HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



87 



As the days lengthen and the sunshine gets warmer, 

 the number of insects on the wing steadily increases, 

 and amongst those due this month there are several 

 rare species. Sallows are a great attraction, and 

 should be well worked on warm evenings. Fences, 

 tree-trunks, and heaps of stones should be carefully 

 examined. Hibernating species may now be met 

 with, both butterflies and moths ; and though most 

 of them will be "raggy," some few good specimens 

 may be obtained. Beating thatch is a method often 

 resorted to, and at this season many moths may be 

 beaten out, particularly hibernating Geometrse. A 

 little later on, numbers of Tinere may be thus captured. 

 Depressarise and some other species are commoner 

 now than before hibernation. 



The treacling-pot will come into requisition, and 

 light will prove a good attraction. The lamps should 

 therefore be scanned. In districts where it has been 

 previously taken, my readers should look out for 

 V. antiopa, and I am sure we shall be pleased to hear 

 of such captures. 



One great prize to be looked for is Endromis 

 versicolora, which flies briskly in woods near heaths 

 by day. If any of our readers are lucky enough to 

 secure a freshly-emerged female, they may try 

 " sembling," and, if there are any more of the species 

 about, they may be sure of a good harvest of males. 



Towards the end of the month Lcbophora Polycom- 



mata may be met with, and should be looked for at 



night on trunks of trees, with the aid of the lantern. 



William Finch, jun. 

 Nottingham. 



ASTRONOMY AND METEOROLOGY. 

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



IN the February number of Science-Gossip I 

 referred to the discovery by MM. Paul and 

 Prosper Henry, at Paris, of a new nebula by photo- 

 graphy, which they had previously been unable to 

 perceive by direct telescopic observation. 



Professor Pickering states, in the " Astronomische 

 Nachrichten," that certain irregularities had been 

 noticed in a photograph of the Pleiades taken at 

 Harvard College Observatory so long ago as the 

 3rd of November, 1885. 



"They were supposed to be due merely to defects 

 in the photographic process ; but upon re-examination 

 it appears that one of them corresponds so closely to 

 what is described by MM. Paul and Prosper Henry, 

 that there can be no doubt with regard to its origin. 

 It must represent light photographically perceptible 

 in the vicinity of the star Maia, as stated by its dis- 

 coverers, who are undoubtedly entitled to the credit 

 belonging to the perception and proof of this in- 

 teresting phenomenon, although the Cambridge 

 photograph seems to be the first upon which it is 

 exhibited." 



The Harvard photograph was exhibited at the 

 Albany meeting of the National Academy of Sciences, 

 on the 10th of November, and the irregularities then 

 received some attention. Professor Pickering adds, 

 that the explanation thus afforded of one of the 

 markings on the photograph in question renders the 

 others of more interest than at first sight appeared to 

 belong to them. There are indications of nebulous 

 light about Merope, and a faint narrow streak of 

 light projecting from one side of Electra ; but no 

 such light would be seen about Alcyone, Atlas, 

 Pleione, or Taygeta. 



Mercury is an evening star at the beginning of the 

 month, and a morning star at the end, setting on the 

 2nd at 7 hr. 44 min. P.M., on the 9th at 6 hr. 47 min. 

 P.M., on the 16th at 5 hr. 47 min. p.m., on the 

 23rd at 5 hr. 6 min. P.M., and on the 30th at 4 hr. 

 48 min. P.M. 



Venus will be a morning star throughout the 

 month. 



Mars will south on the second at 9 hr. 56 min. P.M., 

 on the 9th at 9 hr. 24 min., on the 16th at 8 hr. 

 55 min. P.M., on the 23rd at 8 hr. 28 min. p.m., and 

 on the 30th at 8 hr. 3 min. P.M. 



Jupiter souths on the 2nd, at 11 hr. 16 min. P.M., 

 on the 9th at 10 hr. 45 min. P.M., on the 16th at 

 10 hr. 15 min. P.M., on the 23rd at 9 hr. 45 min. P.M., 

 and on the 30th at 9 hr. 16 min. p.m. 



Saturn sets on the 2nd at I hr. 43 min. A.M., on 

 the 9th at 1 hr. 17 min. A.M., on the 16th at o hr. 

 52 min. A.M., on the 23rd o hr. 26 min A.M., and on 

 the 30th at o hr. 2 min. A.M. 



There will be an occultation of Aldeburun, a first 

 magnitude star, on April the 8th. The disappearance 

 will take place at 5 hr. 8 min. P.M., and the reap- 

 pearance at 9 hr. 55 min. p.m. On the 16th there 

 will be an occultation of Manus. The disappearance 

 takes place 9 hr. 5 min. P.M., and the reappearance 

 at 9 hr. 48 min. p.m. 



Meteorology. — The mean temperature of the week 

 ending February 6th was 4 below the average, i.e. 4 

 in the corresponding week of the twenty years 

 ending 1S6S ; in the week ending February 13th it 

 was 6 • 7 below the average ; in the week ending 

 February 20th it was nearly 4 below the average, 

 and in the week ending February 27th it was 7 '6° 

 below the average. This is an almost unprecedented 

 February for cold ; the temperature was within a 

 fraction of 6° below the average, for the whole 

 month and the thermometer never once reached 50 . 

 It only exceeded 40 on eight days in February. 

 More exceptional still is the fact, that from February 

 1 6th to March 2nd the thermometer never touched 

 40 in London. There has certainly been no such 

 February for thirty years. 



The mean temperature of the week ending March 

 6th was 7 "7° below the average, and for the 

 week ending the 13th of March was 8 # 9° below the 

 average ; thus exceptional, as was February, it is 



