Otherwise, the stars will appear as trails of light, caused by the rotation of the earth as it moves onward at the rate of nineteen miles a second, which is rather disturbing to an astronomer who may be desirous of obtaining a photograph of the stars overhead. What is he to do? Here is our planet turning eastward and the stars apparently drifting westward, and unless the telescope is made to keep up with the stars by means of clockwork the results are disastrous. Consequently, the telescope is made to follow the star, comet, or whatever the desired celestial trophy may be, and it is kept in such a position that the object in view is centrally placed at the intersection of two threads obtained from a spider’s web. For this reason, spiders are treated with due respect in observatories, and may explain the expression of dismay the writer saw on the face of an Indian assistant at the Kodaikanal observatory in southern India, when she nearly dispatched one of these noxious insects, which succeeded, however, in deftly eluding destruction. [Illustration: PHOTOGRAPH OF A BRIGHT METEOR BY DR. W. J. S. LOCKYER ] The star trails shown in the photograph taken by Dr. W. J. S. Lockyer give an excellent idea of what happens to a photograph of the stars when the clockwork is allowed to run down. In this instance the telescope, with the accompanying camera, was stationary during the exposure of a little over two hours, with the result that the stars photographed are not points of light, but bright and faint lines in sections of circles, since the telescope was pointed to the pole of the heavens. The interest in this photograph is increased by the fact that a meteor dashed across that part of the sky during the course of the exposure, thus resulting in one of the finest photographs of a meteor ever obtained.[8] Had the exposure lasted during twenty-four hours, and the photograph been taken in Norway some time during the course of their long winter night, the trails would have been complete circles. By this means we do not get a picture of the stars, but simply a photograph illustrating the rotation of the earth. To obtain a picture of the stars, therefore, an equatorial attachment, as above described, is an absolute necessity. Some people have an idea that all an astronomer has to do in making photographs of a comet, or other celestial object, is to turn the telescope in the direction wanted, strap on the camera, wind up the clock, and then go homeward for a good night’s rest. Unfortunately, no driving-clock has yet been devised so perfect as to move the telescope exactly with the stars. According to Professor E. E. Barnard, who was an expert on such matters—