In the astronomical portion of the “Illustrated London Almanack for 1864,” by Mr. Glaisher, a beautiful tinted engraving is given representing the appearance of the Moon during the total eclipse of June 1, 1863, when all the light and dark places--the so-called mountains, seas, &c., were plainly visible. In the accompanying descriptive chapter, the following sentences occur:--“At the time of totality the Moon presented a soft woolly appearance, apparently more globular in form than when fully illuminated. Traces of the larger and brighter mountains were visible at the time of totality, and particularly the bright rays proceeding from Tycho, Kepler, and Aristarchus. * * * At first, when the obscured part was of small dimensions, it was of an iron grey tint, but as it approached totality, the reddish light became so apparent that it was remarked that the Moon ‘seemed to be on fire;’ and when the totality had commenced, it certainly looked like a fire smouldering in its ashes, and almost going out.” If then, the Sun and Moon have many times been seen above the horizon when the latter was eclipsed, how can it be said that the Earth’s shadow was the cause of a lunar eclipse, when the Earth was not between or in a line with the Sun and Moon? And how can the Moon’s non-luminous surface be distinctly visible and illuminated during the very totality of an eclipse, if all the light of the Sun is intercepted by the Earth? Again, if the Moon is a sphere, which it is declared to be, how can its surface _reflect_ the light of the Sun? If her surface was a mass of polished silver, it could not reflect from more than a mere point! Let a silvered glass ball or globe of considerable size be held before a lamp or fire of any magnitude, and it will be seen that instead of the whole surface reflecting light, there will be a very small portion only illuminated. But the Moon’s _whole surface_ is brilliantly illuminated! a condition or effect utterly impossible if it be spherical. The surface _might_ be _illuminated_ from the Sun, or any other source if opaque, instead of polished, like an ordinary silvered mirror, but it could not shine intensely from every part, and brightly illuminate the objects before it, as the Moon does so beautifully when full and in a clear firmament. If the Earth _were admitted_ to be globular, and to move, and to be capable of throwing a shadow by intercepting the light of the Sun, it would be impossible for a lunar eclipse to occur thereby, unless at the same time the Moon be proved to be non-luminous, and to shine only by reflection. But this is not proved; it is only assumed as an essential part of a theory. The _contrary_ is capable of proof, and proof beyond the power of doubt, viz., that the Moon is _self-luminous_, or shines with a light peculiar to herself, and therefore independently of the Sun. A reflector necessarily gives off what it receives. If a mass of red-hot metal be placed before a