Vol. XXm. No. lo.] 



POPULAR SCIENCE NEWS. 



155 



in sixteen Augusts lias been .086, with extremes of 

 .051 and .125. The largest movements were only 

 .25 on the 14th and .20 on the 22d. More than one- 

 third of the observations were noted stationary. 

 The month maintained a uniformly high barometer, 

 — the highest in sixteen Augusts, — falling below 30 

 inches on nine days only. The principal depres- 

 sions were on the 4th, loth, 15th, and 22d, with 

 elevations between, and also on the opening and 

 closing of the month. 



The summer pressure averaged exactly 30 inches, 

 while the average for the last sixteen summers has 

 been 29.942. 



WINDS. 



The direction of the wind, in 93 observations, 

 gave 9 N., o S., 23 E., 33 W., 5 N. E., 13 N. W., 2 

 S. E., and 8 S. W., — an excess of 17 northerly and 

 24 westerly over the southerly and easterly, and in- 

 dicating the average direction the past month to 

 have been W. 35*^ 19' N., or full three points N. of 

 W., and being more northerly than any August in 

 twenty years. The southwest winds usually prevail 

 in this month by a range from 8 to 51 observations, 

 an average of 22.S. In general, the westerly winds 

 in August have prevailed over the easterly (with 

 two exceptions in twenty years) by an average of 

 32.95 observations, and the southerly over the 

 northerly (with five exceptions, four within the last 

 five years) by an average of 9. 30, — indicating the 

 approximate average direction for August to be W. 

 15' 46' S., and showing that the winds the past 

 month have been 51"^ 5' more northerly than usual. 

 The relative progressive distance travelled by the 

 wind the past month was 29.41 units, and during 

 the last twenty Augusts 684.8 such units, an average 

 of 34.24, — showing more opposing winds than 

 usual. 



The average direction of the winds the present 

 summer has been due west, while the direction for 

 the last twenty summers has been W. 20^ 47' S. 

 The relative progressive distance travelled the 

 present summer was 126 units, and the last twenty 

 summers 2,325 such units, an average of 116.25, — 

 showing less opposing winds this summer than 

 usual. D. W. 



Natick, September 6, 1889. 



[SpecisiUy Computed for The Popular Science New8.\ 

 ASTRONOMICAL PHENOMENA FOR 

 OCTOBER, 1889. 

 Mercury passes inferior conjunction and becomes 

 a morning star on October 15th. It rapidly recedes 

 from the sun, and reaches west elongation on the 

 morning of October 31. The distance from the sun 

 is less than 19°, but, as the planet is about 9" north 

 of the sun, the conditions are favorable for visibil- 

 ity. Venus is morning star, but is gradually getting 

 nearer the sun. It rises about two hours before 

 sunrise. It is in conjunction with Mars on the 

 morning of October i, the latter being about two- 

 thirds of the moon's diameter to the south. Mars 

 is getting farther away from the sun, and by the end 

 of the month rises at about 3 A. M. It also grows a 

 little brighter. Jupiter is in the constellation Sagit- 

 tarius, and moves eastward about 5° during the 

 month. It is the brightest object in the southwest- 

 ern sky in the evening, and sets about 10 P. M. on 

 October i, and at about 8 P. M. on October 31. It 

 is occulted twice by the moon during the month, — 

 on October i and October 28, — but neither of the 

 occultations are visible in the United States. The 

 following eclipses of Jupiter's satellites are visible 

 at some point in the United States. The reappear- 

 ances only of the two inner ones can be seen, as the 

 satellites go into eclipse while hidden from us be- 

 hind the planet. Both disappearance and reappear- 

 ance for the two outer can be seen. The phenomena 



all take place near the upper right hand quadrant, 

 as seen in an inverting telescope. Times are eastern 

 standard. 



October 4, 7h. 43m. P. M. 

 October 6, 6h. 46m. P. M. 

 October 6, 8h. 48m. P. M. 

 October 11, Sh. 43ni. P. M. 

 October 11, iih. 44m. P. M. 

 October 13, 9h. 25m. P. M. 

 October 13, loh. 43m. P. M. 

 October 22, 7h. 7m. P. M. 

 October 24, 9h. 31m. P. M. 

 October 29, gh. 2m. P. M. 



Saturn is a morning star, and Is rapidly increas- 

 ing its distance from the sun. By the end of the 

 month it rises at about i A. M. It is in the constel- 

 lation Leo, and is about iVi*^ east of ReguUis at the 

 beginning of the month ; this distance increases to 

 about 4° by the end of the month. Uranus is in 

 conjunction with the sun on the morning of Octo- 

 ber 15, and becomes a morning star. It is too near 

 the sun to be seen during the month. Neptune is 

 in Taurus, and rises late in the evening. 



The Constellations. — The positions given hold 

 good for latitudes differing not much from 40"^ north, 

 and for 10, 9, and 8 P. M. for the beginning, middle, 

 and end of the month, respectively. The small 

 constellation Lacerta is in the zenith. Pegasus is 

 just below it, to the south, on both sides of the me- 

 ridian. Aquarius is on the south meridian, about 

 half-way up, and below it is Piscis Australis. Cetus 

 is low down in the southeast. Pisces follows Aqua- 

 rius, and is just below Pegasus. Andromeda is high 

 up, a little north of east; and below It are Aries, a 

 little to the right, and Taurus, lower down, a little 

 to the lett. Perseus is about half-way up, in the 

 northeast, and Auriga is below it. Cassiopeia is 

 coming to the meridian, between the zenith and the 

 pole, and Ursa Major is on the north horizon, with 

 the pointers on the meridian below the pole. Ursa 

 Minor is mainly to the left of the pole star, and a 

 little below, and Draco is to the left of Ursa Minor. 

 Cygnus is to the west of the zenith. M. 



Lake Forest, III., September 5, 1889. 



Quartz as an Insulator. — At the Physical So- 

 ciety, recently, in London, Mr. C. V. Boys read a 

 paper on the insulating properties of quartz, which, 

 it appears, are far higher than those of glass, while 

 the former material has the enormous advantage of 

 being practically non-hygroscopic. Since, more- 

 over, the quartz, when once it has been melted, can 

 be worked very much more easily than glass, this 

 discovery of Mr. Boys ought to prove of great value 

 in the construction of electrostatic instruments. 

 Mr. Boys stated that even if the quartz was dipped 

 into ammonia, or boiled in a solution of potash, it 

 only required washing with water to completely re- 

 store its insulating properties, and when it was 

 raised to a red heat these properties were recovered 

 on cooling. Some quartz, which the author kept 

 for a considerable time in fused potash, did lose its 

 insulating properties to a certain extent, as was to 

 be expected ; but even after this treatment the 

 quartz remained a better insulator than glass. 



QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. 



Letters of inquiry should enclose a two-cent 

 stamp, as well as the name and address of the wri- 

 ter, which will not be published. 



Questions regarding the treatment of diseases 

 cannot be answered in this column. 



G. G. B., Ohio. — Which is the best bicycle for 

 climbing hills, one with a large or a small wheel.' 



Answer. — The smaller the wheel, the greater the 

 power and the less the speed; therefore, for hill- 

 climbing or for travel over rough roads, a small- 1 

 wheeled machine is best, while for smooth, level 



roads, a higher speed can be attained with the larger 

 sizes. A bicycle wheel may be compared to a lever, 

 in which the length of the crank is one arm, the 

 radius of the wheel the other, and the axle the ful- 

 crum. The same principle may be noticed in the 

 construction of locomotives ; tho.se intended to draw 

 fast and light express trains have large driving 

 wheels, while those which are used on slow and 

 heavy freight trains are built with very much smaller 

 ones. 



C. W. L., Iowa. — Is it notadvisableforan infantto 

 sleep with a healthy adult, so as to absorb the mag- 

 netism from the stronger person.' 



Ansicer. — The idea that one person can absorb 

 vital force, or "magnetism," from another in any 

 way, is utter foolishness, and it is much better, in 

 every case, for an infant to sleep in a separate bed. 



H. S. G., New York. — If all things attract each 

 other, why do not the earth and sun come together, 

 as a ball thrown upwards returns to the earth.' 



Answer. — The attraction between the sun and the 

 earth is exactly balanced by the centrifugal force of 

 the earth as it revolves in its orbit around the sun. 

 The two bodies will, undoubtedly, come together 

 at some future time, but not for many millions of 

 years. 



A. P., Illinois. — Is white a color or not.' 

 Answer.— This is an old scientific conundrum, 

 depending upon the sense in which the word 

 "color" is used. If the term is meant to signify a 

 sensation of light, which is not white, of course 

 white is not a color. But, strictly speaking, white 

 is a combination of all other colors, and is, we 

 think, entitled to be called a true color. Black is 

 not a color, as it is simply absolute darkness, or 

 absence of all light. None of the shades usually 

 called so are a true black; thev alwavs contain a 

 certain amount of white or other color," and there is 

 nothing absolutely bIKck, except a perfectly dark 

 room or box. 



A Subscriber in Providence desires to know- 

 why water, in running out through a hole in the 

 bottom of a bowl or vessel, alwavs rotates from left 

 to right, like the hands of a watch. ' We doubt if 

 this is always the case, although it seems to be the 

 most common direction. We have noticed an oppo- 

 site motion several times, and should be glad to 

 hear from our readers on the subject. 



E. B., Mass. — We should not advise you to white- 

 wash the inside of yonr hot-air furnace. It would 

 probably interfere with its heating power, and 

 would be a very slight protection against rust. 



LITERARY NOTES. 



An Introduction to the Stvdy of Shakespeare, by 

 Hiram Corson, LL. D. D. C. Heath & Co., 

 Boston. 



This work is intended to indicate to the student 

 some lines of Sliakesperian study, which mav serve 

 to introduce him to the study of the plays as" plays. 

 This latter branch is already well provided for by 

 the excellent annotated editions of Dr. Rolfe and 

 others, but, as a text-book for the study of the 

 Shakesperian literature as a whole, Dr. Corson's 

 book will be found invaluable. 



Practical Electric Bell-Fitting, by F. C. Allsop. E. 



& F. N. Spon, New York. 



The almost universal use of electric bells renders 

 a work like this exceedingly useful. The directions 

 for erectitig and maintaining every known variety 

 of electric bells, and their accessory apparatus, are 

 given so clearly and minutely that none need have 

 any dilliculty with this kind of work, even if un- 

 acquainted with the principles of electrical science. 



A Manual of Chemistry for the Use of Medical Stu- 

 dents, by Brandreth Symonds, M. D. P. Blakis- 

 ton, Son & Co., Philadelphia. 



This work is practically a condensation of the 

 main facts and principles of chemistry, for the use 

 of students preparing for examination. As an aid 

 to "cramming," it will serve an e.vcellent purpose, 

 but is too much abbreviated and condensed to be of 

 much use as general text-book. 



Pamphlets, etc., received : Electrical Distribution 

 of IaijIU, Heat, and Power, with List of Deaths from 

 Electric Circuits, by Harold P. Brown, New York- 

 Old South, and Educational Ltafitts, and the Agri- 

 cultural Bulletins of New Jersey and South Carolina. 



