May, 1902.] 



KNOWLEDGE 



119 



The Planets. — Mercury is an evening star iu Taurus, 

 and after the first few Jays is well placed for observation. 

 On the 28tli, he attains his greatest easterly elongation of 

 •2o° 3', and is situated about 2° north of 1 Geniinonini ; 

 ou this date the planet remains above the horizon until 

 shortly after 10 r.M , or more than two hours after the 

 sun has set. 



Venus is a morning star in Pisces, slie forms a con- 

 spicuous object in the morning sky shortly before sunrise, 

 rising about Ih. 20ni. iu advance of the sun. During the 

 mouth the ai){)arent diameter diminishes from 23''0 to 

 17"4, and about the middle of the month the illuminated 

 portion of her disc is ()-589 and answers to the appearance 

 of the moon 8 days old. 



Mars is practically unobservable, as he ri.ses (mly about 

 half-an-hour jirevious to the sun. 



Jupiter is still in Capricornus, rising on the 1st at 

 2.5 AM., and on the 31st at 12.11 a.m. His path is a short 

 easterly one near to < Cajtricorni. The a]iparent diameter 

 is increasing, being ;>5"'8 ou the Isf, and 39"-t on the 

 31st. He is in (piadrature with the sun ou the 7th. 



Saturn is also a morning star, rising ou the 1st at 

 1.15 A.M., and on the 31st at 11.12 p.m. The planet 

 descriijes a short looped jiath in Sagittarius, reachirg the 

 stationary jioint on the Hth. The api>arent diameter of 

 the planet is about 1()''U, whilst that of the outer major 

 and minor axes of the ring are 40 '7 and 14 ''8 respectively; 

 the northern surface of the ring is presented to us. 



Uranus remains in the most southerly part of Ophiuchus 

 near 44 or h Ojihiuchi At the beginning of the month 

 he crosses the meridian at 2.43 .\.m., whilst on the 31st 

 he crosses at 12 45 a m. 



Neptune is jiractically out of range, being rather low 

 down in the north-ivest and lost in the strong twilight. 



The Stars. — About 10 p.m. at the middle of the mouth 

 Ursa Major will be nearly overhead; Arclurus a tittle east 

 of south, and Spica Virginis ou the meridian ; Leo in 

 the south-west, and Clemiui iu the north-west ; Cygmis in 

 the north-east ; Vega high up in the east ; Scorpio rising 

 in the south-east. 



Cijcss (iEolumn. . 



By C. D. LococK, B A. 



Communications for this col'imn should be addressed 

 to C. D. LococK, Netherfield, Camberley, and be posted 

 by the lOtb of each month. 



Solutions of April Problems. 

 (By C. C. W. Sumner.) 



No. 1. 



[Wf beg to sujiplcnu'ut the composer's apologies for this 

 imfortunate problem. The author's intention was 1. R to 

 QB3, but there is a mate in one move, besides two other 

 solutions by 1. Q to Kt3, and 1. Kt to B3ch.] 



No. 2. 

 1. Q to Q4, and mates next move. 



Nn. 3. 



1. R to R4, and mates next move. 

 Correct Solutions of the three problems received from 

 W. de P. Crousaz, W. Nash, Alpha, J. M. K., II. 8. 

 Brandreth, G. W, Middleton, Black Knight, (i. A. Forde 

 (Captain), C. D. Brown, F. Dennis, C. Johnston, G. 

 Woodcock, A. C. Challenger. 



Of No. 1 and No. 3, from H. Boyes. 

 Of No. 1 and No. 2, from H. H. S. (Teddington), 

 Major Nangle. 



Major XauAjIe. — In No. 3, if 1. R to QKto, K moves and 

 escapes. 



H. H. S.—li 1. E X Kt, K moves. 



W. Harris. — A dual mate in a two-move problem will 

 not count. But no two-move problems will be pulilished 

 this year. 



Omiposer nf •' White BiaJiop." — Problem withdrawn as 

 requested. 



Vo.r AitstrnH/'. — You may have .seen by now that the 

 Knight's attempt to " perform the feat off his own bat " 

 (January four-mover) is defeated liy Black's device for 

 obtaining a stale-mate position. 



C. C. W. Sumner. — Many thanks for the revised position; 

 I regret that there is no more s[iace for two-move |)roiilems 

 this yeai-. But if you send il elsewhere, I should recom- 

 mend you to examine the effe<t of 1. It x B. 



Composer of "All's ivell," etc.— The problem must take 

 its chance as "to the date of its appearance. You will see 

 that it is not drawn for publication this month. 



H. B. Dudley. — 1 much regret that, as you sent your 

 name and address, instead of the necessary motto and 

 sealed name and address, your problem cannot appear iu 

 the tourney. 



Composer of " Doifiho atque vincam." — Please see the 

 reply above. Apart from this I think you will find that 

 the problem has at least two other solutions (1. R to 

 B(!ch, and 1. Kt to K5ch). With so much hostile force 

 in the neighbourhood of the Black King I do not think 

 that you will succeed in making the problem sound. 



Moha Sliaida Ali Khan. — I regret that I am compelled 

 to exclude the four problems ou the ground that the 

 composer's names appear on them. In addition to this 

 they arrived two days too late. The one marked No. 3 is, 

 I think, by far the best, and I should recommend the 

 composer to enter it in some other competition. The 

 others, though all have sacrificial keys, are not of the kind 

 preferred by English Tournament judges. 



Composer of " Post tenebras lux." — Your problem has 

 three solutions in two moves, and must bo excluded, 

 therefore, as " obviously unsound." 



PROBLEM TOURNEY. 



Additional Tourney Problems Received. — 

 " Ariadne," " Per Aspera ad Ardua," " Algol," " Vega," 

 "Brutum Fulmen," "With how much labour," etc. "Poor 

 Pink," "Leonard," "Weighty," "Circumstances alter 

 Cases," " Inter pocula," " Possibilities," " Knowledge 

 rather than choice gold," "By indirection find direction 

 out," "Variety charms," "Three steps and a shuffle off," 

 "Fort nachauand," "Without Hope," "Ben trovato," 

 "AUer guten Dinge sind drei," "All's well that ends 

 well." Seven others received cannot be entered owing to 

 non-compliance with the rules, or, in one case, obvious 

 unsoundness. It is possible that I may find others 

 ineligible on this last account ; but if all survive a very 

 cui-sory examination the total number of accepted entries 

 (including eight previously acknowledged) will be twenty- 

 nine, a very satisfactory number. In order to get the 

 result published within a year it will be necessary to print 

 three problems each month. The order of publication 

 will be decided by lot, and this month the lot has fallen on 

 the following : — 



