THe recent eclipse of the planet Mars by the moon reminds me of the last attempt made by Dr. Strabism: s (Whom God Preserve) of Utrecht to ascertain whether life exists on Mars. Elaborate machinery was set up on the Jungfrau, and' the Doctor," encased in wax, sat at the top of a ladder, on a sort of platform made of flexible steel. Beside him stood his secretary, Joostalittel Bytbalmij, and at four minutes to eight, p.m., when (Mars was about to enter the fourth conicle of Sagittarius, the Doctor broadcast through an enormous microphone, with a wave-length of 934.781 versts, the words: "Are you there?' To his amazement he heard quite dis. tinctly the answer, It was afterwards ascertained that it was the secretary who had replied, thinking that the Doctor was ad: dressing him. The explanation was made too late to prevent one evening paper from appearing with the headlines: "Life on Mars. Planet Answers Strabismus."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.