THE article on the tercentenary of the telescope, published in NATURE of December 16, 1909, is extremely welcome, not only because of its appositeness in point of date, but because Dr. Dreyer sets in true light the nature of Galileo's claims in connection with the discovery of the telescope. I do not think that it can be denied that Galileo himself makes the claim, for he puts into the title of the “Sidereus Nuncius” the words ”nuper a se reperti.” Nor can this be brushed aside as merely an elliptical phrase, because it is pretty clear that he left on the minds of the Doge and Senate of Venice the impression that he had invented the instrument with which he showed them the shipping. I deduce this from the decree as given in a footnote by Mr. Fahie on p. 78 of his admirable “Life of Galileo.”