266 Occultations. 



thin carelessly-scattered masses of cotton-wool ; and the only 

 observation which I have had during the present season, and 

 the first in which I have paid much attention to the nebulous 

 light (October 6th, less than two hours before the remarkable 

 earthquake), was a very satisfactory one, as I saw distinctly, 

 with various powers, without previously knowing its situation,, 

 the "bridging over" of the Sinus magnus, or great dark open- 

 ing, by a feeble filament, more distinct in the middle, with an 

 occasional suspicion of a star there ; and I even perceived, what 

 at the time I had no idea had been previously noticed, that the 

 portion of the gulf thus included was less dark than the interior, 

 the reverse of what is shown by Bond, but, as I have since- 

 found, agreeing with the observations of Secchi. 



OCCULTATIONS. 

 November 19, ic Piscium, 4^ mag., will disappear at 12h.. 

 12m., and reappear at 13h. 9m. The observation will be favour- 

 able from the size of the star, and the approach'of the dark limb 

 of the moon, and unusually interesting from, the occupation, 

 only 4m. later, of 9 Piscium, a 6 mag. star. 30th. 60 Gancri,. 

 6 mag., will be hidden from lOh. 33m. till llh. 37m. 



BOTANIZING AT OAKSHOTT HEATH. 



BY SHIELEY HIBBEED. 



Oakshott Heath is almost a terra incognita. It has no place in 

 " Bradshaw," and many of the folks who live within rifle-range 

 of its black slopes and furze-fringed hollows have not yet 

 inhaled its pleasant breezes. Murray's Hand-booh of Surrey takes 

 the tourist round its outmost borders, on the way to Walton, but 

 keeps it all a secret that there is such a place as Oakshott, 

 and of its name Black's Guide is equally silent. It is not at all 

 strange that Oakshott should hide itself from public gaze, and 

 keep its seclusion sacred among the shadowy pine woods, for 

 it has attractions only for the lovers of scenery and the collectors 

 of plants. There is no Hall with quaint carvings and old pic- 

 tures — no village with Gothic or Norman church — no inha- 

 bitants even but stag-beetles and small, lean kine, which vanish 

 at nightfall no one knows whither, and reappear at daybreak to 

 browse on moss or rushes, for there is scarcely-a blade of grass 

 to be found over hundreds of acres. If you examine the map of 

 Surrey, you will observe that there is a chain of hills stretching 

 east and west from Rochester to Guildford, thence to Ash, then 

 north to Bagshot; thence north-east to Egham, and again due 

 cast to Kingston. These hills mark out the prime parts or 

 Surrey, and when London botanists and pleasure-seekers are at a 



