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cluded position, as "the island province." The old superstitions prevail there in full force: "Hunters burn candles and pray to the spirit of the crag they are climbing"; a black dog or white paper is a charm against the evil one; and "the drawing of 'a horse rampant' is a recognized prophylactic against smallpox." Until a few years ago women were not allowed to climb beyond a certain limit; and when the wife of one of the mountaineers ventured beyond it she was turned, they say, into a stone. Mr. Weston had the very pillar pointed out to him. But the charm is now broken, and women can climb in security. It is, however, considered sacrilegious to climb a mountain till proper parties have been sent to the top to pray the gods for good weather. The mountains are ten thousand or more feet high, of various geological character, and, being near the sea, command peculiar views. Hodekadaka is granite; Yarigstake, the highest peak after Fujisan, is of brecciated porphyry; and Fujisan, nearly two thousand feet higher than the others, is a crater. No railroad or common road enters the mountain region, though both come near it. Mr. Weston met several "pilgrim clubs" a sort of Alpine clubs having a more numerous membership and costing less than those of the West. "Every year, before the season commences, they meet and decide by ballot who shall climb the sacred mountains. . . . They also stamp their alpenstocks with the names of the mountains they have ascended." They regard their exercise as a religious one, and as they went up they chanted, "May our six senses be pure, and may the weather on the honorable peak be fine!"

 

The Longevity of Astronomers.—We take the following from an article under the above title in The Observatory. The longevity of astronomers has often been called attention to. The Herschels, the Cassinis, and others have been notable examples. This is all the more curious, as their vocation necessitates late hours and constant exposure to night air. The following consists, says the writer of the paper, of a portion of a list of the names of well-known men connected with astronomy who have lived beyond the allotted human span of "threescore years and ten." The ages are correct to within a few months:

	Obit.	Age.
Fontenelle, Bernard de	1757	100
Herschel, Caroline L	1848	08
Cassini, Count J. D	1845	97
Sabine, Sir Edward	1883	94
Mairan, De	1771	93
Somerville, Mary	1872	92
Santini, Giovanni	1877	91
Sharpe, Abraham	1742	91
Long, Dr. Roger	1770	90
Airy, Sir George Biddell	1892	90
Thales⁠b. c.	550	90
Humboldt, Alexander von	1859	90
Robinson, Rev. T. R	1883	90
Bouillaud, Ismael	1694	89
Rosenberger, Prof. Otto A.	1890	89
Gautier, Jean Alfred	1881	88
Biot, J. B.	1863	88
Cassini, J. D.	1712	87
Messier, Charles	1817	87
Wallis, J.	1703	87
Brewster, Sir David	1868	86
Halley, Edmund	1742	86
Schwabe, Samuel Heinrich	1875	86
Barlow, Peter	1862	86
Pingre, Alexander Guy	1796	85
Longomontanus	1647	85
Horrebow, P.	1764	85
Whiston, William	1752	85
Pritchard, Rev. Charles	1893	85
Maclear, Sir Thomas	1879	85
Button, Dr. Charles	1823	85
Dick, Dr. Thomas	1857	84
Woolhouse, W. S. B.	1893	84
Newton, Sir Isaac	1737	84
Le Monnier, Peter Charles	1799	84
Herschel, Sir F. William	1823	84
Lee, Dr. John	1866	83
Bernouilli, Daniel	1782	82
Troughton, Edward	1835	82
Gibers, Dr. William	1840	82
South, Sir James	1867	82
Le Gendre, Jean	1833	82
Nasmyth, James	1890	82
Eratosthenes⁠b. c.	195	81
Aristarchus⁠b. c.	280	81
Emerson	1882	81
Moestlin, Michael	1631	81
Maurolico	1575	81
Bernouilli, John	1748	81
Kant, Immanuel	1804	80
Lassell, William	1880	80
Piazzi, Joseph	1826	80
Mädler, J. H.	1874	80
De Lisle, Joseph N	1768	80
Bacon, Roger	1294	80
De La Hire, P.	1718	80

 

Types of the Unemployed.—Of forty-two men in a German colony for unemployed workingmen, described by Mr. Josiah Flynt in the Atlantic Monthly, mechanics and common laborers were most numerous, while others had