A NEW STAR AND THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM. 697 



absolutely white. Flaws in diamonds are black specks, carbon that has not crys- 

 tallized, or bubbles of gas or liquid, or natural faces of the diamond that have not 

 been ground off. Black diamonds are mostly used for tools, but in Russia they 

 are worn when the Court is in mourning. They are beautiful gems with a brill- 

 iant lustre. 



The lecturer described some of the famous diamonds of the world, and then 

 characterized the ruby as the most precious of all the stones when it has the true 

 pigeon-blood color. A ruby of five carats is worth twice as much as a diamond 

 of the same weight. The ancients held this stone to be a charm against poison, 

 disease, and wicked thoughts. Sapphires, to be beautiful, must be of uniform 

 deep blue. The lecturer said he had seen a small stone which was ruby on one 

 side and sapphire on the other. In an experience of twenty years he had seen 

 only five oriental emeralds and one oriental amethyst. Of the five varieties of 

 cat's-eye that he had come across, only one — chrysoberyl — was valuable. The 

 deeper the green of the emerald the better, and this stone loses no brilliancy by 

 artificial light. Its color was supposed to be the same element that colors the 

 leaves of trees. The opal, considered the unlucky stone, was to the ancients the 

 only gem that seemed to store up the light of day. It cannot be successfully im- 

 itated. The hard opal is found in Hungary, the soft in Mexico. Five per cent 

 of water is a constituent of the latter, and when placed in water the dull stone 

 resumes its wonted brilliancy. Garnets are found in Bohemia; the most beautiful 

 are gathered in Nevada, They have been seen of almost every color of the rain- 

 bow, but green and red are used in jewelry. 



The lecturer urged in conclusion that his auditors should not lose confidence 

 in human nature by reason of the widespread imitation of precious stones which 

 he had described. 



ASTRONOMY. 



A NEW STAR AND THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM. 



WILLIAM DAWSON. 



The Scientific American is authority for advancing the idea that a xxq"^ star of 

 great brilliancy may become visible in the constellation' of Cassiopeia, some time 

 during the present or coming year. In the night of November ii, 1572, as 

 Tycho Brahe, a noted astronomer of Denmark, was returning from his observa- 

 tory, he found a group of persons looking at a brilliant star in Cassiopeia, which 

 he felt sure was not there an hour before. It then shone like a star of the first 

 magnitude ; but grew brighter for some time and equaled Venus in brilliancy, 

 when it could be seen easily with the naked eye in day time. In a short time it 



