130 THE BORDERLAND OF SCIENCE. 



by currents, and -further that most of those effects 

 which our students of physical geography ascribe to 

 ocean currents, take place also in the case of Mars. 



Summing up the results here considered, we seem to 

 recognise abundant reasons for regarding the ruddy 

 planet which is now shining so conspicuously in our 

 skies as a fit abode for living creatures. It would 

 seem, indeed, unreasonable to doubt that that globe is 

 habitable which presents so many analogies to our own, 

 and which differs from our own in no circumstances 

 that can be regarded as essential to the wants of living 



creatures. 



(From the CornUll Magazine for May 1871.) 



A WHEWELLITE ESSAY ON THE PLANET MARS. 



THE planet Mars has returned to our nocturnal skies, 

 after being unfavourably placed for rather more than two 

 years. He now shines throughout the night as a 

 ruddy star in the constellation Virgo distinguished 

 by his superior lustre, as well as by his colour and the 

 steadiness of his light, from the leading brilliants of 

 that constellation. Night after night, he will rise 

 earlier, becoming towards July and August an evening 

 star in the ordinary sense of that expression for, 

 strictly speaking, he is already an evening star. 



When Mars was last in a favourable position for 

 observation, I wrote an essay, entitled Life in Mars, 

 describing the considerations which have led astro- 



