620 
NATURE. 
[AUGUST 15, 1912 
equinoxes at sunrise, noon, and sunset, but the most | 
interesting feature is the fact that solar hours for two 
degrees west longitude are indicated by shadows 
touching various prominent points or edges of the 
stones at the beginning of November and February, and 
at the winter solstice and the equinoxes. The remains 
of the barrow prevent the sun’s rays from striking 
on the dolmen 
when the sun is low on the eastern 
Fic. 2.—Twelve o'clock at the equinoxes maiked on the south-east corner 
ofthe north stone. 
or western sky, but the author has been able to obtain 
photographic records of the shadows of twenty-two 
out of twenty-seven possible hours of sunshine at the 
dates mentioned. The south stone acts only as a 
style, the north stone only as a dial, while the east 
and diagonal stones fulfil both purposes. The prob- 
ability is that the megaliths were sacred gnomon 
Fic. 3.—One o'clock in November and February marked on the south end of the 
east stone. 
stones worshipped by certain of the ruling races of 
prehistoric times, and used as a means of registering 
the passing time chronicled by the sun. The dolmen, 
therefore, appears to have been a sacred instrument 
constructed to show mean solar hours, horae equi- 
noctiales (used by the ancients for astronomical pur- 
poses), at certain critical periods of the year. It must, 
moreover, have been in use before the barrow was 
NO. 2233, VOL. 89] 
erected. The author has also found solar hours indi- 
cated by shadows on the uncovered stones in the long 
barrows at Notgrove and Belas Knap, although he 
has not been able to obtain a regular series owing 
to their imperfect condition. Perhaps, ages after time- 
measuring dolmens had been in use, some change of 
cult was introduced into this country, either by the 
pre-barrow race themselves, or, more probably, by 
alien invaders, and certain of those ancient temple 
observatories used as foundations for barrows. The 
practice of taking over sacred places and temples was 
a universal one amongst ancient races. 
SIR. WILLIAM HERSCHEL 
URING the last twenty years there has been a 
great revival of statistical investigations as to 
the distribution and motions of the so-called fixed 
stars. .Kapteyn of Groningen is the leader of those 
who are renewing the attempt to obtain in this way 
some idea as to the construction of the universe. 
Earlier astronomers had, of course, done something 
in this direction, but the work of William Herschel 
so far transcends that of all others that it would 
be fair to describe him as the originator of this class 
of investigation. It may be of interest to mention 
that a complete edition of his works is now in course 
of publication, under the direction of a joint com- 
mittee of the Royal and Astronomical Societies. 
The interest of Herschel’s writings, and the simple 
charm of his style—written, it is to be remembered, in 
a language which was not his from birth—have led 
me on to read about the man as well as about his 
scientific work. Throughout his life’s work his name 
is inseparable from that of his sister Caroline, and I 
hope it may prove of interest to you to hear of what 
they were, as well as of what they did. They were 
born at Hanover, he in 1738, she in 1750, the children 
of a bandsman of the Hanoverian Guards. At the age 
of fifteen Herschel was already a member of the 
Guards’ band. In 1757 the regiment, which had been 
in England for about a year, -served in 
Germany during the Seven Years’ War, and 
William seems to have suffered from the hard- 
ships of the campaign. | His parents, seeing 
that he had not the strength for a soldier’s 
life, determined to remove him from the regi- 
ment. The removal may be described more 
bluntly as desertion, for we learn that when 
he had passed the last sentinel at Herren- 
hausen, he took off his uniform, and_ his 
luggage was secretly sent after him to Ham- 
burg. At any rate, fortunately for science, he 
escaped, and in 1757 or 1758 made his way to 
England. ; 
It would perhaps be impossible to follow 
him throughout his wanderings, but we know 
that he was at one time instructor of the band 
of the Durham Militia, and afterwards that he 
gained his living as a musician in Leeds, Hali- 
fax, Pontefract, and Doncaster. In 1764 he 
even ventured back to Hanover for a short 
time, and thus saw his favourite sister again. 
During her early years Caroline seems to 
have been practically the household drudge 
or general servant, and whatever she learnt 
was by stealth or in the scanty intervals snatched 
from her household duties, for her mother thoroughly 
disapproved of education for a girl. 
When we reflect on the difficulties under which 
both brother and sister laboured, and then consider 
how much they were able to accomplish, we might 
1 A discourse delivered at the Royal Institution on April 26 by Sir George 
H. Darwin, K.C.B., F.R.S. 
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