Nov. 3, 1881] 
NATURE 9 
of the original pebble. The operator had first broken the pebble 
into two halves, and then chipped two-thirds of one half away 
in flakes, of which I found thirteen; the remainder of that half 
he threw down as useless, Of the other half I have nine flakes, 
and one is missing; the unbroken remainder is also gone. 
Perhaps the workman threw it away to a distance in disgust, as he 
does not seem to have got a single satisfactory flake out of the whole 
flint. The appearance of the half which I have almost complete is 
extremely like the illustration of the core made up out of a modern 
flint-knapper’s flakes in Evans’ ‘* Stone Implements,” except that 
the crowns of the flakes are triangular instead of quadrangular. 
There are the same small interstices between the crowns of the 
flakes, showing that the blow splinters off on each side of the 
bulb of percussion a small fragment, as well as the flake itself, 
This explains why the average concavity on the core is slightly 
less than the average convexity of the flake at the top of the 
bulb of percussion, F, ARCHER 
Crosby, Liverpool 
Climate of Atacama 
SOME practical evidence as to climate has come forward at 
the shareholders’ meetings of the northern Railways of Chile, 
the .Coquimbo, Tongoy, aid Carrizal and Cerro Blanco. In 
each of these districts torrential rains have occurred, which are all 
reported as unexampled. Long residents state that rain was 
formerly little known, and such was my observation in connec- 
tion with the district. One reason why the weather is deserving of 
attention is that no change has taken place in the water-surface 
or vegetation, A similar change to rain in the Suez and Cairo 
district is attributed to the Suez Canal, but it is a matter worthy 
of consideration whether we are not really entering on a cycle of 
change. So far as Atacama is concerned, if at any former 
period there were rains, the conditions of habitation must have 
been different from those which have been so long considered to 
apply to the rainless district. HYDE CLARKE 
PHYLLOXERA ConGREss.—Dr. E. R. F. wishes to know 
where he can obtain a full report of the recent Phylloxera Con- 
gress at Bordeaux. 
SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS (J. S. MArsToN).—We cannot 
undertake to commend any particular instrument maker; you 
should get the lists of the leading makers, whose addresses you 
will find in our advertising columns. 
Ho.Litoway CoLieGe.—So far as we understand this is not a 
charitable institution : Miss S. should write to the authorities at 
the College, Staines. 
EFFECTS OF COLOURED Gtass (E, M.).—It is owing to the 
law you refer to. 
THE AUTUMN SKY 
I. 
M ANY and varied must ever be the regrets that attend 
the departure of summer days and summer pleasures ; 
and their remembrance casts a lingering sadness even 
over the bright and beautiful hours that often alleviate 
the approach of sterner and gloomier seasons. Such im- 
pressions however are not shared alike by all. Few 
perhaps altogether escape their influence; but in some 
classes they are softened or even obliterated by the deve- 
lopment of interests and pleasures of a very different de- 
scription. Such is especially the case with the astro- 
nomical observer. The shortening of the twilight hours 
is to him as the withdrawing of a veil that obscured the 
minuter, yet not least interesting, features of the glorious 
scenes that he loves to explore; and he views with fresh 
pleasure the deepening tone of the background of un- 
fathomable space, as the atmospheric illumination fades 
steadily away. We cannot indeed in our latitudes rival 
the transparent purity of the south, that gives such a 
magnificent depth to the aspect of the firmament, and 
throws out in such radiant brilliancy the host of heaven; 
yet even our autumnal skies are so great an advance upon 
the misty softness of the summer’s night that the observer 
cannot but rejoice in their return. 
These remarks are very obvious, not to say somewhat 
late in their application, when the sun has already ad- 
vanced so far upon his downward way: yet they may not 
be entirely inappropriate when we are about to draw 
attention to some of the present characteristics of the 
sky. Much now in every direction invites the inquiring 
gaze, and an early hour challenges the opening of the 
observatory, or the arrangement of the telescope. Eye- 
pieces should be cleaned, adjustments rectified. Instru- 
ments of all kinds and sizes may be called into profitable 
and pleasant requisition—let the possessors only make 
the best of what they have. If we do not see more than 
we anticipate, though that may sometimes happen among 
the uncertainties of the English climate, yet we shall 
surely see enough to amaze us at the greatness of the 
Creator. 
From its pre-eminent brightness, the planet Jupiter will 
naturally be the first object of attention. Belts we shall 
expect to find traversing his great broad disk, for they 
are very seldom absent; but there also we shall encounter 
amore unusual object, the ruddy patch, which has been 
sometimes described as vermilion, possibly from “personal 
equation,” but which to most eyes exhibits a cinnamon or 
brick-red hue. There it has been, with scarcely any ap- 
preciable change, for the last three years*—a degree of 
permanence equalled, and even surpassed, by some dark 
spots in ancient days, but singularly contrasted with the 
general mutability of the markings of the disk. What is 
that spot ? and where is it situated with regard to the real 
surface of the planet? Is it mere superficial colouring? 
but if so, of what material? Or is it an opening in the 
great mass of clouds-—or what we call such—that is 
thought to envelope this colossal globe? But if so, how 
strange that its outline should have remained so steadily 
permanent. And in that case, as it is difficult to suppose 
| it at the same level with those dark grey bands which 
have been ascribed to a similar absence of vapour, shall 
we place it above or bel»wthem? We might infer the 
former, if it is the case, as has been said, that it is more 
easily traced up to the limb than the dark belts ; but the 
observation is delicate, and the effacing of the grey bands 
in that situation is not matter of universal consent. We 
might possibly conceive, on other grounds, admitting that 
the dark belts do indicate a deep clearing of vapour, that 
ruddy tints are caused by something at a higher level, 
because these are oceasionally suffused over the whole 
equatorial zone and its markings, so as sometimes even 
to affect the general colour of the planet to the naked 
eye. The interposition of trees has prevented the writer 
hitherto from observation this year, but the accompany- 
ing sketch, taken 1879, November 12, with my 93-inch 
Fic. 1. 
“With” mirror, may perhaps be of some interest in com- 
parison with the observations of the present season. 
The image, it will be noted, is telescopic, ¢.e. inverted. 
* Traces o° it may be detected in the Earl of Rosse’s observations in 1873; 
but it seems to have been unnoticed in the interval. “ 
