TO K.\( )\\' THE STARRY HEAVENS 



359 



of the evening; it cannot, indeed, be 

 seen to the best advantag-e until after 

 midnight. 



If the observer will face the north- 

 east and patiently watch the region of 

 the sky near the constellation Lyra, 

 he will at intervals see a white, swiftly 

 moving star dart outward from near 

 the point D, Figure i, and move in any 

 direction across the sky. The later the 

 hour of the night the higher this region 

 will have risen from the ground, and 

 the more satisfactory the observation 

 will be. It is unfortunate that on these 

 dates the moon will be shining in the 

 eastern heavens and that it is but little 

 past full. This will make the observa- 

 tion of the fainter shooting stars of the 

 shower difficult or even impossible. 



This shower of so-called shooting 

 "stars" is caused by the passing of our 

 earth through a great stream of me- 

 teoric particles which are moving 

 around the sun in the path MPN, 

 Figure 2. This is the path followed 

 by the comet of 1861. The great stream 

 is probably only the remains of this 

 comet, which has been stretched out 

 along its path by the tidal action of 

 the sun. 



Very probably this same action is 

 gradually destroying all periodic com- 

 ets, or rather, it is changing them from 

 compact clouds into long streams of 

 material. It may be mentioned, how- 

 ever, that when the new comet is thus 

 drawn out along its path it will give 

 rise to no additional shower, for our 

 earth does not pass through the orbit 

 of this comet. The orbit, (AC, Figure 

 2) is inclined to the plane of the orbit 

 of the earth by an angle of more than 

 fifteen degrees. 



The Planets in April. 



Mercury cannot be observed during 

 the present month. At the beginning 

 of April it is in the morning sky. and 

 though it passes to the east of the 

 sun on April 14, it will not reach its 

 greatest distance and so emerge from 

 the sun's rays until May 12. 



Venus, the most beautiful and con- 

 spicuous object now in the heavens, 

 cannot fail throughout the present 

 month to attract the attention of every 

 observer. It will attain its greatest 

 distance east of the sun on April 24, 

 and though a most brilliant object 

 then, it will continue to grow brighter 

 until May 27. In the telescope the 



planet is now seen to be very slightly 

 more than half full. 



The path of Venus among the stars 

 during the coming months is shown in 

 Figure i. While on the whole it moves 

 eastward among the stars, an interest- 

 ing fold occurs in the path during June. 

 On account of this, Venus, will pass 

 Saturn three times ; namely, on May 

 23, June 22, and September 6. The 

 first and last of these will be interest- 

 ing conjunctions, at the time of the 

 second one the planets will be too 

 nearly lost in the sun's rays to be ob- 

 served with advantage. 



Mars is still in excellent position for 

 observation, but it is steadily receding 

 from the earth. Its distance from us 

 will increase from eighty-six millions 

 to one hundred and ten millions of 

 miles during the present month, and 

 it will therefore appear to grow con- 

 tinually smaller and fainter. The polar 

 caps and larger markings, can, how- 

 ever, still be well seen. 



Jupiter enters the morning sky on 

 April I, and throughout the month re- 

 mains too near the sun to be well 

 observed. 



Saturn is near the center of the con- 

 stellation Gemini, in excellent posi- 

 tion for observation. 



That our weeds and wild plants are so 

 largely foreign species is said to be the 

 reason that this part of the American 

 continent was formerly forest-clad. The 

 old plants, therefore, do not flourish 

 in the present day conditions, and their 

 place is taken by European plants from 

 imforested districts. 



They'll come again to the apple tree, 



Robin and all the rest. 

 When the orchard branches are fair to see 



In the snow of the blossoms dressed; 

 And the prettiest thing in the world will be 



The building of the nest. 



— Margaret E. Sangster. 



Redbud. 



Pink fairies are peopling the sweet April 

 woods. 

 They flit in and out 'mong the trees; 

 Or so it wfould seem as we'er motoring by, 

 And surprise them in sunlight and breeze, 

 breeze. 



They are holding high carnival now while 

 they may. 

 Awaiting their fair woodland queen, 

 Who soon will be reigning in billowy white 

 In the fresh forest fastnesses green. 



— Emma Peirce. 



