[3.] “Prof. Upham,” Thomas Cogswell. (1799-1872.) An American author. For two years he was pastor of the Congregational church in Rochester, and in 1825 he accepted a professorship in Bowdoin College.
CHEMISTRY.
[1.] “Adams,” John Couch. (1819-⸺.) An English astronomer, who shares with Leverrier the honor of having calculated the place of the planet Neptune before it had been seen.
[2.] “Leverrier,” Urbain John Joseph, lŭh-vair-yā. (1811-1877.) A French astronomer. His “Tables of Mercury” and some memoirs led to a friendship with Arago, and opened to him the door of the French Academy. He then began the study of the disturbances of the planets, which led to the discovery of Neptune. By a remarkable coincidence the existence of this planet was discovered at the same time, and independently, by Adams.
[3.] “Foucault,” Leon, foo-kō. (1819-1868.) A French natural philosopher, who for years turned his attention exclusively to optics, and was very successful in mechanics. He invented an electric lamp which was adopted by natural philosophers for physical experiments, and was used for lighting large factories.
[4.] “Brobˈdig-nag,” also written Brobdingnag. The imaginary country described by Dean Swift in “Gulliver’s Travels,” which was inhabited by a race of giants.
[5.] “Perihelion,” perˈi-hēlˌyun; “Aphelion,” af-hēlˈyun.
[6.] “Kepler,” Johann. (1571-1630.) A distinguished German astronomer and mathematician, to whom the world is indebted for the discovery of the laws that regulate the movements of the heavenly bodies. He was appointed to the chair of astronomy in Gratz University, in Styria, but in 1598 was dismissed because he professed the reformed religion; he was afterward recalled. He was an earnest disciple of Copernicus, and published in seven volumes the “Epitome of the Copernican Astronomy,” which was placed in the list of prohibited books by the inquisition. He was the author of many other works.
[7.] “Dr. Maskelyne,” Neville. (1732-1811.) An English astronomer.