14 



HA RD WICK& S SCIENCE- G OS SIP. 



oz. of black tar, one oz. best tallow, and melt by a 

 strong heat, then add to this mixture one lb. resin in 

 small lumps, until the whole becomes a thoroughly- 

 liquid mass, and after filling the outside of the groove 

 with putty, fill the inside of the groove with the hot 

 •cement, as at H. (fig. 14). 



After the cement is thoroughly hardened, which 

 may take two or three hours, we can proceed with 

 the next step, which is to put a frame on the top of 

 the tank, as at L. 



Get two pieces of walnut thirty-one inches long, 

 one inch and a half wide, and half an inch thick, and 

 two pieces fifteen inches long, one inch and a half 

 wide, and half an inch thick ; proceed to cut the ends, 

 -as at K (fig. 12), so as to fit neatly and tightly to- 

 gether, and, after boring a hole through each end, 

 fasten them with a one and a half-inch brass screw, to 

 the top of the tank posts, and after cleaning away 

 any superfluous cement which may have made its 

 -appearance, our aquarium is complete, and ought to 

 present quite a neat and attractive appearance, if our 

 work has been neatly done. 



An iron pipe can also be introduced (covered with 

 rubber), as at P (fig. 6), in order to keep the water at 

 a certain level, and if it becomes necessary to add 

 fresh water, the overflow can be caught with a basin 

 at R. A cork should always be kept in this opening 

 when not made use of, so as to keep the water from 

 dripping on to the floor. 



In stocking, and keeping this aquarium in a 

 healthy condition, I can do no better than recommend 

 my fellow-readers to consult that most excellent 

 book " The Aquarium, its Inhabitants, Structure and 

 Management (The Aquarium as a Nursery for the 

 Microscope)," by J. E. Taylor, as a lengthy discourse 

 upon this subject would here be out of place. 



The outside of the tank can either be oiled with 

 linseed oil, or else coated with some light-coloured 

 paint which may beautify the appearance. For my 

 part, I have always sponged the outside wood-work 

 with good boiled linseed oil ; this is all I ever found 

 it necessary to do. 



Charles Von Eiff, jun. 



New York City. 



ASTRONOMY AND METEOROLOGY. 

 By John Browning, F.R.A.S. 



VENUS will be an evening star throughout the 

 month, setting about 8 o'clock P.M. on the 

 1st, about 8.10 on the 21st, and 7.30 on the 31st. 



Mercury will be a morning star, rising about 

 6.20 A.M. on the 1st, and at times varying between 

 6.18 A.M. and 7.8 A.M. on the 31st. 



Mais will not rise until 10.15 P.M. at the beginning 

 of the month, but will be up about a quarter of an 

 hour earlier each week, rising on the la day about 

 8-3° p -m. 



Jupiter will be late for observation this month, not 

 rising on the 1st until after 11.30 p.m., but getting up 

 earlier throughout the month, so that he will rise on 

 the 31st soon after 9.30 p.m. 



Saturn will set throughout the month between 

 twenty minutes and two hours before sunrise. 



The date of the appearance of the new star in 

 Andromeda is now approximately known. 



During the first week in August the Great Nebula 

 was being carefully observed at the Brussels Observa- 

 tory, and the star was not then visible, but it is said 

 to have been seen by Mr. Isaac Ward on the 19th of 

 August. On the 31st of August it was clearly seen by 

 Dr. Hartwig of Dorpat, and Lord Crawford sent out 

 a circular from Dun Echt announcing its visibility 

 to the astronomical world on the 2nd of September. 

 About three months, therefore, would seem to be the 

 period which elapsed between its first appearance and 

 its dwindling until it had become a 12th magnitude. 



On the 7th of September it was measured with the 

 wedge photometer, and was found to be of 8.25 

 magnitude, this was probably its maximum. 



Two new comets have been discovered ; one on the 

 1st of December, by Mr. Fabry, of the Paris Obser- 

 vatory, R.A., 9 hr. 47 min. 8 sec. n.p.d. 68° 57' 35" ; 

 and the second, on the 3rd of December, by Mr. 

 Barnard, R.A., 65 29' n.p.d. 85 15'. Both are faint 

 comets. 



After the display of falling stars on the 27th of 

 November Dr. Reneger, of Riel, was requested by 

 Dr. Weiss, of Vienna, to look out for Biela's Comet 

 in the neighbourhood of Theta Centauri. 



At the time of writing, information has not reached 

 me whether this search was successful. In my last 

 article I omitted to mention that I am indebted to 

 my esteemed friend W. G. Lettsom, Esq., F.R.G.S., 

 for notices from the " Astronomische Nachrichten." 

 This assistance is invaluable to me, as in whatever 

 language the notices appear, Mr. Lettsom translates 

 them with equal facility. 



The meteor shower on the 27th of November was 

 successfully observed in many places. At Greenwich 

 the number of meteors which fell between 5 and 6 

 o'clock was from 30 to 40 a minute. At Oxford, 

 Professor Pritchard reports that from 6 hrs. 34 mins. 

 to 6 hrs. 39 mins. they fell at the rate of 50 a minute, 

 and from 7 hrs. 14 mins. to 7 hrs. 19 mins. at the rate 

 of 60 a minute. Mr. G. Symons saw 5 in about one 

 second and a half, just before 7 o'clock, which 

 appears to have been the richest time of the shower. 



At Windsor, between 6.15 and 6.40, an immense 

 number of meteors were seen to fall. At Newcastle- 

 on-Tyne 500 were counted in an hour, and at 

 Camden Square, North London, they were seen to 

 fall at the rate of 5000 an hour. 



The mean temperature of the first week in December 

 was about 3 degrees above the average for 20 years, 

 but in the second week a severe frost occurred which 

 lasted several days, the thermometer falling at nights 



