LIFE IN MAES. 123 



with clouds, fog, and mist, wind-storms and rain- 

 storms can be recognised, either directly or in their 

 effects, when Mars is studied with the telescope. The 

 answer is full of interest. We have been able to learn 

 much respecting the meteorology of this distant world. 

 In the first place, we see that at times the features 

 of his globe those well-recognised markings which 

 indicate the figure of oceans and continents are 

 hidden from view as if by 'clouds. A whitish light 

 replaces the well-marked red colour of the continents 

 or the equally well-marked green-blue tint of the 

 oceans. But more. We can at times actually watch 

 the gradual clearing up of the Martial skies, for we 

 can see the whitish region of light gradually growing 

 smaller and smaller, the features it had concealed 

 coming gradually into view. On one occasion 

 Mr. Lockyer was observing Mars with an excellent 

 telescope, six inches in aperture, when he became 

 aware that a change of this sort was in progress. A 

 certain well-known sea was partially concealed from 

 view by a great cloud-mass spreading over many 

 thousand square miles of the Martial surface. But as 

 the hours passed, the clouds seemed to be melting 

 away, whether by the sun's heat or because they had 

 fallen in rain was, of course, not determinable. When 

 Mr. Lockyer ceased observing for the evening at 

 about half-past eleven a large proportion of the sea 

 before concealed had come into view. But on the 

 same night, the eagle-eyed Dawes, the prince of 

 modern telescopists, as he has been called, was also 



