412 NETHER LOCHABER. 



of Olbers, however — for it originated with the discoverer of Pallas 

 — led to a great deal of curious research that resulted in no little 

 gain to astronomical science ; and if it had to be given up as 

 insufficient in the case of a planetoidal zone, it left us a legacy 

 that may yet he turned to good account, that such a catastrophe, 

 namely, as the disruption of a planetary world into fragments that 

 in the shape of minor orbs would continue to revolve in orbits 

 coincident with that of the parent globe, is not only possible, but, 

 under certain easily enough conceivable circumstances, a probable 

 enough occurrence. 



Occultations by the moon of planets and first magnitude stars 

 are always interesting phenomena, and for many years we have 

 rarely missed observing such conjunctions as they became due, 

 even if the hour was otherwise inconvenient, if only the weather 

 chanced to be favourable. Last week there were two occultations, 

 which for particular reasons we were very anxious to observe, and 

 as the weather was clear and bright we had but little fear of dis- 

 appointment. The stars to be occulted were Alpha and Delta 

 Leonis, the one on the night of the 16th, the other on the night 

 succeeding. Alpha Leonis is of the first magnitude, distinguished, 

 like some others of its class, from the mere alphabetical order of 

 stars by its proper name of Megiilus. Up to within a quarter of 

 an hour of the computed moment of ocoultation or disappearance 

 of the star behind the moon's disc, the sky was clear ; and as we 

 stood at our post everything promised a highly satisfactory and 

 successful observation ; hut alas, as the moon and star, in nautical 

 phrase, were close aboard each other, a huge bank of cloud, driven 

 by a north-westerly breeze, swept over the scene, effectually occult- 

 ing moon and stars alike from the most penetrating gaze. It was 

 provoking enough, but there was no help for it. An observer in 

 our climate must make up his mind to frequent disappointments of 

 this kind. We were still in hopes that although the immersion 



