November 1, 1890.] 



KNOWLEDGE 



259 



corresponding numbers of wet clays in July to September, 

 we find these latter not alike, of course, but varying within 

 limits. Their averages form, on the whole, an ascending 

 series (ascending with the number of wet diys in •June). 

 And by studying these averages and their variations, one 

 is able, I think, to limit the range of probability not in- 

 considerably. I will not trouble you with details (which 

 may be had, if desired). 



Last .June was very wet ; it had 10 wet days. Our fore- 

 cast for the three months would have been 22 (average and 

 most probable number). The actual number is, I think, 19. 

 The season falls under the category A^ h. We might not 

 always, of course, be so near the truth. 



It would be interesting to know whether the above rule 

 holds good elsewhere than in Greenwich, and this letter, if 

 you are disposed to publish it, may perliaps usefully lead 

 to observations on the subject. 



The well-known old saying about St. Swithin's day is, 

 of course, easily exploded by facts of observation. But the 

 widespread impression (which may have had to do with 

 the origin of that and similar sayings) that wet weather 

 appearing about the time of the summer solstice tends to 

 persist a considerable time, is perhaps to some extent ex- 

 plained by the facts above indicated. 



Allow me to add another feature which has struck me in 

 this inquiry. We seem to have a conspicuously wet .Tune 

 near the beginning (or end) of each decade ; i.e. at 

 about ten years intervals (say 10 + 2). This is the case 

 with 1848, 1860, 1871, 1879, and 1890; and all the 

 higher maxima (say above 9 wet days) are thus included. 

 Taking the Chiswick record, we may add the years 1830 

 and 1838. 



I am, Sir, youi'S truly, 



Alex. B. MacDowall. 



THE ASTRONOMICAL AND PHYSICAL SOCIETY OF 

 TORONTO. 



To the l\ditor of Knowledge. 



Dear Sir, — In the interest of your Canadian and more 

 distant subscribers, of whom four at least are members of 

 this Society, I venture to invite your attention to a subject 

 which has been discussed by us, and wliich we trust will 

 commend itself to your favourable consideration. 



Under the most toward circumstances, Knowledge does 

 not reach us earlier than about the 23rd of the month of 

 issue. The last number was delivered to us on the 23rd 

 of September, the day of arrival. As you will readily 

 see, the greater portion of the astronomical memoranda 

 edited by Mr. Herbert Sadler is therefore of no value 

 to us. This we much regret, and it has occurred to us that 

 we might be allowed to suggest the propriety of so 

 amending Mr. Sadler's plan as to permit his notes to 

 extend over the earlier half of the following month at 

 least. We have also noticed that, as a rule, the events 

 predicted arc those which will be visible in England only, 

 thus omitting many which would be visible, for instance, 

 on this Continent. But we do not do more than mention 

 this, as we believe you give up to this branch of informa- 

 tion all the space you can spare. 



Tliat you may form some idea of the objects of the 

 Society with whoso permission I thus address you, I beg to 

 enclose some printed matter wliich includes a clipping 

 from one of the Toronto papers in which appear notices 

 respecting our meetings, which are licld at intervals of two 

 weeks. The second paper by ;\Ir. Gore will be read at an 

 early day. At our last meeting portions of your article 

 relative to the work of Mr. Higgs, of Liverpool, were read 

 and commented upon by Mr. Elvins and Mr. Miller, who 



have made a special study of the solar spectrum and have 

 written upan the subjest. On Tuesday nest, one of our 

 members will read a papsr prepared with a view to illus- 

 trating in a practical manner Mr. Higgs's method, and will 

 show how photographic plates, by means of dyes, can be 

 made sensitive to the less refrangible rays. 



Yours very truly, 



G. E. LUMSDEN, 



Corresponding Secretary. 

 Toronto, Canada, Isl October 1890. 



[Perhaps the best way to meet Mr. Lumsden's suggestion 

 would be to bring Knowledge out ten days earlier. Mr. 

 Sadler will in future include some of the more remarkable 

 phenomena observable in America and India. Subscribers 

 in the Australian colonies do not receive Knowledge till 

 the month is entirely past. It is encouraging to learn that 

 the articles are found sufficiently interesting to be read and 

 discussed at such colonial meetings. —A. C. R.l 



THE FACE OF THE SKY FOR NOVEMBER. 



By Herbert Sadler, F.E.A.S. 



THE increasing number of solar spots and facuhB 

 shows that the long-delayed minimum has at last 

 been passed. Conveniently observable minima of 

 the variable star Algol occur on the 3rd at 8h. 

 7m. P.M. ; on the 6th at 4h. .54m. p.m. ; on the 

 23rd at 9h. 47m. p.m., and on the 26th at 6h. 38m. p.m. 



Neither Mercury, Venus, nor Mars can be seen at all to 

 advantage this month. Mercury is in superior conjimc- 

 tion with the sun on the 17th ; the very gi-eat southern 

 declination (28°) of Venus militates against her observa- 

 tion at the beginning of the month, when she sets one 

 hour after the sun, while she only sets about ten minutes 

 after that luminary at the end of November. As we inti- 

 mated in the last number of Knowxed(;e, om- ephemeris 

 of Mars is discontinued on account of his increasingly 

 diminishing diameter and brightness, and his proximity 

 to the sun. 



.Jupiter must be looked for very early indeed in the 

 evening for any details of the markings of the disc, 

 phenomena of the satellites, ka. to be seen. He sets on 

 the 1st at 9h. 58m. p.m., with a southern declination of 

 19^ 58', and an apparent equatorial diameter of 38f". 

 On the 30th he sets at 8h. 28m. p.m., with an apparent 

 equatorial diameter of 35|", and a southern declination of 

 18" 56'. Jupiter describes a direct path in Capricornus 

 during the month, but does not approach any star brighter 

 than the 7th magnitude. 



Saturn does not rise till midnight on the last day of 

 November, so we defer an ephemeris of him till next 

 month. Uranus is also for aU practical purposes in- 

 visible to the amateur observer. 



Neptime is excellently placed for observation, rising on 

 the 1st at 5h. 43m. p.m., with a northern declination of 

 19' 42', and an apparent diameter of 2i". On the 30th 

 he rises at 3h. 45m. p.m.. with a northern declination of 

 19' 33'. Ho is in opposition to the sun on the 27th, when 

 he is distant from the earth about 2,6791 millions of miles 

 (solar parallax 8"-80). At last year's opposition, using 

 the same parallax, he was about half a milUon miles less 

 distant from us. He describes a short retrograde path in 

 Taurus about midway between the stars E. and W. in 

 that constellation. 



November is a very favourable month for shooting stars. 

 The most marked displays are the LivnUls on November 

 13lh and 14th, the radiant point being in E.A. lOh. Om. 



