416 



♦ KNOWLEDGE * 



[May 15, 1885. 



the gun. A handle is turned, a cartridge is deposited in 

 each barrel, and aldiost simultaneously fired, the empty 

 casHs being ejected at the side. Thus, a man, having 

 sighted his gun, may go on grinding out, as it -were, death 

 and destruction around him. Such facts as these impart a 

 sombre interest to the foremost collection in the Exhibi- 

 tion. Sir William also exhibits samples of his 40 and 

 80-poiinder rifled breech-loading howitzers, and a mountain 

 gun, with its equipment divided into sections, and mounted 

 on a number of saddles, to illustrate the mode adopted in 

 transporting such munitions. 



The Royal Engineer.s exhibit a collection of torpedo 

 appuratus, together with the appliances used in connection 

 tberewith ; and to those who saw a similar exhibit three 

 years since at the Crystal Palace some improvements will 

 be alrealy noticeable. There is also shown a large lantern, 

 made by a French house, for an electric search light. Lime- 

 light apparatus, such as is used for night-signalling, is 

 exhibited, together with a heliograph for day signalling. 

 Models of several forms of bridges — spar, pontoon. Arc. — are 

 displayed, together with a captive balloon. 



The Nordeiifelt gun is independently exhibited, as are 

 also the Hotchkiss and Maxim gans, the latter of which is 

 worked automatically after the first shot has been fired. 

 The M^xim gun, we learn, will be worked in the grounds 

 on Wednesdays and Saturdays to demonstrate its powers as 

 an implement of destruction. 



Messrs. Easton i Andersr n exhibit a working-model of 

 a hydro-pneumatic Moncrieflf gun-carriage (as applied for 

 land service), mounting an IS-ton gun, together with a 

 number of photographs of other forms of the carriage. The 

 Moncrieff carriage shows to some extent how far the 

 ingenuity of man has been called upon to assist him in his 

 effort to strike his fellows without risking his own safety. 

 A tali, solid parapet is built in front of the gun which, 

 ■when loaded, is mounted on rods piv..tted on the carriage, 

 at a considerable height, just overlooking the parapet. 

 When the gun is fired the recoil causes it to fall, the 

 supports simply turning round on their pivots. The gun 

 and carriage are then wheeled round on a circular track, 

 and the gun reloaded by men well sheltered against the 

 enemy's fire. The immediate fall of the gun after firing 

 also affords protection to itself, inasmuch as it frees itself 

 from the danger of being unshipped by a well-directed shot. 

 Having been loaded, it is again wheeled round into position, 

 and a small lever controlling a large reservoir of compressed 

 air is worked, with the result that the gun is rapidly raised 

 to its proper elevation. The sighting operation is per- 

 formed liy means of a pair of mirrors which are placed at 

 the oppisite ends of one of the gun-supports, so that 

 the oliicer in charge is under the parapet well out of 

 range. 



Besides those exhibits to which reference has been made 

 there are, naturally, several cases of sportman's guns of all 

 sorts and sizes.and for every conceivable purpose; and, taking 

 all things into consideration, an honr or two might very 

 easily Vjb less profitably spent than in studying Group XXV. 

 at the International Inventions Exhibition. 



A SECOND EDITION- of Mr. A. Arthur Eeade's book on journalism, 

 entit'ed "Literary Success" (of which a notice appeared on 

 p. 135), has just been i.ssaed by Messrs. Wyman & Sons. A number 

 of additions and corrections have been made, which increase its 

 vahie as a handbook. 



Messrs. C.\sseli, & Co. will open their annua! exhibition of 

 original drawings in black and white at La Belle Sanvage-yard 

 early in Jane. Among the works exhibited wiil be the original 

 drawings executed by Mr. Frederick Barnard for hia " Character 

 Sketches from Dickens," published last autumn. 



FIRST STAR LESSONS. 



By Eichard A. Proctor. 



THE constellations included in the twenty-four mnps of 

 this series are numbered throughout as follows (the 

 names being omitted on the maps, to clear these as far as 

 possible from all that might render the star-grouping less 

 distinct) : — • 



1. Visa Minor, the Little Bear 



(a, the role Star). 



2. Draco, the Dragon (a, 



Thuhan) 



3. Cepkeus, King Cephexis. 



■i. Cassiopeia, the Lady in the 

 Chair. 



5. Perseus, the Champion {/3, 



Algol, famous variable). 



6. Auriga, the Charioteer (a, 



Capella) 



7. Ursa Major, the Greater 



Bear (a, /3, the Pointers). 



8. Canes Venatici, the Hunting 



Dogs (a. Cor Caroli). 



9. Coma Berenices, Queen 



Berenice's Hair. 



10. Bootes, the Herdsman (a, 



Arcturus). 



11. Corena Borealis, the Nor- 



thern Crou-n. 



12. Serpens, the Serpent. 



13. Hercules, the Kneeler. 



14. Lyra, the Lyre (a, Vega). 



15. Cyanus, the 5'tt-aii (a, 



Arided; ft Albires). 



16. Pegasus, the Winged Horse. 



17. Andromeda, the Chained 



Lady. 



18. Triangula, the Triangles. 



19. Aries, the Ram. 



20. Taurus, the Bull (o. Aide- 



iaran; ti, Alcycme, chief 

 Pleiad). 



21. Gemini, the Tu-ins (a. 



Castor ; ji, Pollux). 



22. 



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 Crai (the 



cluster is the Beehive). 

 Leo, the Lion (o, Begulus). 

 Virgo, the Virgin (n, i:^pica) 

 Libra, the Settles. 

 Ophiuchus, the Serpent 



Holder. 

 Aquila, the Eagle (a, Altair). 

 Delphinus, the bolphin. 

 Aquarius, the Water Carrier. 

 Pisces, the Fishes. 

 Cetus, the Sea Monster (o, 



Mira, remarkable va- 

 riable) . 

 Fridanus, the Piver. 

 Orion, the Giant Hunter 



(a, Betelgeux ; /3, Pigel). 

 Cams Minor, the Lesser Doj 



(a, Procyon). 

 Hydra, the Sea Serpent {a, 



Alphard). 

 Crater, the Cup (a, Alkes). 

 Cori'us, the Crow. 

 Scorpio, the Scorpion (a, 



Antares). 

 Sagittarius, the Archer. 

 Capricoj-nus, the Sea Goat. 

 Piscis Australis, the Sole- 



them Fish (a, FomcU- 



haut). 

 Lepus, the Hare. 

 Cohnyiba, the Dove. 

 Canis Major, the Greater 



Dog {a, Sirius). 

 Argo, the Ship. 



GEORGE ELIOT'S DOG.* 



By Robert BrcnASAX. 



AT this moment there appeared upon the scene another 

 individual, entering quietly through the drawing- 

 room door, which was partly open. The newcomer was a 

 dog, a splendid bull-terrier, who belonged to George Eliot, 

 and generally accompanied Lewes in his walks about the 

 neighbourhood. He came in with a languid wag of the 

 tail and a general air of importance, glanced patronisingly 

 at me, yawned lazily, and stretched himself on the hearthrug 

 at the feet of his mistress. 



George Eliot — " The beasts that perish." Here is some- 

 body who, if he could speak, would express a strong opinion 

 upon that subject ; for he is wise in his generation, and 

 magnanimous almost beyond human conception. Do you 

 know what he did once before he was given to us 1 The 

 f I lend to whom he belonged had a little boy, who inherited 

 in full measure the predilections of the archetypal ape. 



Lewes (parenthetically). — The true and only substitute 

 for Plato's archetypal Man ' 



George Eliot — One day, our friend had some acquaint- 

 ances to luncheon. As they sat together they were startled 

 by a sharp cry of pain from underneath the table ; and 

 lilting the edge of the table-cloth, they saw the small 

 human monkey squatted on the carpet, in the act of 



* From the Xcic York Trilune. 



