Memoranda as to the Moon 157 



Fig. 8. Pecten stviatus. Very fragile, almost transparent, 

 colouring not unlike that of Ugvinus. A northern species. 

 Pecten Ugvinus (= P. Ugvinus), a larger species, is usually 

 brownish-red, variegated with whitish streaks and patches, 

 never spiny. P. vavius, a still larger species with spiny valves, 

 and exhibiting extreme variation in colour. Albino examples 

 are rare. 



MEMORANDA AS TO THE MOON. 



The Moon, " our nearest neighbour in the heavens," may 

 be observed with especial interest at the seaside. There is 

 usually abundant leisure, the beauty is enhanced by the 

 glittering floor of water, and it will often happen that either 

 at rising or at setting the horizon is free from obstacles. The 

 paramount influence of the moon upon the rise and fall of 

 the sea will also add to the interest with which she is con- 

 templated by the instructed gazer. In the hope of increasing 

 that interest we venture to offer the following memoranda. 



The moon, notwithstanding its apparent size, is one of the 

 smallest of the objects visible to us in the heavens. 



The diameter of our earth is nearly four times that of the 

 moon. 



The moon is only 240,000 miles away from us, but its 

 distance is slowly increasing. 



The materials of which the moon is composed are much 

 lighter than those of the earth. It would take more than 

 eighty moons to outweigh the earth, whilst its bulk amounts 

 to one-fiftieth. 



The moon receives reflected sunlight from the earth, just 

 as we do from the moon. 



It is by the aid of earth-shine that we are, in certain 

 conditions, able to see dimly the whole surface of the moon 

 when only a small portion is illuminated by the sun. This 

 occurs when a new moon is high in the heavens near the time 



