HIS ASTRONOMICAL STUDIES: "JOHNNIE MOON." IO/ 



was often asked to consult it by his friends and others, to 

 their great surprise and amusement. 



John took notes of various astronomical phenomena ; 

 for instance, recording that "on the I2th of April, 1842, 

 there was a ring about the sun from two o'clock to four 

 o'clock," and giving a drawing of it. 



He also made a special study of calendars, and, as 

 already told, bought an almanack every year, which he 

 carefully preserved to the last. Numerous memoranda 

 exist made by him regarding eclipses and other celestial 

 phenomena that were to happen during the year, evidently 

 transcribed, to be placed on his loom, according to his 

 custom, in order to be glanced at while engaged in weaving, 

 and to guide his nightly observations. 



The related science of Meteorology, then in its infancy, 

 also drew his attention throughout life, and he showed con- 

 siderable skill in interpreting weather signs, the theoretical 

 causes of which he investigated. These his frequent 

 wanderings sub Jove gave him ample opportunities of ob- 

 serving. He possessed a thermometer and other meteoro- 

 logical gauges. 



From the nature of the case, John's astronomical studies 

 attracted more popular notice amongst his unlearned con- 

 temporaries than even his herb-doctoring, during his pre- 

 botanical days ; and it would have been strange had he 

 escaped some relative nickname. This he did not do. 

 For many years before he became generally known as the 

 botanist of the latter half of his life, he was notorious as an 

 Astronomer, and was in various parts spoken of as " the 

 star-gazer." In some places, he was called " Johnnie Moon," 

 or as the Aberdeen tongue expresses Luna's name, " Johnnie 



