October 1, 1897.] 



KNOWLEDGE. 



247 



truly indigenous to Australia as are kangaroos and 

 wombats. There is, however, great difficulty in acaept- 

 ing this view, as the rodents might have obtained an 

 entrance by being caiTied on floating wood, or by some 

 other means of transpjrt; and if the dingo travelled by 

 land to Australia otiier placsntal mammals ou^ht to have 

 accompanied it. ^Moreover, the dingo is neither a wolf nor 

 a jackal, but in all essential characters a true dog of the 

 domestic type, which seems scarcely separable from Canh 

 ftmiliarls. We have, therefore, the further difficulty of 

 determining, if it be really a distinct "pecies, from what 

 Asiatic form it took its origin. This diffiaulty is enhanced 

 when we recollect that throughout the Malayan countries 

 there are no wild species of the restricted genus Cmiis 

 known, the so-called wild dogs of Java and Sumatra 

 belonging, as already said, to Cym. It is true that Messrs. 

 Kohlbrugge and Jentink have recently described a dog from 

 the Tengger Mountains in Eastern Java under the name 

 of ('aitis faiiiiliiirlv tengiierana, which is apparently a semi- 

 domesticated race living in a partially wild condition. 

 When more is known about it, and its resemblances or 

 dissimilarities to the dingo are fully indicated, there may 

 be a possibility of some rays of light being shed upon the 

 problem of the introduction of tint animal into ibe 

 Antipodes. 



♦ 



THE FACE OF THE SKY FOR OCTOBER. 



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



SOME singularly fine sunspots and groups have been 

 visible of late. 

 Conveniently observable minima of Algol occur 

 at lib. 21m. p.m. on the 23rd, and at 8h. l'2m. p.m. 

 on the 26th. 

 Mercury is a morning star, and is well situated for 

 observation during the first three weeks of the month. 

 On the 1st he rises at 4h. 38m. a.m., with a northern 

 declination of 2" 87', and an apparent diameter of 8i ". 

 He is at his greatest western elongation (18'^) on the 7th. 

 On the 8th he rises at 4h. 28m. a.m., with a northern 

 declination of 2° 26', and an apparent diameter of 6|". 

 On the 15th he rises at 4h. 52m. a.m., with a southern 

 declination of 0^ 55', and an apparent diameter of 6". On 

 the 22nd he rises at 5h. 31m. a.m., with a southern 

 declination of 5^ 38', and an apparent diameter of 5^". 

 After this he approaches the Sun too closely to be con- 

 veniently observed. He is in conjunction with Jupiter in 

 broad daylight on the morning of the 6th. While visible 

 he describes a direct path in Virgo. 



Venus is a morning star, and is well situated for observa- 

 tion. On the 1st she rises at 2h. 53m. a.m., with a northern 

 declination of 10^ 10', and an apparent diameter of 12f '. 

 On the 8th she rises at 3h. 14m. a.m., with a northera 

 declination of T 17', and an apparent diameter of 12^". 

 On the 15th she rises at 3h. 34m. a.m., with a northern 

 declination of 4° 7', and an apparent diameter of 12", 

 nearly nine-tenths of the disc being illuminated. On the 

 22nd she rises at 3h. 55m. a.m., with a northern declination 

 of 0' 50', and an apparent diameter of 11|". On the 3ist 

 she rises at 4h. 24m. a.m., with a southern declination of 

 3° 29', and an apparent diameter of lU". During the 

 month she describes a direct path through the eastern 

 portion of Leo into Virgo. She is in conjunction with 

 Jupiter on the 19th. 



Mars is too near the Sun to be conveniently observed, as 

 are also Saturn and Uranus, while we defer an ephemeris 

 of Jupiter till November. 



Neptune is an evening star, rising on the 1st at 8h. 36m. 



P.M., with a northern declination of 21° 52', and an apparent 

 diameter of 2i". On the 31st he rises at 6h. 36m. p.m., 

 with a northern declination of 21° 50'. Daring the month 

 he describes a short retrograde path in Taurus. 



October is a fairly favourable month for showers of 

 shooting stars, the most marked display being that of the 

 Orionids on the 18th, the radiant point being in E A. 

 6h. 8m., and -f- 15 . 



The Moon enters her first quarter at 5't. 32m. a.m. on 

 the 3rd ; is full at 4h. 42tn. p.m. on the 10th ; enters her 

 last quarter at 9b. 9ai. p.m. on the 18th ; and is new at 

 lib. 28tn. P.M. on the 25th. Several of the stars in the 

 Pleiades will be occulted on the early morning of the 14th. 



Cijcss Column. 



By G. D. LooooK, B.A.Oson. 



Communicatinna for this column should he addressed to 

 C. D. LococK, Burwash, Sussex, and posted on or before 

 the lOih of each month. 



Solutions of September Problems. 



No. 1. 



(By W. Ciugston.) 

 1. R to B3, and mates next move. 



No. 2. 

 1. B to QB2, and mates next move. 



Correct Solutions of both problems received from 

 Alpha, Captain Forde, G. G. Beazley, W. Clugston, Col. 

 Stewart, J. T. Blakemore, Jack, F. C. Thomson. 



ir. Chujston. — Thanks for the problems, which shall ha 

 examined. 



H. 11. r/io'»rt.s.— Reading " QB" for '■ KKt " both your 

 solutions would be correct ; but the emendation is un- 

 necessarily bold. 



^/^,/,,,._There is no dual. After 1. . . . Px P the KR 

 is pinned. 



Chess Edi/or, " Tiisli Fijaro." — Many thanks for your 

 columns. 



Dr. Hunt. — Thanks for yoar Touraey Award. 



PROBLEMS. 



No. 1. 

 By J. K. Macmeikan. 



Black (i) 



White ('>J. 



White mates in two moves. 



