142 



KNOWLEDGE. 



[June 1, 1894. 



are covered by a film for the 

 first nine days. They are 

 fed from the beaks of the 

 parent bu-ds with a whitish 

 secretion, often described as 

 milk, which is supplied from 

 the crops of the old birds. 

 The habit of feeding the 

 young in this manner applies 

 to all the pigeon family. 



The flight of the wood- 

 pigeon is extremely rapid, 

 and when in the air it may 

 be distinguished from others 

 of its genus at a considerable 

 distance by a bar of white 

 feathers, which traverses the 

 wing. Its feathers are very 

 loosely attached to the skin, 

 so that they fall out with 

 even a slight blow. ^Yhen 

 suddenly disturbed from a 

 bush, a wood-pigeon will 

 often lose several feathers by 

 its contact with twigs in 

 getting away. 



The male measures seven- 

 teen inches from the tip of the 

 beak to the end of the tail. 

 The female is slightly smaller , 



and, except in this particular, scarcely difl'ers from her 

 mate in general appearance. The bead and back are bluish- 

 grey, and the upper part of the neck is of the same colour, 

 but the feathers on the sides of the neck are tipped with 

 white, and thus form the partial ring mentioned above. 

 The breast and under side of the neck are purple-red, while 

 the belly and under-tail coverts are ash-grey. The tail 

 feathers are twelve in number, and are of three shades of 

 grey. The beak, legs, and toes are dark pink. 



Young birds of the year have no white on their necks, 

 and their whole plumage is less glossy than that of adult 

 wood-pigeons. 



THE 



FACE OF THE SKY FOR JUNE. 



By Herbert Sadler, F.R.A.S. 



WHENEVER the solar disc is examined, it will 

 be seen to be marked with spots and faculte. 

 A maximum of the beautiful red star R Leonia 

 occurs on the 1st of June. 



Mercury is an evening star during the 

 whole of the month, and, but for the prevailing twilight, 

 would be very favourably situated for the observer. He 

 sets on the 1st at 9h. 27ra. p.m., or Ih. 23m. after the Sun, 

 with a northern declination of 25° 16', and an apparent 

 diameter of 5^", t^V^Iis of the disc being illuminated. On 

 the 10th he sets at lOh. 4m. p.m., with a northern declina- 

 tion of 25° 2', and an apparent diameter of 6f", y'Vcti's of 

 the disc being illuminated. On the 16th he sets at 

 lOh. 3m. P.M., or Ih. ITm. after the Sun, with a northern 

 declination of 23° 34', and an apparent diameter of 7i", 

 just one half of the disc being illuminated. On the 2Ist 

 he sets at 9h. 56m. p.m., or Ih. 39m. after the Sun, with 

 a northern declination of 21° 54', and an apparent 

 diameter of 7| '. Woths of the disc being illuminated. 

 He is at his greatest eastern elongation (25i°) on the 23rd. 

 On the 30th he sets at 9h. 27m. p.m., or Ih. 9m. after the 

 Sun, with a northern dechnation of 18° 38', and an apparent 



The Wood-Pigeox axp Nest. 



diameter of 9j''. tVv'^^ '^^ ^^^ ^'^'^ being illuminated. 

 During the month he passes from Taurus through Gemini 

 into Cancer. 



Venus is a morning star, but is now becoming rather 

 an uninteresting object for the amateur. She rises on the 

 1st at 2h. 20m. a.m., or about an hour and a half before 

 the Sun, with a northern declination of 9° 0', and an 

 apparent diameter of 17", r^ths of the disc being illumi- 

 nated, and her brightness being about equal to what it was 

 on February 3rd. On the 10th she rises at 2h. 4m. a.m., 

 with a northern declination of 12° 19', and an apparent 

 diameter of 16-0", y^tlis of the disc being illuminated. 

 On the 20th she rises at Ih. 50m. a.m., or nearly two 

 hours before the Sim, with a northern declination of 

 15° 43', and an apparent diameter of 15-0'', y^ths of the 

 disc being illuminated. On the 30th she rises at Ih. 41m. 

 A.M., or 2h. 6m. before the Sun, with a northern declina- 

 tion of 13° 37', and an apparent diameter of 14'0", rrfo''lis 

 of the disc being illummated, and the brightness of the 

 planet being about equal to what it was on February 5th. 

 During June Venus passes through Aries into Taurus. 



JIars, Jupiter, and Neptune are, for the purposes of the 

 amateur observer, invisible. 



Saturn is an evening star, and is well placed for 

 observation. He rises on the 1st at 2h. 54m. p.m., with a 

 southern declination of 4° 52', and an apparent equatorial 

 diameter of 18-0" (the major axis of the ring system being 

 41" in diameter, and the minor 8^"). On the 15th he 

 rises at Ih. 54m. p.m., with a southern declination of 4° 49', 

 and an apparent equatorial diameter of 17i" (the major 

 axis of the ring system being 40^" in diameter, and the 

 minor 8-0"). On the 30th he rises at Ih. p.m., with 

 a southern declination of 4° 54', and an apparent 

 , equatorial diameter of 17|" (the major axis of the ring 

 system being 39^" in diameter, and the minor 7|"). 

 Titan is at his greatest eastern elongation on the 16th, 

 and lapetus is in superior conjunction on the 6th, and at 

 his greatest eastern elongation on the evening of the 26th. 

 During the month Saturn is almost stationary in Virgo. 



