The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-05-28

instructive horror of them. Thus, when
ever our Newfoundland down at Juvisy-
CYRUS we call hlm-JumDs up Oh my nus
band he turns quite pale.'
81 have always thought" added Flam-
marion, that In some previous existence L
must nave been bitten by mad dog, hence
my distinctive antIpathy TO them, though
at heart l am very fond of animals of all
kinds in general. and of dogs in particular.
Indeed, everything in nature interests me
and my principal amusement here during
the spring IS to watch the budding OF the
trees outside my window. Since 1871
have noted down my observations each
year of each one of the trees which for the
purpose | have mum bered and | find that
each year II Is always the same tree which
Dungeons the first, and that otherwise also
the individuality OF each can he character
lied. l have noticed also that just as the
budding OF the trees depends on the Their
mometer, so also does the nesting and
Matching Of birds. Thus in the caves of
the house, just there by that window of
mine. there is a sparrow's nest, which has
also place in the diary which have kept
for twenty-five years. The Matching of
the nestlings depends entirely on the state
If the thermometer"
That sparTow's nest" said his wife, "is
Flammarlon's great pleasure. He will sit
for hours listening 10 the chlrping of the
birds and be has grown to understand heir
language. Icdeed, lie has annotated theE
langu ge just as Garner has done for the
monkeys"
The Camille Flammarion of to-day may
be described as man who, having ex-
pended an immense amount of energy in
his youth. is anxious TO some extent to
enjoy IN his maturity the fruits OF his
labors. Throughout his life the public
seems to have been his preOccupation, &C
cOrding to his friends, from philAnthrol ic
motives and according to his critics from
personal interest. A certain business
faculty cannot be denied the man who
has been able 20 publish the result Of his
observations in cheap monthly parts, and
who sedulously has cOuched his deScrip-
lions in the language of the man who
running may read. But il is only fair to
remember that Flammarion explains his
method of lmpartlng knowledge, which,
from its vulgarity, may be miSconstrued as
commercial, as tile result of his desire, by
all means in his power, TO pcpu!arlze
science which he considers to be the key 10
the secret of the universe. And as to his
position as an astronomer, there NAV be
quoted ID conclusion tile words Of Nj. Faye,
the present president of the Paris obser-
vatoTy, on his accession to the presidential
armchair of the French Astronomical So
cietv:
The French Astronomical Society,""
said Mr.. Faye. 'cannot but prosper, be-
cause 1t was founded by men-men who
have no other interest than a love OF
science-and because it meets a human
want. 1t may be said that this want was
created aud propagated in France by Mr.
Flammarlon. Professional astronomers
considered the Astronomical science from
a point of view which was doubtless lofty
but also narrow. Preoccupied with the
grave problems of celestial motion, they
consider the universe to be composed OF
material points which obey exact laws,
the study and application of which form
tie subject of their inyestig tiOns. But
there are not only material points of ma
ture. There is life, there is thought, there
is mind. The planetary globes are
not only mere inert bodies acting under
the laws OF mechanics. but in different de-
grees ana at different periods they are the
scene Of organic life; of more or less de-
yeloped human life it may be. Placing
himself at this point If view, Mr.. Flam-
marion has seen in astronomy something
besides the dry study of celestial move
ment and laws of gravity. Thus he has
caught the ear of the public and has
known how to interest in this science a
vast crowd which till then had remained
absolutely Indifferent To 1t. In this re-
spect Alr. Fiammarion, who held a high
place among practical astronomers, espe-
c!ally by reason of mis- important investi-
cations about the double stars, may be said
10 have rendered real service TO public
instruction by what may be described as
his transformation Of the study # astron-
Omy.' ROBERT Il. SHERARD
Copyright, 1898.