NOTES AND QUERIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 1951, 11 April 1889, Page 20

NOTES AND QUERIES.

Mosgiel. — The following particulars about thfl harvest moon are taken from " Chambers' En* cyclopaedia " :--In our latitudes (British), at the time of full moon nearest the autumnal equinot, it happens that the moon rises for several days nearly at sunset, and about the same time by the clock, instead of rising, as it usually does, 52* later on one day than on tbe preceding. This phenomenon is owing to the fact that at this tirae the moon is in Aries, when the part of the eoliptio below the horizon makes the least angle with it, as \ {shown in the following figure, where AB represents a portion of the equator^; H'OH, a portion of the . JJJ|horizon; tOL, a portion of the eoliptio when 0

represents the equinoctial point of Aries; CL',a portion oi the same if C were the equinoctial point of Libra. < Then (supposing the moon to move in the ecliptic, a supposition not far from the truth, and one which greatly simplifies the explanation of this phenomenon), if the moon be at O (point of Aries) on one night, it will have retrograded to ' Lby the same time on the following night; and, by the revolution of tbe earth in the direction NM', will appear on tbe horizon at H, and tbe distance LH reduced to time will give the moon's retardation. If Cbe tbe equinoctial point of Libra, then ' L' will be the moon's position on the second night, and it will rise at H' after the earth has revolved so as to carry the whole of the line H'L', above the horizon; this line, when reduced to time, gives the retardation. Hence, as the moon when at the full is in Aries at the sun's autumnal equinox, and in Libra at the sun's spring equinox, tbe retardation is least in the first instance and greatest in the second, being respectively CN — CM, and ON +CM =CN + CM. In the latitude of Edinburgh (55° 58'), the greatest retardation is Ihrß'24", and the least 11" 44"; in lat. 64" 27', the least retardation is zero, or the moon rises at tbe same time on two successive evenings, while at the arctic circle (6T 30') it rises 4' earlier on the second evening. As th-s phenomenon occurs at a time (about the 23rd of September) when the farmer is busy with his harvest, and very opportunely supplies him for several evenings with light sufficient to continue his operations after sunset, the moon at this stage has received the name of "harvest moon." At the moon's orbit is inclined to the ecliptic, thiß irregularity will be increased or diminished according as the ascending node is between Capricorn and Cancer, or between Cancer and Capricorn. It is nothing at the equator, increasing as we proceed north. At our antipodes the greatest retardation occurs in September, and the least in March. W. E., DunediH, writes:—l noticed in the Witness a week' or two back, in the Notes and Queries columns a few lines in j reply to a query by "J.F.," Waimate, ori'the"Tffoon and the Weather," I would be obliged if you;'eonld find room in your valuable paper for tbe following remarks on tbe subject,' taken from'a volume of the " New Zealand Institute Proceedings," and which might throw .a little light on. the subject whether tha moon has an influence over the weather:—" After * pointlnglont that observations made bytao Bar(

of Boise confirm the opinion that the heat radiated from the moon has very little to do •with the changes of the weather, the lecturer proceeded to cay.— The following facts, however, tend to the conclusion that the moon does exercise some influence on the weather. From observations of temperature at Greenwich, Oxford, and Berlin, it has been shown ' that a maximum mean temperature occurs on the average at each of these places on the sixth and seventh day of the lunation, and a minimum mean temperature shortly after full moon.' That is to say, when the moon's surface is most heated, and the lunar radiation therefore greatest, the temperature at these places is reduced. Certain theories were based on these conclusions, which were immediately overthrown by corresponding but quite contrary facts deduced from observations at St. Petersburg. A relation between these two sets of observations has, however, since been determined by the discovery that at the former places S. and W. winds Increase in frequency from new moon to the second octant, whilst in the last quarter the same winds are at a minimum, and N. and B. winds reach their maximum. These circumstances are sufficient to account for the variations of temperature in the south of England and Berlin, and, from the known relations between the prevailing winds in the two regions, at St. Petersburg also. Whether there is a relation between the moon's age and theße winds, or whether the observed facts are only coincidences, cannot be said to be determined. Even if we take the former view, we must remember that up to the present time this is all that has been gathered as to the direct influence of the moon on the weather, and that it does not connect any lunar phenomena with the occurrence of storms, rains, and inundations, or lead us to conclusions as to the total influence of the moon on any given day upon the weather all over the globe. Neither the effects of lunar radiation, nor the supposed atmospherio tides, if they do really exist, lend therefore any warrant to Lieutenant Saxby's prediction. The moon, however, may have an indirect effect on the weather in a manner which does not yet appear to have attracted the attention of meteorologists— viz., through the tides themselves. Ib is an ordinarily received opinion that changes of wind often take place at the time of slack water, either after the ebb or flow of the tide. With regard to particular places this is more than an opinion — it is, I believe, a distinctly ascertained fact. It is recorded that the strongest winds and roost disastrous storms on the coasts of Western Europe come in the direction from which the true tide wave approaches. What Ido find is that, as a rule, the most disastrous storms come in upon any coast line from the same direction as that in which the tide wave approaches it. This is a rule in our own country, and on the neighbouring shores of Australia it also holds good. The worst weather on this coast and on the eastern seaboard of Australia is that which comes in from the S.E." It is my opinion (continues our correspondent) that we have a great deal to learn yet as regards this subject of the " Moon j and the Weather, 'and if " J. P." only takes ob- j servations himself he will soon conclude that the moon has something to do with the weather, but "whether direct or indirect through the tides will be, I think, sufficiently proved some day to satisfy the whole world. I regret to say that scieutific men of the present day have not made a study of the subject. If such were the case, where are the registers to be found ? The lecturer from whose paper the above paragraph is quoted is a scientific man not of 40 or 50 years ago, but of 15 years only, and he says : " There are no registers of scientific observations to fall back upon." In conclusion, I can only advise those who take an interest in the subject to commence on the 31sfc day of March 1889 to take observations for themselves—say for 12 months— and they will find the result very satisfactory. T. S. M . — We cannot name any lawyer in Quebec* but would suggest that you forward your communication to the care of the editor of one of the ■ leading papers— say the Morning Chronicle— or to the postmaster. South Canterbury Farmer writes:— l was surprised to see by a paragraph in your last issue that you have a " close season " for hares in Otago. Is that the case all over Otago or only in particular localities ? I have not heard of such a thing for years in Canterbury. Hares are a nuisance hereabouts, and hunting, coursing, shooting, and snaring do not seem to keep them under. Aneiehbour has just bought £17 worth of wire netting to enclose hfs orchard and young plantations. There jPs a close season for hares all over Otago and Southland. It comprises nine months, extending from ," August to April inclusive. The open season commences on the Ist- prox. Although a nuisance in one or two districts, hares have so far been nothing like so destructive in Otago as they appear to havi been in South Canterbury. Notwithstanding this we are inclined to think that the protection might * now be very well left to Nature. U. S., Matakanui.— (l) The notice depends upon what is required by the articles of association of the company. Provision is made in the articles of some companies to give notice by circular, and in that case an advertisement iv a newspaper is not necessary. (2) He cannot fine you, but he can sue you if it is worth his while to do so. 8., Wellington, asks when the first number of the Otago Witness was issued, and says :—: — I have a copy dated September 8, 1855. It contains an account of the siege of Sebastopol, and wheat is quoted at 13s per bushel. The first number of the Witness was issued on February 8, 1851. Your copy is certainly a curiosity, and should be preserved. We haveof course a complete file from the first number to the present day— probably the only one in existence. P. A. Joseph writes :~EabbitB may be effectually prevented barking fruit trees by simply painting fche stems of the trees with grease of any kind, mixed with boiling water. Last winter I used a mixture of the kind with complete Buceess, as rabbits have a decided aversion to grease. Mutton tallow is about the best, and the consistency need not be more than that of ordinary gravy. The hot water will not harm the trees ; in fact, a good wash of hot water, in which whale oil soap in the proporbion of fib to the gallon has been dissolved, Ib a splendid wash to cleanse fruit trees from blight of all kinds. I have seen an orchard kept wonderfully clean by co washing twice a year. Q, R. — Mix one parb of oxide of zinc with three parts of powdered Fuller's earth, and dust the powder into the inside of an old pair of white gloves. Wear these every night, and in 'a little while the. r?dness which you complain of in your hands will disappear. The sudden flow of blood to the head and flushing of the face probably arises from indigestion. You should coDfine yourself to a purely milk and vegetable diet, with as much fresh fruit as you like taken early in the morning, and an occasional dose of aperient medicine, such as a seidlitz powder or fruit salt, as you may require it. Too much flesh meat is generally the cause of red. flushed faces, but ff you wish to make yours partioularly pale, come and work for a little while in one of our Dunediu factories. Perplexed.— Mr Beverly replies to your query: Moist air is lighter than dry air, because aqueous yapour is lighter than air. At the same temperature and pressure aqueous vapour is only five-eighths of the density of air ; hence a mixture of fche two (which constitutes moist air) is lighter than pure or dry air. When a part of the atmosphere contains more vapour than the surrounding parts it .has a tendency to ascend, being more buoyant. In ascending the temperature falls and the capacity of the air for vapour is reduced, so that parb of the vapour condenses into mist or rain. Ascending currents of air always produce cloud or rain, except when the air is very dry as in hot winds, and they are generally preceded by a falling barometer. The barometer simply measures the weight of the column of air above it, and if you ascend a hill you leave a part of the column below, the remaining part is therefore lighter, and the barometer falls accordingly. In ascendiDg to a vertical height of about three miles, one half (by weight) of the atmosphere is below and the other half above, and the barometer stands at 15in. A column of air 900 ft high, from sf a level, is nearly equal in weight to a column of mercury lin high, the two columns being of equal an-a ; hence an ascent of 900 ft causes the barometer to fall lin. T. B. Olden.— We have been unable to secure reliable information, but co far as we can learn. Captain Kane, of H.M.S. Calliope, is of Irish descent. Game.— (l) It ig necessary to take out a license to shoot native ducks. (2) A ranger can prevent persons shooting ducks on Crown lands. (3) Only as any other perein can— by laying an information. •J, K. D.— Both notieoa are void under the Fencing Aofc, hut there is nothing bo hinder each from pulling up his half without reference to the aot, but it is a bad method of proceeding. 4PB3GBIBSB, Speargr&ss Plat,— Syrup of buckthorn

and castor oil mixed in equal proportions Is very good for distemper in ferrets. Give a teaapoonful in milk twice a-day.