June 1, 1888.] 



♦ KNOWLEDGE ♦ 



189 



Inspectors Arithmetic Questions, Standards III., IV., V., 

 V[., and VJI. MoffatCs Geoijraplnj of the British 

 Empire. (London : Moffiitt ct Paige.) Of wliich INIr. 

 Williams's work seems to be designed on a common-sense 

 plin, and the others to fulfil the purpose for which they 

 were compiled. Also from the same publishers — Hoic to 

 Prepare Xotes of Lessons, by T. J. Livesey ; TJie Earth and 

 the Solar System ; Tlie Ocean ; llow to Tench Readinj, by 

 T.J. Livesey; English Grammar; and Time Drill. All 

 useful to teachers in elementary schools. — From Messrs. Relfe 

 Brothers we have First Principles of Modern History, by 

 T. S. Taylor ; How to Spell and Speak Eni/lish, by JI.A. 

 Cantab. ; and Bates made Easy, by J. H. Hawi.ey. — From 

 Messrs. Swan Sonnenscheiu, Lowi-ey, & Co., A First History 

 of the English People, by Amy Baker, the second volume 

 terminating with ihe reign of Elizabeth ; and from Mr. 

 David Nutt, Simon de Montfort and his Cause, by Eev. 

 W. H. HuTTO.v, M.A., each of the works .specified being a 

 more or le.'s successful attempt to render history digestible 

 to the youthful mind. — A Plea, for Training the Hand 

 (New York Industrial Education Association. 1888), which 

 might be lead with jirofit by those who are urgent to grossly 

 misuse Board Schools by teaching French, etc., in them ; as 

 pointing out a more excellent way of employing the spare 

 time of children who must subsequently live by their own 

 labour. — Moffatt's Deductions from Euclid. (London : 

 MofTatt & Paige.) Handy for testing the student's com- 

 prehension of the problems and theorems of the mighty 

 Alexandiine geometer. — Education, Scienc, Geology. By 

 H. P. Malet. (London: Farmer & Sons. 1888.) Un- 

 worthy of serious criticism ; and Education in Bavaria. 

 By Sir Philip Magnus. (New York. 1888.) A clever 

 attempt to persuade the British taxpayer further to endow 

 the South Kensington ring. 



Among the literary odds and ends on our table are : 

 Physical Geography of 2Iotmtains and Rivers. By Thomas 

 Paige. (London : MofTatt & Paige.) Useful to the beginner. — 

 A National Canal Between the Four Fivers a Sational 

 Necessity. By Sa.muel Lloyd. A scheme for promo'.ing 

 English prosperity by uniting the Thames, the Severn, the 

 Mersey, and the Humber. — The Natural Law of Relation 

 between Rainfall and Vegetable Ufe and its Application to 

 Australia. By Franz A. Velschow, C.E. Which develops 

 the theory that de.serts have a " cushion " of air over them 

 which effectually buoys up rain-clouds, and prevents them 

 from ever discharging their contents. — And the Reports of 

 Excursions during the Summer of 1887 made by the London 

 Geological Field Class under the direction of Professor 

 H. G. Seeley. (London: Geo. Philip A Son. 1888.) 

 Short, thoroughly practical, and useful to the field geologist. 



THE FACE OF THE SKY FOR JUNE. 



By F.R.A.S. 



|HE student may continue to watch the sun for the 

 small spots which appear at distant intervals. 

 Jlidnight, on June 20, is the date ot the summer 

 ■solstice, and the 21st is the date of the " longest 

 clay." There is no real night this month in any 

 part of tireat Britain. Map vi. of "The Stars in 

 their Seasons," shows the face of the iii^ht sky. 

 Jlercury, as an evening star, is capitally placed for 

 the observer, and may be well seen without 

 instrumental means, after sunset, over the N.W. by W. part of 

 the horizon. Towards the end of the month he presents a prettv 

 little crescent of over 11" in diameter. On the 12th, wheii 

 at his greatest elongation east of the sun, he will be a little 

 more than 1° north of S Geminorum ("The Stars in thtir 

 Seasons,'' map ii.). Venus is a morning star, and is approach- 

 ing the sun. She is but poorly placed indeed for the observer. 

 Mars is approaching the west and should be looked for as 



soon after sunset as he is visible. His angular diameter con- 

 tinues to diminish, and it lequires a pretty powerlul telescope to 

 detect much detail on his surface. He will be found in Virgo 

 (■'The Stars in their Seasons," map v.). Jupiter's position is im- 

 proving a little; but he still has considerable (though decreasing) 

 south declination. He should be observed when close to the 

 meridian. He is in Libra (" The Stars in their Seasons," map vi ) 

 throughout the month. The phenomena of Jupiter's satellites 

 observable at convenient hours during June are as follow ; — 

 Satellite i. will be occulted on the 1st at lOh. 62 P.M. On the 2nd, 

 satellite i. will pass off Jupiter's disc at lOh. 12m. p.m. ; followed by 

 its shadow at lOh. 20m. p.m. On the 6th satellite ii. will dis- 

 appear in occuliation at lOh. ;)Cm. p.m.; as will satellite i. 37 

 minutes after midnight on the 8th. On the 9th, the transit of 

 satellite i. will begin at 9h. 4-lm. p.m. ; as will that of its shadow 

 at lOh. 11m. The satellite will leave Jupiter's opposite limb 

 at Uh. o6m. P.M., and the shadow 23 minutes after mid- 

 night. On the 10th satellite i. will reappear from eclipse at 

 yh. 40ra. 31s. P.M. On the 13th satellite ii. will be occulted at 

 12h. 53 P.M. The egress of this same satellite from the face of the 

 planetwillhappenonlhe 1 5th at 1 Oh. ISm. P.M., and it will be followed 

 by its shadow at llh. 29m. On the 10th the transit of satellite i. 

 will begin at llh. 30m,, as will that of its shadow at 12h. oin. P..M. 

 Satellite i. will reappear from eclipse at llh. 34ra. 5 Is. p.m. on the 

 17th, as will satellite iii. from occultation at lOh. 25m, P.M. on the 

 18th, only to suffer eclipse later at llh. 15m. 3Ss. On the 22nd the 

 transit of satellite ii. will begin at lOh. (im. P.M., and that of its 

 sh.adow at llh. 33m, The satellite will pass off Jupiter's face 

 35 minutes alter midnight. On the 24th satellite i, will be occulted 

 at lOh. 34m, P.M, On the 25th the egress of satellite i, from 

 Jupiter's limb will happen at 9h. 55m., and that of its shadow at 

 lOn, 42m. P.M. Finally, 4 minutes after midnight satellite iii. will 

 be occulted. Saturn has left us until the end of the year. Uranus 

 is rapidly approaching the west, and to be seen at all must be 

 looked for the moment it is dusk. He is situated between Spica and 

 7 Virginis ("The Stars in their Seasons," map. v,). The moon enters 

 her last quarter 534 minutes after noon on the 1st, is new at 

 4h. 34ra, P.M, on the 9th, enters her first quarter at 6h. 49-7m, on 

 the morning of the 17th, and is full at 9h. Tom, in the evening 

 of the 23rd, The sole occultation of a star visible during June 

 at a convenient hour is that of 50 Sagittarii on the 24th. 

 The star, w'hich is of the Cth magnitude, will disappear at the 

 bright limb of the moon at lOh. Gm. p,M, at an angle of 65° 

 from her vertex, and reappear at her dark limb at llh. 16m. P.M. 

 at an angle from her vertex of 250°. At noon to-day the 

 moon is in .^quariu.s, which constellation she quits for Pisces 

 at 9h. a.m. on the 2nd ("The Seasons Pictured," plate xxii.). In 

 her journey through Pisces she passes into Cetus at 3h, a.m. on the 

 3rd. At 1 P.M. on the 4th she emerges from Cetus ami re-enters 

 Pisces, which she quits for the second time for an outlier of Cetus 

 at lOh. A.M. on the 5th. AVhen she finally leaves this constellation 

 at 8h, a,m, on the 0th, it is to come out in Aries (" The Seasons 

 Pictured," plate xxii.). Her passage over Aries is completed by 

 7h. 30m, A.M, on the 7th, at which hour she crosses the boundary 

 into Taurus. She is journeying across Taurus until 7h. A.M.' on the 

 10th, and then reaches the most northerly part of the northern 

 prolongation of Orion. By 5 o'clock that same afternoon she has 

 crossed this and come out in Gemini (" The (Seasons Pictured," plate 

 xxiv,). Here she remains until 4h. p.m. on the 12th, when she 

 enters Cancer. She is travelling through Cancer until 6h. 30m. 

 A..M. on the 14th. She then passes into Leo, there she continues 

 until lOh. P.M. on the 16th, crossing the boundary at that hour 

 into Virgo ("The Seasons Pictured," plate XXV.). She is travelling 

 through that great constellation until 1 1 P.M. on the 19tb, when she 

 leaves it for Libra. As she journeys across Libra she arrives at 4h. 

 P.M. on the 21st. at the western edge of the narrow northern .spike 

 of Scorpio (" The Seasons Pictured," plate xxvi.). By 1 o'clock 

 next morning she has crossed this and come out in Ophiuclius. 

 Hence she passes into Sagittarius at Ih. P.M. on the 23rd. At 5h. 

 P.M, on the 25th she has traversed .'-Sagittarius, and is entering 

 Capricornus. She leaves Capricornus for Aquarius at 2h. P.M, on 

 the 27th (" The Seasons Pictured," plate xxi.), and Aquarius in 

 turn for Pisces at 5h. P.M. on the 29th ("The Seasons Pictured," 

 plate xxii.). As at the beginning of the month, she arrives in the 

 confines ot Cetus at 10 A.M. on the 30; h, and is still in Cetus when 

 those notes terminate. 



The name of Dollond (optician) has been associated with 

 St. Paul's Churchyard for the jiast 135 years, and until just lately 

 had no other place of business in London. It will be intercsling to 

 City men to know that Dollond & Co, have now opened a branch 

 establishment nearly opposite the City of London Club in Old 

 Broad Street, over which one of the partners of the firm presides. 



