A PLEA FOR THE STARS. 63 
surface, and in one place he remarks that the black figures have 
in several instances been painted on spots where the rock has 
scaled away “under the red” figures. The phrase used conveys 
theimpression that the scaling has taken place after the red figures 
were painted. But it was the opinion of some of our party (con- 
versant with geological evidences) that this statement requires 
some modification, for they found instances where the red designs 
had evidently been painted over spots where scaling had already 
taken place. In point of fact the paintings are scarcely any- 
where laid on the surface of the rock itself; they rest on a coat- 
ing of stalagmite covering the rock, and it is this stalagmite 
which has scaled off. It is evident that, if this opinion is correct, 
the “scaling” cannot, in any sense, be used as an argument in 
favour of the antiquity of the paintings. In my first part I have 
alluded to it as, at the best, only an extremely weak and vague 
sort of evidence, but, on the hypothesis just mentioned, it becomes 
an argument in favour of the (comparatively) modern rather 
than archaic execution of the paintings. 
I did not myself hear, at the time, the expression of opinion 
which I have just mentioned ; nor did I myself notice the geo- 
logical evidence in question, and so it was omitted in my paper. 
It has since been brought under my notice by members of the 
party. 
Ak ihe POR THE SPARS, 
ee 
BYOREV. “PHOS: ROSEBY, “GE,.D: 
——_———__. 
In the pages of a scientific periodical so largely occupied with 
discussion of the structure and life history of varied forms of 
animal and vegetable life, and whose fedal note is hardly ever 
struck except at the words sfecies nova, it will not do to say any- 
thing in depreciation of Biology. 
And yet there are other sciences which might well claim a 
share of the attentions now almost engrossed by the youngest 
sister of the family ; and it is on behalf of one of them—an elder 
sister indeed, but not less fair—that I am desirous of putting ina 
plea. I refer to Astronomy. Foronewelleducated man who is able 
to tell the story of Gamma Virginis, 1 suppose there are a score 
in our community who know the life history of Volvox Globator, 
and fifty who can identify the various species of Hymenophyllum. 
Yet of all physical studies there is none whose objects are 
_ more beautiful in themselves than those of astronomy ; none fur- 
nishing more ample scope for the exercise of the scientific spirit, 
or whose facts have more readily admitted the modern scientific 
interpretation ; while the majestic scale of the subject, its colos- 
