306 
THE YOUNG SCIENTIST. 
are very well engraved. The positions of 
1015 stars are given, and tiieir magnitude 
Is well marked, inasmuch as every point, 
which is engraved to give the precise 
position of a star, is the centre of a little 
circle, which diminishes in diameter from 
the first to the sixth magnitude. The 
two circles of the equator and the eclip- 
tic, are divided by means of little lines 
into 360 degrees, every fifth degree being- 
marked by Cufir numeral figures. The 
zero of the equator is at its intersection 
with the ecliptic, in the beginning of the 
sign Aries. Twelve great circles of de- 
clination, lightly engraved, divide the 
ecliptic into its twelve signs. Forty-seven 
constellations are represented, 21 of 
which are in the Northern Hemisphere, 
12 in the Zodiac, and 14 in the Southern 
Hemisphere. A heart-shaped curved 
line incloses the six stars near Aquilla, 
which represent upon our celestial globes, 
the constellation of Antonious. This 
constellation and that of Berenice's Hair, 
were introduced by Tycho Brahe, in the 
16th century. On this globe, as upon 
other Arabic globes, the figures face the 
observer instead of looking towards the 
centre of the sphere. Therefore the stars 
which are upon the right side of a constel- 
lation on our globes, are on the left on 
the Arabic globes, and vice versa. 
The New Postal Notes. 
| HWJoajM [HE new postal notes authorized 
luS^S by the last Congress have now 
I tM^^yj come into use. They are put 
* * up in books, each book con- 
taining 500 postal note forms, with the 
address of the post-office printed on each 
note. The pages of the books are per- 
forated, so that when the notes are torn 
out stubs remain to show the amounts 
for which they were issued. A note can be 
filled out by a postmaster for any amount 
not exceeding $4.99, at a cost to the 
sender of three cents for each note. The 
notes are made payable to " the bearer " 
and they can be used as fractional cur- 
rency in any place to which they are 
sent. The notes are printed on pure 
linen bank-note paper of tbe bestqualil,y, 
chemically prepared in such a manner as 
not to be affected by moisture or ex- 
posure to light, while it is sensitive to the 
action of acids or other liciuids often used 
by forgers. The color of the paper is a 
pure lemon, and the fj'ont surface is 
printed over with an underlying tint of 
golden brown. The wai,er-marks in the 
paper, twisted in the form of a figure 8, 
have the words " U. S. Postal Note" in 
duplicate— reading from both left and 
right. Three printings are required to 
complete the note. In the underlying 
tint is a vignette consisting of a classical 
female head wearing a helmet. Much of 
the tint is made up of miniature photo- 
graphic designs, containing the words 
" United States Postal Note " repeated 
many hundred times, and engraved so 
finely that one can read the words with 
the naked eye, while it would be difficulr, 
to make a, counterfeit. "Winged wheels, 
with a halo from behind, make up a i)or- 
tion of the tint. The back of the note is 
elaborate and is printed in a dark green. 
In tbe centre is the monogram U. S. " 
engraved with a geometrical lathe. The 
monogram is embedded in an intricate 
cycloidal lace work of white line cutting, 
the tracings for which were done also 
with the geometrical lathe. 
These postal notes will be an immense 
convenience in sending small amounts of 
money, especially where it is desired to 
send a fractional part of a dollar. To get 
the money, the note is simply presented 
at the office on which it is drawn. Before 
presentation, however, the note must be 
signed by the person who presents it for 
payment, on the line where we have 
signed '^Industrial Publication Co.'' 
They will be good for three months 
from the last day of the month in 
which they are issued. A diagram of 
the new note is given herewith. A 
person living in Boston, for instance, 
and desiring to send any sum below $5, 
say three dollars and sixty-four cents, to 
any one in New York, goes to the post- 
office and deposits the same with a fee of 
3 cents. The postmaster will then punch 
three holes as indicated, to the right of 
the order, showing the dimes or cents de- 
posited, and dollars if so much, two more . 
holes to the left through month and year. 
