THE MOON.

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continued fine weather in our own land, and of still longerperiods of such weather in other countries, during which theMoon passes through a whole series of phases, why is nochange produced, if the Moon ’s changes have any real efi’ect ?

It must not, however, be forgotten that the Moon , when nearto being full, reflects an appreciable amount of solar heat, as wehave already mentioned that the careful experiments of LordItosse have proved; and it certainly seems likely that thisheat, especially before it has traversed the lower regions of theEarth ’s atmosphere, may have a tendency to disperse and dryup terrestrial clouds. This supposition has been confirmed bythe result of long-continued observations, which indicate thatnear to the time of Full Moon the nights are less cloudy thanat other times. If so, as the result of the more unimpededradiation of the Earth ’s heat, they will also be decidedlycolder. Such is the only effect upon the weather which we con-sider has at present been shown, with any probability, to beconnected with the Moon . Other effects, some of them perhapsdepending upon atmospheric tides, corresponding to the lunarand solar tides of our waters, may exist, but are as yet un-proved. It is possible that the delicate indications afforded bythe large scale of the glycerine barometer (a comparativelyrecent invention), if carefully recorded for a sufficient lengthof time, may afford some information in this direction.

Here we must regretfully leave the Moon , with the hope thatour readers may have been so far interested by the remarkswhich our space has permitted, that they may be encouragedto pursue the subject by the study of some of the variousable treatises in which they will find it more fully discussed.It is one of which we think none should ever be weary, oneto which each fair hour, when

“ The Moon

Riding in clouded majesty, at length,

Apparent queen, unveils her peerless light,

And o'er the dark her silver mantle throws,”

should tempt us to recur with unflagging energy and unabatedzeal.