130 



KNOWLEDGE. 



April, 1911. 



this welcome improvement is chicll}' due to the more 

 general use of gas-stoves and gas-fires. Having used 

 gas-stoves forjnanv \"ears. the writer has no hesita- 

 tion in recommending them. If properly fixed up 

 b\- a competent fitter, there is an entire absence of 

 smell in the room. At the back is a tfue-pipe to 

 carry a\\a\- the gaseous products of combustion. 

 This should be fairly long — say. three feet at least — 

 and carefulh- fixed on the stove in such a way as to 

 avoid any leaky joints. Tliis is most imj)ortant. It 

 is best to fill up all the space between the stove 

 and the surrounding fireplace. Ladies appear to 

 have a prejudice against the gas-sto\-e. which is a 

 pit\-. The\' must, however, admit that an immense 

 amount of labour is sa\'ed In- their use, and that 

 dust is entirely a\'oided. There is this further 

 advantage (especiallv in bedrooms), that a gas- 

 stove can be regulated to a nicet\'. and turned off 

 when no longer required. 



Professor N'ivian 15. Lewes, lecturing on Decem- 

 ber 8th of last \ear before the Ro\-al Institution, 

 said : "' The principal cause of the cloud which 

 hangs over our big towns, cutting off the direct 

 ra\'S of the sun and ruining health, \'aries with 

 the localitw In the South of England it is 

 the domestic grate, using bituminous fuel, which 

 is responsible for the major portion of this pollution 

 of the atmosphere ; whilst further north, in the 

 great manufacturing centres, it is the factory shafts 

 which emit the \y<i\\ of black smoke that aids in 

 shortening life and killing vegetation, and which 

 begrimes and finalb' helps to destro\' our public 

 buildings." " 



One fre(juentl\- hears London ladies complaining 

 of the dust and dirt that blackens windows, ceilings, 

 pictures, hangings, clothes, and so on, l?ut it is in 

 their own hands that the remed\' lies. Let them 

 abolish coal-fires ! 



SOL.AR nisriRIlANCES Dl'RlXC !• F.l'.Rr.XRV, 191 1. 



r.v FKAXK c. dexxi-:tt. 



.Although meteorological conditions ha\e boon very nn- 

 favourable daring February, it has been possible to obtain a 

 fairly regular record. Somewhat greater activity has been 

 noted. The surface appeared to be quite free from disturbance 

 upon February 2nd, 3rd and 25th, and none was seen on the 

 Sth and 23rd. Only faculae were visible on the 1st. 22nd and 

 24th. On February the 1st, at noon, the longitude of the 

 Central Meridian was 246' 18'. 



No. 2. — First seen on February the 10th as a fair-sized spot 

 a few degrees from the eastern limb, solitarv. with faculae 

 around, but mostly to the east. Upon the 11th ami 12th it 

 contained three or four umbrae : the diameter was 14.000 miles. 

 From the 13th until the 15th the spot seemed shrinldng. and 

 its umbra crossed by a bridge, with three tiny pores close 

 north to east on the 14 — 15th. The dwindling spotlet was last 

 seen as a pore on the 20th. 



No 2a. — .\ pore amid the faculae about 52.000 miles to the 

 rear of No. 2 upon the 11th. Three or four pores upon the 12th, 

 and next day a curve of pores like part of an elliptical ring, and 

 containing one of a larger size. On the 14th. this group 

 presented a somewhat peculiar appearance — a double umbra 

 partly surrounded by pcninnbra. and further east, a group of 

 umbrae almost like a capital F, and two or three pores. On 

 the 15th the rear spot was 9,000 miles in diameter, with a 

 bridged miibra and a curve of pores from east to south, whilst 

 ahead four pores outlined the form of a lozenge, and three 



others remained to the north-east. On the 17th the spot had 

 shrunken to a pore, whilst larger spotlets had developed ahead ; 

 making the total length about 66,000 miles. Only one or two 

 pores continued until the 19th and 20th, when last seen. The 

 group was close to the faculic area C. in the chart for January. 



No. 3. — On the 11th a group of pores 40,000 miles in length. 

 A double pore acted as leader, having three tiny pores forming 

 a triangle in the rear. On the 12th two pores only, in a faculic 

 setting, which formed pretty curves. Not seen again. It was 

 closely south-east of the place of No 1. 



No. 4. — .At 9.30 a.m. on the 20th two pores were easily seen 

 and measured, both on longitude 7 , and some 11,000 miles 

 apart. By 2 p.m. both had disappeared. 



No. 5. — -A single spot amid faculae. first seen near the 

 eastern limb on the 26th. On the 2Sth there were two spots, 

 and a few pores. The western spot contained four umbrae 

 on March 1st, and during the day pores began showing farther 

 east; on the 2nd the length of the outbreak was 57,000 miles. 

 Only a few pores remained on the 5th, when last seen, but 

 faculic disturbances marked the area as it drew near the limb 

 on Sth and 9th, 



On the 24th, on the south-western limb, in latitude 36^, 

 there was a splendid prominence form some 110,000 miles in 

 height. 



The chart is cimstructed from the observations of Messrs. 

 J. McHarg. A. A. Kuss, E. E. Peacock, and the writer. 



D.w OF ff:bruary. 



ii 1£ 



17 , 1^ ,?■ . It- . 1^, |^ . 1.1 . ip ? 



7 f •; f 3 



y ^6 ^5 ^4 2,5 22 21 1,0 



B 



oW 



N. 



10 ZO 30 40 50 60 70 



90 100 110 120 130 140 150 160 170 



190 200 30 220 230 2M 250 260 270 



290 300 310 J20 m HO 350 360 



■■■ Sec .Xtttiiir, \ol. .S5, page 290. December 2ilth. l')|0. 



