JOURNAL AND PROCEEDINGS. 69 
poles or foci of magnetic force, two situated in the northern hemi- 
sphere and two in the southern hemisphere. Of the two northern 
poles the stronger is situated in the upper region of North America, 
near Hudson Bay ; the weaker is situated above Siberia. Explana- 
tion: With the dipping needle, if we start at the equator and travel 
northward towards the focus of magnetic force, we find that the dip 
or inclination is increased until we reach a point where it points 
vertically downward. This corresponds with the focus of declination 
or variation. ‘Thus we have a point in the north of America which 
has the following properties: 1—The various lines of declination 
converged to it ; 2—The needle points vertically downward ; 3—The 
horizontal force vanishes and the needle will point in any direction. 
Likewise we have another focus with same properties in Siberia and 
corresponding foci in the southern hemisphere, but with reversed 
poles. The reason for these two foci is hard of explanation. ‘There 
is a supposition that the world was composed of two separate 
masses, but through the magnetic moulding influences of ages they 
became united. In support of this hypothesis note may be taken of 
the remarkable relation the orbits of the Leonids bear to the orbit 
of the comet Leo. It would seem difficult to find any cause that 
should bring into such a strangely shaped group bodies that have 
had originally orbits distributed at random. Hence we are appar- 
ently forced to the conclusion that these meteorites have something 
common in their past history, in fact they would seem to have been 
once part of a single body, and these common elements are essenti- 
ally those of the parent mass. By some process they have become 
separated from the comet—thrown out of control of the attractive 
power, and so left to travel each in its own orbit. It is found the 
declination, the inclination or dip, and the intensity of magnetic 
force vary not only in different places, but also in the same place 
from year to year, from month to month, and even from hour to 
hour. There are also changes which proceed gradually for years. 
They are called secular. All changes are now recorded in tracings 
at our observatories by specially adapted instruments, and if we 
study these tracings we will find the sun produces its effect upon the 
declination of the magnetic needle, causing it to reach the easterly 
extreme of range about eight in the morning, and the westerly about 
two in the afternoon, and that this diurnal fluctuation is greatest in 
