HA RD WICKE* S SCIENCE- GOSSIP. 



39 



Rising, Southing, and Setting of the Principal Planets, 

 at intervals of Seven Days, for February. 



At the meeting of the Royal Astronomical Society 

 held on January 10th, the Astronomer Royal an- 

 nounced that the observations of the solar eclipse 

 were successful. Excellent photographs of the corona 

 had been taken. 



A paper by Mr. E. C. Barnard, of the Lick Obser- 

 vatory, was read on observations of the brightness of 

 one of Jupiter's satellites, Iapetus, while passing 

 through the shadows of crape ring and the bright 

 ring. While passing through the shadow of the ball 

 the satellite was invisible. On emerging from the 

 shadow of the ball it attained its full brightness in a 

 few seconds, and continued equally bright until it 

 entered the shadow of the inner edge of the crape 

 ring. The brightness then decreased gradually with 

 great regularity until it entered the shadow of the 

 inner edge of the crape ring, when it was again 

 invisible. As it was passing through the shadow of 

 the densest part of the crape ring, the brightness of 

 the satellite was reduced to one-third. The observa- 

 tion, of course, proves that the increase in the density 

 of the crape ring, from its inner to its outer edge, is 

 very gradual. 



A paper by Professor Holden was read, describing 

 the photographic apparatus of the great Lick tele- 

 scope. Among other contrivances, means are pro- 

 vided for producing an enlarged image beyond the 

 eye-piece end. It is expected that enlarged photo- 

 graphs of the moon will be taken with this con- 

 trivance, which will greatly increase our knowledge 

 of the planet. 



On February 6th Venus will be at the greatest 

 distance from the sun at o hrs. morn. 



There will be no occultation of any star above the 

 4th magnitude, nor any eclipse or other celestial 

 phenomena of popular interest during the month of 

 February. 



In February Mercury is a morning star, situated 

 in Capricornus ; stationary on the 10th at noon. 



Venus is near to the sun, and enters Aquarius 

 about the 15th. 



Jupiter is a morning star in the early portion of 

 the month only. 



Saturn is almost stationary in Leo, in opposition 

 to the sun, on the 19th at 4 his. morn. 



SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



" The Wesley Naturalist " has been amal- 

 gamated with the "Journal of Microscopy, and 

 Natural Science." We shall greatly miss the 

 interesting and unpretentious magazine, which has 

 done so much credit to the able editorship of the 

 Revs. Dallinger, Spiers, and Hilderic Friend. 



" The Journal of Microscopy " for January contains 

 the following papers: — "The Cells of Mosses," 

 Rev. W. H. Lett ; " Solid-Hoofed Hogs," Mrs. 

 Bodington ; " Among the Sea-Urchins," Geo 

 Swainson ; "Sensibility," F. W. Sutcliffe ; "Dips 

 into my Aquarium," Rev. W. Spiers ; " Some 

 Recent Developments of the Doctrine of a Contagium 

 Vivum," Dr. Shingleton Smith ; " A Camera-Lucida 

 for Nothing," J. W. Plaxton ; " Autumn in the New 

 Forest," G. C. Turner; " Aspect of the Heavens: 

 January, February, and March 1890," A. Graham ; 

 "New Form of Mounting Clip," G. H. Bryan; 

 " The Romance of Science," by Rev. Hilderic 

 Friend, &c. 



The Royal Botanic Society, has arranged the 

 following fetes and exhibition for 1890. Spring Ex- 

 hibitions of flowers, Wednesdays, March 26th and 

 April 23rd. Summer Exhibitions of plants, flowers, 

 and fruit, Wednesdays, May 14th and June nth. 

 Evening fete and exhibition, Wednesday, July 2nd. 

 Botanical Lectures, Fridays, May 9th, 16th, 23rd, 

 and 30th, June 6th, 13th. Promenades, Wednesdays 

 in May, June, and July. 



The last number of " The Essex Naturalist " 

 contains, amongst other matters, the following 

 papers :— " Presidential Address," by E. A. Fitch ; 

 "Notes on the Geology of Maldon and the Black- 

 water Estuary," by T. V. Holmes; "Discovery of 

 Celtic Urns at Colchester," by Henry Laver; "The 

 late Col. Russell's Contributions to Photography," by 

 Professor Meldola ; "Notes on the Lepidoptera of 

 Leigh and its neighbourhood," by Howard 

 Vaughan ; " On a Deep Channel of Drift, in the 

 Valley of the Cam," by W. Whitaker ; " The White- 



