i6o 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



about equidistant on both ventral and dorsal surfaces 

 in Allolobophora. This latter arrangement leads the 

 way to Megascolex, where the setas are found all 

 around the segments, but more numerous than in the 

 last genus. For the internal characteristics reference 

 must be made to the papers of Beddard, Benham and 

 others ; while the chatty paper of the late Frank 

 Buckland, in his " Natural History of British Fishes," 

 may appropriately be read as a sequel to the fore- 

 going. I give a list of the species and localities, 

 which form the critical apparatus for this article, 

 elsewhere. 

 Carlisle. 



ASTRONOMY. 



By John Browning, F.R.A.S. 



IN his annual report of the Paris Observatory for 

 18S9, which lias just been issued, Admiral 

 Mouchez states that the building for the equatorial 

 coude has been completed. The instrument, which 

 has a focal length of eighteen metres, is to be used 

 'both for spectroscopic and photographic work. 

 Five more observatories have promised to take part 

 in the photographic survey of the heavens. 



At the meeting of the Royal Astronomical Society 

 held on May 9th, a paper by Professor G. Davidson 

 was read on the " Apparent Projection of Stars on 

 the Bright Limb of the Moon at Occupations." In 

 this paper he expresses an opinion that the 

 phenomena observed may be accounted for by the 

 •enlargement of the images of bright objects due to 

 unsteadiness of the atmosphere. 



Mr. Knobel stated that he had recently visited the 

 Observatory at Potsdam, and he had there seen the 

 first photographic telescope which has been finished 

 for the purpose of making the survey of the heavens 

 as recommended by the French Congress. Dr. 

 Vogel had within the last month observed that the 

 lines in the spectrum of Alpha Virginis are doubled at 

 intervals of two days, which shows that the star is a 

 •close double, the components revolving about their 

 common centre of gravity in four days. 



It is said that a remarkable meteor, emitting 

 sparks, and having a comet-like tail, passed over a 

 good part of the State of Iowa between five and six 

 P.M. on the 8th of May. Its passage was accom- 

 panied by a hissing, rumbling noise, which caused 

 people to rush out of doors, thinking it an earth- 

 quake. The meteor exploded about eleven miles 

 north of Forest City, Winnebago county, and 

 its fragments ware scattered over the ground. 

 One of these weighs 104 lb. The stone is porous, of a 

 grey colour, spotted with brown or black, and speckled 

 with meteoric iron. Analysis shows it to contain silica, 

 iron oxide, aluminium oxide, lime, and magnesia. 



There will be no occultations of stars of large 

 magnitude, nor any astronomical phenomena of 

 popular interest, during July. 



Rising, Southing, and Setting of the Principal Planets, 

 at intervals of Sez'en Days, for fill} 1 . 



Mercury will be a morning star until nearly the 

 end of the month. 



Venus will be an evening star in Leo. 

 Saturn will be an evening star in Leo. 



ON THE COMMON WASP, CHIEFLY AS 

 COMPARED AND CONTRASTED WITH 

 TPIE HIVE-BEE. 



By J. Yates. 



WASPS only live from day to day, from hand to 

 mouth ; they daily nourish their young with 

 nectar and the sugary syrup of fruit, to which they add 

 the necessary animal diet by masticating flesh, and 

 extracting its albuminous or nitrogenous juice. 



Honey and syrup are chiefly used for the purpose 

 of generating heat, and for the development of force, 

 but the nitrogenous matter is especially intended for 

 the building up of the tissues of the various organs of 

 the body. 



There is a remarkable contrast between the 

 nutritious functions of the bee and those of the wasp. 



Though the bee (the worker), gives minute particles 

 of pollen mingled with honey to the young, yet the 

 greater portion of the pollen, their nitrogenous food, 

 undergoes an elaborate process of digestion in the 

 system of the foster-parents before it is administered. 



As pointed out by Mr. Cheshire in his work "On 

 Bees and Bee-keeping" (chapter 6), the neuter 

 possesses a very complicated system of glands, which 



