Jan-. 



ISS').] 



• KNOWLEDGE . 



15 



wrongly, the average pi-actical mechanic is repelled by 

 a's n's x's y,/ and sin O. As far as our exaiuiuation has 

 extenJtd, we have found one comparatively trivial mistake, 

 and one oulv, in the whole book. It occurs on p. 385, 

 where the velocity of light is jjiven as r,»l',000 miles a 

 second, it being really only 1SG,G00 miles. 



yatiiral Iliiitori/ Skvtclws anio»g the Carnivom. By 

 ARTiifK NicOLS, F.G.S., itc. Illustrated. (London : L. 

 Upcott Gill. 1685.) — Obviously possessing a strong per- 

 sonal attachment to animals, Jlr. Xicols cannot fail to 

 inspire his re.idei-s with much of his own enthusiasm. 

 Ohatty in style, commeiidably free from technicalities, and 

 brimming over with anecdote, his book introduces us, as 

 it were, into the inner life of the Carnivora, and invests 

 them with an interest which cannot fail to foster a taste 

 for zoological study in the large numbers who will, we hope 

 and believe, read his latest work. It is ditlicult to avoid 

 contrasting a volume like this, full of iutere.-t from 

 beginning to end, and illustrated with the most life-like 

 engravings, with the wretched compilations of dreary, 

 stereotyped little paragraphs and conventional woodcuts, 

 bearing but the fainte-it resenil)lance to the animals they 

 were fondly imagined to represent, which passed for 

 " Natural History " in the days of our childhood. 



The Magic Laniein and its Management. By T. C. 

 Hepworth. (London: Chatto i Windus. 1885.) — In the 

 plainest language Mr. Hepworth instructs the beginner in 

 the use of the lantern ; describes the various modes of 

 illumination ; explains the various sorts of screens, opaque 

 and transparent, on which the image is thrown ; tells us how 

 to paint magic-lantern slides and to colour photographs for 

 the same purpose ; gives an account of the manner in which 

 opaque objects are exhibited, and the lantern-microscope is 

 constructed, — in fact, supplies a manual containing every- 

 thing that is needed to make its reader an expert exhibitor 

 of this very amusing and instructive optical instrument. 



Hoic to Use our Ei/es. By John Browmsc;, F.R. A.S., ifec. 

 (London: Cha'.to it Windus. 1S84.) — A portion of this work 

 appeared in our third volume, but considerable additions 

 have been made to thi.s, and no less than fifty-four illustra- 

 tions now elucidate the text That Mr. Browning's entirely 

 practical brochure supplies a real want may be inferred 

 from the fact that it is the third edition, and fifth thousand 

 of it, which lies before us. It furnishes exactly the kind of 

 information required by every one whose sight is any 

 degree failing ; and to all such we commend its perusal. 



Short Stories. Selectf-d by J. M. Laine, M.A. (London : 

 Mcffitt it Paige. 1884.) — Anything more hopelessly 

 dreary than a collection of small anecdotal paragraphs 

 when read through from beginning to end it would be hard 

 to imagine. !Mr.Xaine's selection, however, has been made 

 for the benefit of children in the Fifth Standard in Elemen- 

 tary School-i, who are required by the Education Depart- 

 ment to " write from memory the substance of a short 

 story read out twice," and for this purpose it seems suffi- 

 ciently well adapted. What, though, by a wonderful stretch 

 of imagination, he calls " amusing stories," appear to us 

 particularly depressing. Perhapp, though, it isn't very easy 

 to be funny to order— even of " My Loids." 



A Sketch of the Geology of Suffolk. By J. E. Taylor, 

 Ph.D., F.LS., F.G.S. (SheflSeld 1 Wm. White. 188-i.)— 

 This reprint from " White's History of Suffolk" contains 

 an account at once succinct and complete of the geology of 

 the county of Suffolk. Its physicil structure is described, 

 and the pakeontological charactt-ristios of the various strata 

 treated of. The localities famous for particular fossils are 

 indicated, and, in fact, it may be regarded as a cade mecwn 

 for a geologLst on his first visit to this part of East Anglia. 



We have also on our ta'jle the Tricyclist, Society, Brad- 



streel's. The Medical Press and Circidar, The Second A mmal 

 Report of the Metropolitan Public Garden, Boidecard, 

 and Plai/r/round Association, Ciel et Terre, The Doctrine 

 of Life, The Dyer, Sight and Day, Tlie Sidereal Messenger, 

 and Xal'iren. 



THE FACE OF THE SKY. 



From Jantaky 2nii to Janvauv KJrii, 1885. 

 By F.R.A.S. 



SPOTS and f.iculiv, tliough bGcoining nitlier leas freciiiont, sliould 

 bo looked for whenever tho Sun is visible. The niglit sky will 

 bo found pictured in Jfap I. of " Tho Star.s in their Sea.sons." 

 Mercury comes into inferior conjunction with tho Sun on tho :!rd, 

 and becomes a morning star, lie is about as badly placed for tho 

 observer as ho well can be — a remark which ajiplios witli e(|ual 

 force lo Venus. Mars is invisible. Jupiter rises between 8 and 

 i) o'clock when these notes begin. \\y nn'dnight lie is suffieii'iitly 

 high u]) to be well observed, pre.scnting ;i splendid sjiectaelo with 

 adequate telescopic power. Ho is situated to the east of tho star 

 p iu the constellation Leo (" Tlie Stars in their Seasons," Map IV.). 

 Tho phenomena of his satellites are now both numerous and 

 interesting; and, as usual, wo give those happening before 1 a.m. 

 during tho next fortnight. To-nif;ht Satellite It. will disappear in 

 eclipse at 12h. 2(5m. 31s., as will Satellite I. at, 12h. 32m. lOs. p.m. 

 On tho 3rd the shadow of Satellite I. enters on to .Jupiter's face 

 at 9h. tim. p.m., followed by the satellite easting it at lOh. 13m. 

 The egress of the shadow occurs at ]2li. -Ini., that of tho satellite at 

 Ih. 2m. the nest morning. Satellite II. will begin its transit at nine 

 o'clock at night on the 4th, but Jupiter will be so very close to the 

 horizon that the observation of this phenomenon is doubtful. 

 Fifty-eight minutes later, the shadow of the same satellite will 

 leave Jupiter's disc. At lOh. 15m. p.m., Satellite I. will reappear from 

 occuUation by the planet. Satellite III. will reappear from eclipse at 

 lib. 5m. 3O3. ; only, however, to bo occulted at llh. 25m. Finally, 

 the egress of Satellite II. from the f.ace of Jupiter will happen at 

 llh. 55m. p.m. On the 8th the egress of the shadow of Satellite IV. 

 takes place at lOh. 28m. p.m. On the 10th tho shadow of Satellite I. 

 begins its transit at llh. 38m. p.m., followed by Satellite I. itself 

 at half-past 12. On the 11th, Satellite I. will disappear in eclipse 

 at 8h. 53m. 32s. ji.m., but it is very doubtful whether this will bo 

 seen, so close will Jupiter be to the horizon. The shadow of 

 Satellite II. will enter ou to Jupiter's face at 9h. 35in., and 

 that Satellite itself at llh. IPm. Satellite III. will bo eclipsed at 

 llh. 32ni. Gs. ; Satellite I. reappear from occultation at 12h. 2m. 

 p.m., and the egress of the fhadow of Satellite II. take place at 

 12h. 31m. On the 12th the egress of the shadow of Satellite I. 

 will occur at 8h. 26m., but, for the reason once or twice previously 

 stated, its visibility will be doubtful. The egress of Satellite I. 

 itself takes place at Dh. ICm. On the 13th Satellite II. will 

 reappear from occultation at 8h. 55m. p.m. Lastly, on the 15th, 

 under unfavourable circumstances for the observer. Satellite III. 

 will pass off Jujtiter's face at 8h. Om. p.m. Saturn is visible 

 all night long. His rings are now almost as open as tlicy 

 can be, and it would be hard to imagine a more beautiful spectacle 

 than the planet presents to the possessor of adequate telescopic 

 power. No opportunity should be lost of observing and, wo may 

 add, drawing Saturn under the present exceptionally favourable 

 conditions. He forms a rough isosceles triangle with /? and 'C Tauri 

 ("The Stars in their Seasons" Map I.) Uranus has not yet come 

 fairly into view. Neptune may be found by the observer furnished 

 withasuffieiently large telescope to the S.S.E. of and ? Arietis (same 

 map). The Moon enters her last quarter at 3h. Slj'lim. a.m. on the 

 8th, and will be new at 8h. 3G'5m. a.m. on the IGth. One occulta- 

 tion of a star only at anything like a convenient hour occurs during 

 the next fourteen days. It happens to-night, when the Cth magni- 

 tude star B.A.C. 2872 will disappear at the Moon's bright limb at 

 7h. 10m. p.m. at an angle from her vertex of 314°, to reappear at 

 7h. 3Gm. p.m. at her dark limb at a vertical angle of 283°. The 

 Moon is crossing Cancer to-day, and passes into Leo at four 

 o'clock to-morrow afternoon. From Leo she descends into 

 Sextans at nine o'clock at night on the 4th, to re-emerge in Leo 

 at six o'clock the next morning. She finally quits Loo for Virgo 

 at 6h. 30m. a.m. on the 6th ; and it is 2 p.m. on the 0th 

 before she has completed her passage across this great constella- 

 tion. Entering Libra at tho hour last named, she occupies until 

 3h. p.m. on the 11th before she reaches tho boundary of the narrow 

 northern strip of Scorpio. This it takes her eleven hours to cross; and 

 at 2h. a.m. on the 12th she enters Ophiuchus. She leaves Ophiuchns 

 for Sagittarius at 8 o'clock the same night ; remains in Sagittarius 

 until 2h. p.m. on the IGth, and then crosses into Capricornus, where 

 we leave her. 



