120 



KNOWLEDGE 



[April 1, 1890. 



at 2h. liii. P.M. with a northern decimation of 13° 54', and 

 an apparent diameter of 19" (the major axis of the ring- 

 sj'stem beinjf 44" in diameter, and the minor H^"). On the 

 80th he rises at Oh. 7m. p.m. and souths at 7h. 25m. p.m. with 

 a northern declination of 14° 5', and an apparent diameter 

 of 18i" (the major axis of the ring being 42" in diameter, 

 and the minor 8"). On April 8th, at Bh. p.m., Dione and 

 lapetus are in conjunction. At about a quarter to five p.m. 

 on the 9th lapetus is occulted by the ring, the disappear- 

 ance being 3" to the north, the emergence taking place in 

 broad daylight the next day. Uranus rises on the 1st at 

 7h. 3fim. P.M. with a southern declination of 9f° and an 

 apparent diameter of 3'8". He rises on the 30th at 5h. 

 31m. P.M. with a southern declination of 8f°. He is in 

 opposition on the 14th, when his distance from the earth 

 is about 1,620 millions of miles, and the magnitude of the 

 planet 5-4 in the photometric scale. He describes a short 

 path in Mrgo, nearly midway between the stars 76 and 82 

 Virginis. Neptime has practically left us for the season. 

 Shooting stars are fairly plentiful in April, the most 

 marked shower being that of the Lyrids, with a radiant 

 point in l8h. Om. R.A. + 33° Decl. The radiant point 

 rises on the nights of the 19th and 20th, when the maxi- 

 mum occurs, at 6h. 27m. p.m., and souths at 4h. 8m. a.m. 

 The moon is full at 9h 24m. a.m. on the 5th, enters her 

 last quarter at lOh. 53m. a m. on the 12th, is new at 8h. 

 5m. A.M. on the 19th, and enters her first quarter at 

 4h. 52m. A.M. on the 27th. On the 5th, at 8h. 32m. p.m., 

 the 6th magnitude star 80 Virginis will disappear at an 

 angle of 90° from the lunar vertex, and reapjjear at 9h. Im. 

 p.m. at an angle of 145°. At 2h. 33m. a.m. on the 8th 

 the 6th magnitude star ^' Libr<e w^Lll disappear at an angle 

 of 112° from the vertex, and reappear at 3h. 28m. a.m. 

 at an angle of 215°. At Oh. 58m. a.m. on the 11th the 6i 

 magnitude star B.A.C. 6217 will disappear at an angle of 

 29° from the lunar vertex (the star is below the horizon at 

 the time), and reappear at 21i. Om. a.m. at an angle of 

 250°. At lOh. 40m. p.m. on the 22nd the 5th magnitude 

 star t Tauri will make a near approach to the limar limb 

 at an angle of 219° from the vertex. At llh. 41m. p.m. on 

 the 24th the 6th magnitude star B.A.C. 2238 will disajipear 

 at an angle of 135° from the vertex, and reappear at Oh. 

 32m. a.m. on the 25th at an angle of 285° from the vertex. 

 On the 30th, at llh. Om. p.m., the 4th magnitude star 

 V Virginis will disappear at an angle of 129° h'om the 

 vertex, and reappear at llh. 48m. p.m. at an angle of 221° 

 from the vertex. 



seiijtst Column. 



By W. Montagu GATirE. 



FORCIXG A DISCARD. 



SOME of the finest strokes of play at whist consist 

 in forcing an adversary to make a disadvantageous 

 discard. To take a simple case. Foiu- cards 

 being left in each hand, A, who has to lead, finds 

 himself with the last trump, and one small card at 

 least in two suits of which Y (his left-hand adversary) 

 holds the second and third best, and B (A's partner) the 

 best and a small one, while Z's cards are of no conse- 

 quence. By leading out his trump A secures all the four 

 tricks ; for. whichever suit Y discards fi'om, B discards 

 from the other, A leads the suit from which Y has dis- 

 carded, and B makes the three remamiug tricks. On the 

 other hand, if A were to lead one of his plain-suit cards 

 instead of the trump, nothing could prevent Y from 

 makmg a trick. The foUowiug hand fiu-nishes a more 

 complex illustration of the same principle : — 





B'a Hand. 



Score — Three All. Z turns up the Queen of Heai'ts. 



Note. — A and B are partners against Y and Z. A has 

 the first lead ; Z is the dealer. The card of the leader to 

 each trick is indicated by an arrow. 



Tricks— AB, 1 ; YZ, 2. 



Trick 5. 

 A 





Tricks— AB, 1 ; YZ, 3. 

 Trick 6. 



B 

 Tricks— AB, 2 : YZ, 3. 



Tricks— AB. -2 ; YZ, 4. 



Note. — Trick 5. — It is quite possible that Y may have 

 led from three clubs to the queen in preference to returning 

 the spades up to A's strength. 



Trick 7. Trick 8. 



A A 



9 9 



\ 



B 

 Tricks— AB, 3 : YZ, i. 



^ ^ 



B 



Tricks— AB, i ; YZ, i. 



Notes. — Trick 7. — Y''s discard shows that Z has no 

 more spades (see trick 1), so that Z's remaining cards are 

 four diamonds and two clubs. It follows that, if Y has 

 three clubs left, A cannot have more than two. B himself 



