60 
POPULAR SCIENCE NEWS. 
[April, 1890. 
PRECIPITATION. 
The amount of precipitation the last month, in- 
cluding 5 inches of melted snow, was 396 inches, 
usually in small quantities, well distributed. The 
largest amount at one time was 1.60 inch, on the 
8th. Snow fell in small quantities on five days, but 
principally on the 20th, when about 4 inches fell, 
furnishing four days of imperfect sleighing. On the 
26th the snow was entirely gone. Thunder was 
heard in the evening of the iSth. 
The amount of precipitation the present winter, 
including \i^h inches of melted snow, was only 9.97 
inches, while the average for the last twenty-two 
winters has been 13.50, with extremes of 6.83 in 
1877, and 22.52 in 18S6. Only four winters in 
twenty-two years have had less precipitation than 
the present. We had only two days imperfect 
sleighing in December and four in February — six in 
all. The snows disappeared suddenly, under the 
unusual high temperature, and ice was unmade 
almost as fast as it was made. 
PRESSURE. 
The average pressure the past month was 30 042 
inches, with extremes of 29.42 on the 5th, and 30.54 
on the 2d, — a range of 1.12 inch. The average for 
the last seventeen Februarys was 29.974, with ex- 
tremes of 29.834 in 18S5, and 30.130 in 1876. The 
sum of the daily variations was 8. 98 inches, giving 
an average daily movement of .321 inch. This 
average in seventeen Februarys has been .292, with 
extremes of .162 and .418. On si.x days the move- 
ments ranged from .51 to .86 — a verj' active, as well 
as high barometer. 
The average pressure the present winter was 
30.074, while the average for the past seventeen 
winters has been only 29.960 inches. 
WINDS. 
The average direction of the wind the past month 
was W. 35° 19' N., while the average of the last 
twenty-one Februarys has been W. 27^^ 40' N., with 
extremes of W. 60° 57' N. in 1870, and W. 5° 5' S. 
in 1875, — a range of 66° 2', or nearly six points of 
the compass. 
The average direction of the wind the past winter 
was W. 29'-' 52' N. , and the last twenty-one winters 
W. 21° 20' N. Hence the winds the past winter 
have been 8'-' 32' more northerly than usual ; yet the 
remarkably warm winter. Other causes besides 
the winds modify the temperature. 
COMPARATIVE METEOROLOGY OF NEW ENGLAND 
FOR JANUARY, 189O. 
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The table of comparative meteorology inserted 
above is collected from the Bulletin of the New 
-England Meteorological Society for January, 1890. 
It gives a condensed view of each of the New Eng- 
land States and of all combined, in regard to 
temperature and precipitation, with that of Natick 
appended. 
The table needs but little explanation. The 
first column under "No." gives the number of 
reports from observers in each State ; that under 
precipitation, the number of stations. The other 
other columns explain themselves, except against 
New England, where the "mean" is obtained from 
the sum of all the reports divided by the number of 
reports. 
By the Bulletin, the highest monthly mean in 
New England was 37.9°, at Block Island, R. I. ; the 
lowest iC.o'^, at Fairfield, Me. The highest obser- 
vation was 69°, at Olneyville, R. I. ; and the lowest 
— 23°, at Orono, Me., — giving the range for Janu- 
ary, 1890, in New England at 92"^. The extremes at 
Natick were 10° and 64° — a range of 54°. The 
average temperature of January for twenty-five sta- 
tions in New England, having records for more 
than ten years, is 23.7°; that of Natick for twenty 
years is 24.28°. 
The mean precipitation of thirty-four stations in 
New England, having records for more than ten 
years, is 4 01 inches ; at Natick, in twenty-two 
years, 4.83 inches, — showing a large deficiency in 
precipitation throughout New England during Jan- 
uary, 1890. The largest amouut was 4.66 inches, 
at West Milan, N. H. ; and the least 1.26 inches, at 
Shelton, Conn. D. W. 
Natick, March 5, 1890. 
[Specially Computed for Popular Science News.] 
ASTRONOMICAL PHENOMENA FOR 
APRIL, 1890. 
Mercury is a morning star at the beginning of 
the month, but is too near the sun to be easily seen. 
It passes superior conjunction and becomes an even- 
ing star on the morning of April 9, and by the end 
of the month is well out toward east elongation, 
which it reaches on May 6. During the last few 
days of April, and for some time in May, it is in 
pretty good position for observation, setting about 
an hour and a half after the sun. It is seven or 
eight degrees north of the sun, and may be seen in 
the twilight soon after sunset, near the horizon, a 
little north of west. Venus is also an evening star, 
and is getting far enough away from the sun to be 
easily seen. Venus and Mercury are very near 
together at the end of the month. Mercury will be 
about three degrees above Venus as they set on 
April 30. Mars rises at about 11 P. M. on April i, 
and at about 9 P. M. on April 30. It is in the con- 
stellation Scorpius, and moves eastward until April 
22, when it begins to retrograde, the whole motion 
being only about three degrees. It is east and 
north of the brightest star of the constellation — the 
first magnitude red star Antares (Alpha Scorpii.) 
The planet is approaching the earth, and on April 
30 its distance is about 55,000,000 miles — a diminu- 
tion of about 20,000,000 miles during the month. 
It will be in opposition with the sun on Mav 27, but 
will not reach the nearest approach to the earth 
until June 5. On the morning of April 9 tKere will 
be a very near approach of Mars to the moon, which 
will be an occultation in some places, but not in the 
eastern part of the United States. Jupiter is in the 
constellation Capricornus, and rises at about i 
A. M. on ApriJ i, and at about 11 P. M. on Ap'ril 30. 
It comes to quadrature with the sun on the morning 
of May I . During April it moves about four degrees 
east and north among the stars. Saturn is in fine 
position for observation, being on the meridian at 
about 9 P. M. at the beginning of the month, and a 
little less than two hours earlier at the end. It is in 
the constellation Leo, and in that part of the con- 
stellation known as the Sickle. It will be interesting 
to watch its motion with reference to the bright star 
Regulus (Alpha Leonis), at the end of the handle of 
the Sickle, during this and the following months. 
At the beginning of April it is about three diameters 
of the moon north of Regulus, and not far from a 
line between it and Eta Leonis, the smallish star at 
the junction of blade and handle. During the 
month it moves west and north a little more than 
one diameter of the moon, and on April 28 turns 
around and starts back by nearly the same route. 
Toward the end of May it will be just about where 
it was at the beginning-of April. Uranus will be 
in opposition with tJie sun on April 14. It will then 
be about three degrees east and one degree north of 
Spica (Alpha \'irginis.) The planet approaches the 
star about one degree during the month. Neptune 
is an evening star, in the constellation Taurus, and 
is very near conjunction with the sun at the end of 
the month, setting less tftan two hours after. 
The Constellations. — The positions given hold 
good for latitudes not many degrees diflerent from 
40° north, and for 10 P. M. on April i, 9 P. M. 
April 15, and 8 P. M. April 30. Leo Minor, a small 
constellation with no very bright stars, is in the 
zenith. Leo is just south of it, the principal group 
(the Sickle) having just passed the meridian. 
Hydra is below Leo. Virgo is in the southeast, 
about halfway from horizon to zenith. Libra is 
just rising below Virgo. Going from the zenith 
toward the east, we see first Coma Berenices, and 
Canes Venatici ; below these, Bootes, then Corona 
Borealis. Hercules has just risen, a little north of 
the east point. Lyra and Cygnus are on the hori- 
zon, just north of Hercules. Draco and Ursa Minor 
are east of the pole star. Ursa Major lies between 
the zenith and pole star, the pointers being very near 
the meridian. Cassiopeia is below and a little west 
of the pole star, and Perseus is west of the latter, at 
about the same altitude. Auriga is a little higher 
and farther west. Taurus is on the northwest hori- 
zon ; above it follow Gemini and Cancer, just west 
of Leo. Orion is setting in the west, and Canis 
Major in the southwest. Canis Minor is above and 
between the last two. M. 
L.\ke Forest, III., March 5, 1890. 
LITERARY NOTES. 
The second volume of the magnificent Century 
Dictionary, including tlie letter t\ is now ready. 
We have already referred to this work at length, 
and can only repeat that it is indispensable to every 
one desiring a complete knowledge of the English 
language. The Century Co., New York, publishers. 
A lland-Book of Materia Meclica, Pharmacy, and 
Therapeutics, by Samuel O. L. Potter, M. D. 
Published by P. Blakiston, Son & Co., Philadel- 
phia. Price, $4 00. 
This is an exceedingly practical work, and con- 
tains a great deal of valuable original matter, 
selected from Dr. Potter's experience in his exten- 
sive private practice. The use, dosage, and medi- 
cinal eftect of the various medicinal substances are 
very clearly and thoroughly described; and the list 
of diseases, with the remedies appropriate to each, 
amount of dose, etc.. will be found a very useful 
department. It is no mere classification of "diseases 
followed by a catalogue of drugs, but is a complete 
digest of modern therapeutics, and as such will 
prove of the greatest use to its possessor. 
The same firm have also published a New German- 
English Medical Dictionary, by Frederick Tree\es, 
F. R. C. S., and Mr. Hugo Lang; a Manual of the 
Practice of Medicine, by Frederick Taylor, M. D. ; 
and a Text- Book on oLitetrics, by Dr.F. Winckel, 
(Munich), translated by Prof. Edgar F. Smith of 
the University of New York. 
