having fallen during a long period, that a slight preponderance in respect of quantity falls near the ‘new’ Moon over that which falls near the ‘full.’ This would be a natural and necessary consequence of a preponderance of a cloudless sky about the ‘full,’ and forms, therefore, part and parcel of the same meteorological fact.” Bernadin has asserted it to be a fact that many thunderstorms occur about the period of “new” or “full” Moon. But what I want most to warn the reader against is that popular idea (wonderfully wide-spread it must be admitted) that at the epochs of what are called, most illogically, the Moon’s “changes,” changes of weather may certainly be expected. There is absolutely no foundation whatever for this, and still more void of authority (if such a phrase is admissible) is a table of imaginary weather to be expected at changes of the Moon, often met with in books published half a century ago, and still occasionally reprinted in third-rate almanacs, and designated “Dr. Herschel’s Weather Table.” This precious production is not only devoid of authenticity as regards its name, but may easily be seen to be fraudulent in its reputed facts any month in the year. It would be beyond both my present available space and the legitimate objects of this work to attempt even an outline of the influences over things terrestrial ascribed to, or associated, rightly or wrongly, with the Moon, and of which the word “lunatic” perhaps affords the most familiar exponent. CHAPTER VII. MARS. Mars, though considerably smaller than the Earth, is commonly regarded as the planet which, taken all in all, bears most resemblance to the Earth, though only one-fourth its size. Under circumstances which have already been briefly alluded to in Chapter I., Mars exhibits from time to time a slight phase, but nothing approaching in amount the phases presented by the two inferior planets, Mercury and Venus. When in opposition to the Sun, that is to say when on the meridian at midnight, it has a truly circular disc; but between opposition and its two positions of quadrature it is gibbous. At the minimum phase, which is at each quadrature, E. or W. as the case may be, the planet resembles the Moon 3 days from its “full.” These phases are an indication that Mars shines by the reflected light of the Sun. It is a remarkable tribute to Galileo’s powers of observation that with his trumpery telescope, only a few inches long, he should have been able to suspect the existence of a Martial phase. Writing to a friend in 1610 he says:—“I dare not affirm that I can observe the phases of Mars; however, if I mistake not, I think I already perceive that he is not perfectly round.” [Illustration: Fig. 12.—Four views of Mars differing 90° in longitude (Barnard).]