64 



KNO\A/'LEDGE 



[Jan. 23, 18!- 5 



which must be capable of acoommodating itself to the 

 form or shape of any vessel or object in or upon which it 

 may be placed. For this purpose a chain of brass is 

 specially made. The links are, of course, very weak, but 

 more than strong enough to support any length of chain 

 that is likely to be required. It may be obtained at any 

 ordinary electrical instrument maker's for sixpence, or 

 thereabouts, per yard. 



To work the articles above mentioned, and for a 

 number of other purposes, afterwards to become appa- 

 rent, a few appliances are necessary, the first being a 

 source of heat. 



Ex. IX.— If gas is available, a Bunsen burner should be 

 obtained. This is simply a burner in which air is mixed 

 with the gas prior to its being ignited. The result is a 

 more perfect combustion, and the production of greater 

 heat, but less luminosity, than with an ordinary gas flame. 

 An iron rose should be procured with tbe burner. If the 

 flame is luminous or smoky, the burner is not acting 

 properly ; air is not being properly mixed with the gas, 

 and the flame should therefore be extinguished and re- 

 ignited. Flexible tubing, sufficiently long to reach from 

 the gas-bracket — or wherever the supply is to be drawn 

 from — to the work- table, will be required. A simple 

 Biinsen burner may be made from a piece of metal tubing 

 three quarters of an inch in diameter and four or five 

 inches long. Near one end file a few notches with 

 a half round file, and slip the tube over an ordinary 

 burner. The requisite air will find its way in through 

 the notches. 



Ex. X. — In the absence of gas, a spirit lamp will, in 

 nearly every case, give sufficient heat. A lamp of half- 

 pint capacity will prove a handy size. 



Ex. XI. In the hands of one who is able to use it, a 

 soldering-iron is extremely useful ; and, even where the 

 young worker has never used the tool before, he will find it 

 advantageous to get one and practise with it. He will soon 

 feel sutSciently familiar with it to employ it satisfactorily. 

 To use it, first heat the iron, and with it run a little resin 

 over the parts to be soldered together. Then " tin " the 

 iron by covering the point of it with solder, when it will 

 take up a quantity of solder, enough for the majority of 

 the purposes for which we shall require it. When insuffi- 

 cient, keep the solder ("strip" solder should be used) 

 against the iron as it is run along the joint, and the metal 

 will run freely so long as the iron retains sufficient heat. It 

 must be borne in mind, that wherever the resin runs the 

 solder will follow, so that to make a neat, and at the same 

 time efficient, joint, the expenditure of a considerable 

 amount of care and trouble will be necessary. Frequently 

 "spirit of salts" (zinc dissolved in hydrochloric acid 

 uutil the acid is "killed," that is, until it will dissolve no 

 more metal) is used in the place of resin. It is a trifle 

 easier than resin ; but in electrical work, when continuity 

 of electrical conductivity is requisite, resin should be em- 

 ployed, as the " spirits " tend to cause a metallic discon- 

 nection. This, of course, is not often of much importance 

 when dealing with " static " electricity ; but with " cur- 

 rent " electricity the case is very different, and resin should 

 then be used invariabli/. The soldering-iron should be 

 heated in a clear fire, but should never be made red-hot. 

 Before tinning, it should be carefully filed, to remove the 

 superficial impurities ; and, after once tinning, should be 

 kept always tinned, in which case it will not be necessary 

 to aeain file the metal, but simply wiping it with a piece 

 of rag will suffice. When spirit of salts is used, the joint 

 should be well washed with water. Let the student 

 experiment in this direction, and he will soon find the 

 advantage of being able to use the soldering-iron. 



FIE ST STAR LESSONS. 



By Eichard A. Proctor. 



The constellations included in 

 numbered throughout as follows : — - 



the set of maps are 



3. 



4. 



5. 



6. 



7. 



8. 



9. 



10. 



11. 



12. 

 13. 

 14.. 

 15. 



16. 

 17. 



18. 

 19. 



20. 



21. 



Ursa Miller, the Little Bear 



{a, the Pole Star). 

 I>raco, the Dragon (a, 



Thuhan) 

 Cepheiis, Kivg Cephcvs. 

 Cassiopeia, the Lady in the 



Chair. 

 Persetts, tlic Champion (j3, 



Alijol, famous variable). 

 Anriija, tlie Charioteer (a, 



Capella) 

 Ursa Major, the Greater 



Bear (a, /3, the Pointers). 

 Caues Venatici, the Huntivg 



Bogs {a, Cor Caroli). 

 Coma Berenices, Queen 



Berenice's Hair. 

 Bootes, the Herdsman (a, 



Arctnrus). 

 Cor ana Borealis, the Nor- 

 thern Crown. 

 Serpens, the Serpent. 

 Hercules, the Kneeler. 

 Lyra, the Lyre {a, Vega). 

 Cggmis, the Su-an (o, 



Arided ; (3, Albires). 

 Pegasus, the Winged Horse. 

 Andrnvieda, the Chained 



Lady. 

 Triangula, the Triangles. 

 Aries, the Ram. 

 Tatirus, the Bull (a, Alde- 



haran ; 7], Alcyone, chiei 



Pleiad). 

 Gemini, the Twins (a, 



Castor ; p, Pollux). 



23. 



24. 

 25. 

 26. 



27. 

 28. 

 29. 

 30. 

 31. 



32. 

 33. 



34. 



35. 



36. 



37. 

 38. 



39. 

 40. 

 41. 



42. 

 43. 

 44. 



45. 



Cancer, the Crab (tl e 

 cluster is the Beehive). 



Leo, the Lion (a, Begnhts). 



Virgo, the Virgin {a, Spica) 



Libra, the Scales, 



Opihiuchus, the Serpent 

 Holder. 



Aqnila,lheBagle(a,Altair). 



Delphinxts, the Bolpiliin. 



Aqvauns, the Water Carrier. 



Pisces, the Fishes. 



Cetus, the Sea Monster (o, 

 Mira, remarkable va- 

 riable). 



Bridaniis, the liivcr. 



Orion, the Giant Hunter 

 (a, Betelgcux ; /3, Bigel). 



Canis Minor, the Lesser Potj 

 (a, Procyon). 



Hydra, the Sea Serpent (.7, 

 Alphard). 



Crater, the Cup (a, All.es). 



Corviis, the Crow. 



Scorpio, the Scorpii^n (o, 

 Antares). 



Sagittariiis, the Archer. 



Capricornvs, the Sea Goat. 



Piscis Avstralis, the Sou- 

 thern Fish (a, Fomul- 

 haul). 



Lepus, the Hare. 



Columha, the Dove. 



Canis Major, the Create'/ 

 Dog {a, Sirius). 



Argo, the Ship. 



THOUGHT AND LANGUAGE. 



By Ada S. Ballin. 

 II. 



THE problem of the origin of language is one which has 

 occupied the minds of thinkers in all historic times. 



It is one of those problems inherently impossible of sola- 

 tion, since no data are given with which to work, the birth 

 of language being hidden in the mist of a remote past far 

 anterior to history, and of which there are no records. 



Yet in spite of, or perhaps owing to, the very impossibility 

 of proving any theory whatever with regard to it, the 

 number of hypotheses which have been started, purpoiting 

 to solve the mystery, is exceedingly great ; and wise mei:s 

 in all generations, having arrived at their own conclusions 

 on the subject, have been ready to defend them against the 

 world. 



One of the most ancient theories was that of the 

 Assyrians, dating from about 2,000 B.C. — it asserted that 

 language was a divine gift, and was given as a whole to all 

 men, and it accounted for the variety of languages then 

 current by the story of the Tower of Babel, in which men 

 were punished, for their attempt to besiege Heaven, by a 

 confusion of tongues. This theory was afterwards adopted 

 by the Semites ; we find it stated fully in the Book of 

 Genesis, chap, xi , and later on, the Koran JI., 29, expressed 

 the same idea in the statement that Allah " taught Adam 

 the names of all things." 



Language has in all ages been regarded by the niajoriiy 

 as a complete whole created as such, and perfect in itself 



