EECEEATIVE SCIENCE. 



107 



METEOEOLOGY OF OCTOBER. 



FROM OBSERVATIONS AT HIGHFIELD HOUSE OBSERVATORY. 



Greatest Amount of 



Cold. Eain. 



Degrees. Inches. 



, 23-0 .. .. — 

 . 25-0 .. .. — 

 . 31-0 .. .. 1-6 

 . 31-0 .. .. 1-7 

 . 31-0 .. .. 4-3 

 . 360 .. .. 2-4 

 . 32-2 .. .. 4-7 

 . 27-7 .. .. 3-1 

 . 28-5 .. .. 2-1 

 . 30-0 .. .. 21 

 . 28-5 .. .. 2-9 

 . 27-0 .. .. 3-3 

 . 24-6 .. .. 0-9 

 . 80-0 .. .. 4-7 

 . 290 .. .. 3-8 

 . 31-5 .. .. 2-3 

 . 32-2 .. .. 3-3 

 The greatest heat in shade reached 71*7^ in 1850, 

 and only SS'O'' in 1842, giving a range in greatest heat 

 of 13'7° for the past seventeen years. 



The greatest cold was as low as 23'0"' in 1843, and 

 never below 36-0" in 1847, giving a range of 13-0". 



In 1854 only nine-tenths of an inch of rain fell 

 in October, whilst 4-7 inches fell in October, 1848, and 

 again in 1855, being a range of 8f inches. On 19th 

 October, 1846, 1"3 inches fell, and on October 7th, 

 1849, an inch of rain fell. The average rain-fall in 

 October is nearly 3 inches ; it is a wet month. 



E. J. Lowe. 



ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATIONS 

 FOE OCTOBEE, 1859. 



The sun in Libra till the 23rd, then in Scorpio. 



The sun rises in London on the 1st at 6h. Im., and 

 on the 31st at Oh. 53m. He sets on the 1st at 5h. 37m., 

 and on the 31st at 4h. 34m. 



Twilight ends on 3rd at 7h. 26m. ; 31st, 6h. 28m. 



Day breaks 5th, at 4h. 15m., 29th, 4h. 56m. 



Length of day on the 12th, lOh. 53m., and on the 

 27th, 9h. 55m.; the decrease being 5h. 22m. on the 5th, 

 and 6h. 27m. on the 24th. 



Full moon on the 11th, at llh. 61m. p.m. 



New moon on the 26th, at Oh. 32m. a.m. 



Moon nearest earth 22nd, furthest 6th. 



Mercury very small, unfavourably situated. In 

 Virgo at commencement, in Libra at close of the 

 moon. In superior conjunction to the sun 11th. In 

 conjunction with Venus on 20th, near moon on 26th. 



Venus is at her greatest distance from the earth, 

 and situated near the horizon ; she is, therefore, ex- 

 tremely unfavourable for observation. She is in Virgo 

 till towards the end of the month, and then in Libra. 



Mars a morning star, unfavourably situated. In Leo 



in the beginning of the month, then in Virgo. On the 

 30th, at 3h. 20m. p.m. he is only two minutes west 

 of Eta Virginis. 



Jupiter is a fine object after midnight in th6 

 N.E. He is in Gemini at the commencement, and in 

 Cancer at the close of the month. The following 

 eclipses of Jupiter's satellites will be visible : — On 

 the 4th, at 3h. 54m. a.m., the 2nd moon disappears. 6th, 

 at Ih. 29m. a.m., the 1st moon disappears. lOth, at 

 Ih. 40m. a.m., the 4th moon disappears. lOth, at 4h. 

 24m. a.m., the 4th moon reappears. 13th, at Oh. 2lm. 

 a.m., the 3rd moon reappears. 13th, at 3h. 22m. a.m., 

 the 1st moon disappears. 20th, at Ih. 14m. a.m., tho 

 3rd moon disappears. 20th, at 4h. 21m. a.m., the 3rd 

 moon reappears. 20th, at 5h. 15m. a.m., the 1st moon 

 disappears. 21st, at llh. 44m. p.m., the 1st moon dis- 

 appears. 26th, at lOh. 33m. p.m., the 4th moon 

 reappears. 27th, at 5h. 11m. a.m., the 3rd moon dis- 

 appears. 29th, at Ih. Im. a.m., the 2nd moon disap- 

 pears. 29th, at Ih. 36m. a.m., the 1st moon dis- 

 appears. 



Saturn is an evening star till the 29th, after which 

 a morning star. He is in the constellation Leo. A 

 pleasing telescopic object, although the position of 

 his rings are not favourable for telescopic observation. 

 He is 2^ N. of the moon at 7 a.m. on the 21st. 



Uranus is in the constellation Taurus, and is be- 

 coming more favourably situated for observation. He 

 resembles a star of the 6th magnitude, and cannot be 

 seen during moonlight. 



Vesta is in Cetus, and wUl be brightest on the 5th 

 (at the time of opposition). This planet, about the 

 7th, makes an equilateral triangle with the stars Theta 

 and Eta Ceti. Being of the 7th magnitude, it is only 

 just visible to the unassisted eye. 



The moon is in the Pleiades near midnight on the 

 14th. There will be an occultation of Taygeta (5th 

 magnitude star) on the I4th; disappearance, llh. 43m. 

 p.m., reappearance on the 15th, at 12h. 56m. a.m. ; 

 another of Maia on the 15th ; disappearance at mid- 

 night, and reappearance at Ih. 7m. a.m. 



The sun south on the 3rd, at llh. 49m. 10s. a.m. ; 

 on the 18th, at llh. 45m. 18s. a.m. ; and on the 28th, 

 at llh. 43m. 56s.a.m. 



Equation of time on the 1st, 10m. 13s. ; on the 15th, 

 14m. 5s.; and on the 3l8t, 16m. 15s. E. J. Lowe. 



THINaS OF THE SEASON— OCTOBEE. 



FOR VARIOUS LOCALITIES OF GREAT BRITAIN. 



Birds Arriving. — Eoyston Crow, Common Shovel- 

 ler, Dartford Warbler, Woodcock, Snipe, Wild Goose, 

 Teal, Lesser GuiUimot. 



Birds DEPARTiNG.-~Common Marten, Sand Mar- 

 ten, Hobby Falcon, Short-eared Owl, Water-rail, Land- 

 rail, Eedstart, Sandpiper, Canadian Goose (rare), 

 King Ousel. 



Insects.— Crane Fly, Blow Fly, Water Scorpion. 



Wild Plants in Flower. — Common Ivy, Genista 

 pilosa. Purple Violet, Shepherd's Spikenard, Arbutus, 

 Winter Green. 



