36 LOOSE LEAVES 



'iislance. Consequently, its period of revolution, found by the third 

 law of Kepler, is about two hunch-ed and forty-two years. If therefore, 

 the whole Solar System were arranged as it now exists, at the period as- 

 signed by Moses for the creation of our world, this distant member has 

 completed no more than twenty-four annual periods since its creation. 

 But if the Nebular Hypothesis proposed by La Place, be the true cos- 

 mogany — if the planets have been formed out of nebulous matter thrown 

 of]' from the former atmosphere of the sun, in consequence of its grad- 

 ual condensation — what countless circuits must this ancient world have 

 performed before the birth of even old Uranus ! 



The apparent diameter of the sun at the distance of this body is a 

 fraction less than fifty seconds, or about seven seconds less than the 

 greatest apparent diameter of Venus as seen from the Earth. The de- 

 gree of light and heat which it receives from the sun is about one fifteen 

 hundredth part of that enjoyed by the Earth ; but even this quantity of 

 light is two hundred times greater than that of our full moon. 



This distant globe is said to have an apparent diameter of nearly 

 three seconds; hence its volume must be considerably greater than that 

 of Uranus. M. Le Verrier estimates its mass at more than twice that of 

 tJie latter planet. 



Dr. Galle proposes to call the new planet Janus, in consideration 

 of its being situated upon the confines of the Solar System. To this 

 M. Le Verrier objects, inasmuch as the future may possibly show that 

 the limits of tiie system have not yet been explored. He says, however 

 lie will acquiesce in any other name, as jyeplune^ for example, which 

 may be agreed upon by astronomers. 



LOOSE LEAVES FROM MY JOURNAL. NO. IL 



BY J. G. M. 



^omc fiiiiiiii (German llaturalists. 



"Sie sind llerr Dr. M , aus B : nicht wahr.'" 



" Das ist mcin Name — aber wie wissen Sie es r " 



"Ich habe einen Brief fi'ir Sie, und habe Sie ervvartet — treten Sie 

 geHilligst herein, es wird meineni Vater unaussptechlich freuen Sie zu 

 schen." 



This short and hurried conversation took place between mc and a 

 young man in the door way of a large house in Nuremberg on the 6th of 

 .lunc. I sought out the dwelling as soon as I had become fairly domi- 

 ciliated in my hotel and on ringing the house bell, the yoimg man made 

 jiis aj)pcarance. 1 had travelled two hundred miles to see its occupant 



