Feb. 20, 18S5.] 



KNOWLEDGE' 



riders; tlio rear portion is an ordiuary-puttern H umber, 

 and easily detachable. This machine is sure to become a 

 favourite mount. 



Thomas Smith i: Sons, of Saltley, had a largo and impos- 

 ing display, con>i;ting of no less than forty-two machines. 

 A prominent feature in conned ion with their tiicycles is a 

 screw-steering arrangement, which seems vastly supt rior to 

 the old rack and p-'nim movement, obviating, as it does, 

 the liability of the machine to swerve out of its course 

 when going over any inequalities in the road. Tliis firm 

 ■A\ao exhibited an improved break for bicycles, and several 

 of the new Badger Safeties, together with two racing bi- 

 cycles. The machines are generally turned out in a manner 

 that does credit to the lirm whose name they bear. 



The St. George's Engineering Company have a nice 

 assortment of bicycles and tricycles, including Sociables, 

 Tandems, and Convertibles, all of which arc identified by 

 some special feature. 



Messi-s. Singer A- Company show several splendidly con- 

 structed " bikes " and '• trikes." The quality of this com- 

 pany's productions is sufficiently well known to need no 

 eulogising here. Chief amongst their exhibits was the 

 Apollo "Tandem, which can be steered l)y eitl.er rear or 

 front wheels, the back portion of the machine being of 

 the Humber pattern. The Two-wheelers are really elegi\nt 

 machines, possessing many well - devised improvements, 

 and being finished in a manner that cannot fail to give 

 complete satisfaction to the purchaser. This is one of the 

 oldest established firms in the trade, and the quality of all 

 their productions is second to none iu the Kingdom. 



Mr. Adam Burdes=, of Coventry, exhibited four of his 

 well-known Sterlirg tricycles, each being distinguishable by 

 some special features. 



Messrs. Devey it Company, of Wolverhampton, may fairly 

 claim that the quality of the materials employed in tie 

 construction of their machines is of the best, while their 

 price is exceedingly low. 



Frank Gibbons, of Wolverhampton, though a new-comer 

 in the cycling trade, makes his Jcl/ut with an excellent 

 collection of well-made Cunard bicycles and tiicycles, acd, 

 if careful workmanship and superior finish will command 

 patronage, then Mr. Gibbons may be ensured of success. 



In addition to the manufacturers' exhibits, there was a 

 magnificent collection of prizes (contained in three large 

 show-cases) w,;n by members of the Speedwell Club, the 

 value of which is estimated at upwards of £4,000. Alto- 

 gether, the Exhibition proved a great success. The attend- 

 ance was in excess of former years, and the sales were 

 fairly satisfactory. 



OTHER WORLDS THAN OURS. 



A WEEK'S COXTEESATIOX OX THE TLCEALITY OF 

 WOELDS. 



By Mons. de Fontenelle. 

 with notes by eichard a, proctor. 



THE FOUETH EVEXIXG (continued). 



" TF there are sixteen planets," said she, "Saturn must 



J have five moons.'' 



" 'TLs very true," said I ; " and two of these five are but 

 lately diacover'd ; but there is somewhat that is more 

 remarkable. Since his year makes thirty of ours, there are 

 consequently in him some countries where their night is 

 fifteen years long ; and what can you imagine Nature has 

 invented to give light during .so dreadful a night ? Why, 

 .she has not only given Saturn five mocns, but she has 



encompisb'd him lound with a great circle or ring, which, 

 being placed beyond tlio reach of the shadow which tha 

 body of that planet casts,* relleets the light of the sun con- 

 tinually on those plices where they cannot see the suu at 

 all." 



"I protest," says the Marchioness, "this is very sur- 

 prising ; and yet all is contrived in such great order that it 

 is imi"ossil)le not to think but nature took time to consider 

 the necessities of all animate beings, and that the disposing 

 of these moons was not a woik of chance, for they are only 

 divided among those planets which are farthest distant from 

 the sun — the earth, .Tutitcr, and Saturn. Indeed, it was 

 not worth while to give any to Mercury or Venus ; they 

 have too much light already ; and they account their nights 

 (as short as they arc) a greater blessing than their days. 

 But pray, why has not Mavs a moon too ? It .seems he 

 has none, tho' he is much farther than the earth from the 

 sun." 



" It is very true," said I ; "no doubt but he has other 

 hcljjs, tho' we don't know 'em. You have seen the phos- 

 phorous, both liquid and dry, how it receives and imbibes 

 the rays of the sun, and wliat a great light it will cast in a 

 dark place. Perliaps Mars has many great high rocks, 

 which arc so many natural phosphorus's, which iu theday 

 take in a certain provision of light, and return it again at 

 night. What think you, madam, is it not very pleasant, 

 when the sun is down, to see those lighted rocks, like so 

 many illuminations at a birthday night 1 Besides, there is 

 a kind of bird in America that yields such a light, you may 

 read by it in tho darkest night [!] ; and who knows but 

 Mars may have great flocks of these birds, that as soon as 

 it is night disperse themselves into all parts, and spread 

 from their wings another day V 



"I am not at all contented," says the, " with your rocks 

 or your birds : 'tis a pretty fancy, indeed ; but 'tis a sign 

 that there should be moons in Mars, since Nature has 

 given so many to Saturn and Jupiter : and if all the other 

 worlds that are distant from the sun have moons, why 

 should Mars only be excepted ?" 



" Ah, madam," said 1, " when you are a little more dipt 

 in philosophy, you will find exceptions in the very best 

 systems. There are always some things that agree ex- 

 tremely well ; but then there are others that do not accord 

 at all : those you must leave as you found 'em, if ever you 

 intend to make an end. We will do i^o by Mars, if you 

 please, and say no more of him, but return to Saturn. 

 What do you think of this groat ring, in the form of a 

 semicircle, that reaches from one end of the horizon to the 

 other, which, reflecting the light of the sun, performs the 

 office of a continual moon'?" 



"And must not we inhabit this ring, too?" says she, 

 smiling. 



" I confess," said I, " in the humour I am in, I could 

 almost send colonies everywhere ; and yet I can't well 

 plant any there, it seems so irregular a habitation ; but 

 for the five little moons, they cannot chuse but be in- 

 habited ; tho' some think this ring is a circle of moons, 

 which follows close to one another.t and have an equal 

 motion, and that the five little mooi^.s fell out of this circle : 

 how many worlds are there then in the vortex of Satuni 1 

 But let it be how it will, the people in Saturn live very 

 miserably. 'Tis true, this ring gives light to 'em, but it 

 must be a very poor one, when the sun seems to 'em but a 

 little pale star, whose light and heat cannot but be very 

 weak at so great a distance : they say, Greenl and is a 



* This statement gives a curious idea of the figure assigned to 

 Saturn's rings by astronomers in Fontenelle's time. — H. I'- 



+ Caasini's idea, in which he anticipated the views at present 

 regarded as established. — 1!. P. 



