLECTION.—MIRRORS[106]

CHAPTER VI.

METALLIC BURNING MIRRORS[117]

CHAPTER VII.

LENSES[127]

CHAPTER VIII.

OPTICAL INSTRUMENTS.—THE SIMPLE AND COMPOUND MICROSCOPE. THE SOLAR AND PHOTO-ELECTRIC MICROSCOPE[141]

CHAPTER IX.

THE TELESCOPES OF GALILEO, GREGORY, NEWTON, HERSCHEL, LORD ROSSE, AND FOUCAULT[150]

PART III.

NATURAL MAGIC.

CHAPTER I.

THE MAGIC LANTERN[173]

CHAPTER II.

THE PHANTASMAGORIA[183]

CHAPTER III.

OTHER OPTICAL ILLUSIONS[196]

CHAPTER IV.

THE PROPERTIES OF MIRRORS[216]

CHAPTER V.

CHINESE SHADOWS[223]

CHAPTER VI.

POLYORAMA—DISSOLVING VIEWS—DIORAMA[231]

CHAPTER VII.

THE STEREOSCOPE[236]

CHAPTER VIII.

THE CAMERA OBSCURA AND CAMERA LUCIDA[242]

CHAPTER IX.

THE SPECTROSCOPE[249]

CHAPTER X.

SPECTRES—THE GHOST ILLUSION[264]