232 



HARD WICKE ' S S CIENCE- G O SSIP. 



Phelps, Ontario, N.Y., on the 25th of August. At 

 that time it was in the northern part of Cancer. 



On the 7th of October, there will be an occultation 

 of Aldebaran, a first magnitude star. The disap- 

 pearance takes place at 3 hrs. 20 min. morning, and 

 the re-appearance at 4 hrs. 2 min. morning. 



On the 13th of October, there will be an occultation 

 of Regulus 1 5 magnitude ; the disappearance will take 

 place at 4 hrs. 44 min. morning, and the re-appearance 

 at 5 hrs. 50 min. morning. 



Mercury is an evening star ; in Virgo till the nth, 

 when it enters Libra. 



Venus is a morning star ; enters Virgo about the 

 25th. 



Jupiter is an evening star, situated in Libra. 



Saturn almost stationary in Cancer throughout the 

 month. 



Rising, Southing, and Suiting of the Principal 

 Planets at intervals of Seven Days. 



Meteorology. — At the Royal Observatory, Green- 

 wich, the highest reading of the barometer for the 

 week ending 20th of August was 29^87 in. on Monday 

 morning, and the lowest 29*57 in. on Wednesday 

 afternoon. The mean temperature of the air was 

 57 •o deg., and 4*9 deg. below the average. The 

 direction of the wind was variable. Rain fell on three 

 days of the week, to the aggregate amount of I • 17 of 

 an inch. The duration of registered bright sunshine 

 in the week was 27*1 hours, against 37*6 hours at 

 Glynde-place, Lewes. 



For the week ending 27th of August, the highest 



reading of the barometer was 29^95 in. on Monday 

 morning, and the lowest 29 - 5S in. on Friday evening. 

 The mean temperature of the air was 63*7 deg., and 

 2*6 deg. above the average. The general direction 

 of the wind was southerly. Rain fell on two days of 

 the week, to the aggregate amount of o"oS of an inch. 

 The duration of registered bright sunshine in the 

 week was 49*1 hours, against 43*5 hours at Glynde- 

 place, Lewes. 



For the week ending 3rd of September, the lowest 

 reading of the barometer was 29 • 1 1 in. on Friday 

 morning, and the highest 29*68 in. on Saturday 

 morning. The mean temperature of the air was 61 "4 

 deg., and I ' I deg. above the average. The general 

 direction of the wind w r as south-west. Rain fell on 

 each day of the week, to the aggregate amount of 

 1*77 of an inch. The duration of registered bright 

 sunshine in the week was 32*1 hours against 26*1 

 hours at Glynde-place, Lewes. 



The mean air-temperature in October for the Lands 

 End is 54 , for the South Coast from Devonport to 

 Dover it is 53 , from the Bristol Channel, through 

 London to the East coast beyond Ipswich, it is 52 ; 

 from Flint through Hereford, Gloucester, Oxford, 

 Bedford, Cambridge, to the sea at the Wash, the 

 temperature is 51° ; from Liverpool through Chester, 

 Stoke, Derby, Lincoln and Hull, to Flamborough 

 Head, the temperature is 50 ; from Wigtown through 

 Cumberland and Newcastle, it is 49 , and through 

 Lanark and Roxburgh to Haddington, to the Firth 

 of Forth, it is 4S . 



The average rainfall for October on the East Coast 

 from Berwick to Ramsgate, is 2 inches. On the 

 South Coast from Ramsgate to Exeter, it is 3 inches ; 

 while, on nearly the whole of the West Coast, it is 

 5 inches. 



SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



Mr. J. B. Lillie Mackay, A.K.C.L., F.C.S., 

 from the Royal School of Mines, South Kensington, 

 and at present engaged as lecturer in Chemistry at 

 Trinity College, Melbourne University, has been 

 appointed Director of the School of Mines, Sandhurst, 

 Victoria. 



We are sorry to have to note the death of two 

 distinguished geologists ; namely, the veteran Belgian 

 Professor Koninck, and Sir Julius Von Haast, of 

 New Zealand. 



We understand that "a Quekett Club-Man" is 

 engaged upon another microscopical manual, "The 

 Student's Handbook to the Microscope," which will 

 treat practically on the working of the instrument. 

 Another well-known microscopist, Mr. T. Charters 

 White, F.R.M.S., &c., is preparing a treatise on the 

 mounting of objects. Both works will shortly be 

 published by Messrs. Roper & Drowley. 



