6 
it was formed by a conjunction of Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. It 
is unfortunate that observations of any of the planets, although of 
ereat scientific interest, are of no avail in elucidating many points 
on which our curiosity is excited. As, for instance, the much 
debated question whether they are inhabited, and if so, by what 
sort of beings! Whether there is any water, any vegetation, or 
indeed any climate, We know that Mars has an atmosphere of 
watery vapour, that it has patches of cloud, and that at either pole 
there are, we believe, ice capped masses just as on our earth. But 
as Mars is twice as far from the sun as the earth, its average 
temperature would be about 90 cbelow zero, so that if animal or 
vegetable life exists, both must be formed on a vastly different 
model from our own. My own feeling is that it would be strange 
indeed were all the werlds, except our own planet, devoid of life, 
but at the same time it is, I fear, an idle hope that we shall ever so 
far bridge over the vast distances of the interstellar spaces, as to 
fathom their mysteries. 
A valuable report has just been issued on ‘‘ Atmospherie Circu- 
lation,” based on observations made during the voyage of H.M 8. 
‘«‘ Challenger.’’ It is, however, impossible for me to enter now into 
so vast a subject, suffice it to say, that the equability of tempera- 
ture on sea compared to that on land has been, among other points, 
clearly demonstrated. In latitude 30, in either the north or south 
Atlantic or Pacific, the daily fluctuations of the temperature of the 
sea itself range only from 0.7 deg. to 1 deg., and the temperature 
of the air ranges only 2.1 deg. to 4 deg., whereas on land the daily 
range is, as you know, often as great as 10 deg. or even 15 deg. 
The reason being, that on land the sun’s rays are wholly absorbed 
by a thin layer of the surface of the earth, so that the temperature 
rapidly rises. On the sea, however, the solar rays penetrate to the 
depth of at least 500 feet, so that although a much greater depth 
is appreciably warmed, the temperature is relatively but slightly 
raised. The report also deals with Barometric changes, the humi- 
dity of the air, velocity of the wind, and many other points of great 
interest and meteorological value. 
In September last an important discovery, as regards our mari- 
time interest, was made of a new rock in the Atlantic, on the 
southern cost of Newfoundland, immediately in the track of vessels 
making for the St. Lawrence. Although covered by 38 feet of 
water, it would, if unknown, and unmarked, form a great source of 
danger to navigation in heavy seas That it has only recently 
been observed in this well-known track, points almost conclusively 
to volcanic action, which moreover was, some years ago, demon- 
strated on the same coast by tidal waves of almost unprecedented 
and fearful velocity. This is the more remarkable as north 
