364 SCIENTIFIC RECORD FOR 1885. 



New variable in Vulpecula. — Mr. Edwin F. Sawyer has found* that 

 the star D M. + 27°, 3890 is an interesting variable of the rj Aquilie 

 type. From a preliminary reduction of the few observations thus far 

 obtained a light curve has been formed, indicating strongly that the 

 period will not vary much from 4J days. The approximate limits of 

 fluctuation are from 5*5 to 6-7 mag. The star is not in Argelander's 

 Uranonietria Nova; in Seis it is 6*0; in Harvard Photometry 'd,ii6. the 

 Durchmusterung 64. It is close to the star 32 Vulpeculae, which has 

 been suspected of variability. The position of the new variable for 

 1885-0 is: E. A. 201^ 45"^ 19^'i; Decl. + 270 42'-3. 



New variable in Cetus. — Mr. Sawyer also reports t a new variable in the 

 constellation Cetus. The star was first observed on December 16, 1881, 

 and noted as 7th magnitude. On January 10, 1885, it had decreased 

 about a magnitude in brightness, and by February 10 it was barely 

 visible in a field glass, or it was of about 9-0 magnitude. An observa- 

 tion on March 5, by Mr. Sawyer and Mr. Chandler, with a 6-inch equa- 

 torial, made the star of 10^ magnitude. The position for 1855-0 is : 

 E. A. 2^^ 26°» 45«; Decl. — 13° 47', and the star appears to be identical 

 with S. DM. —13°, 479. [Astron Naehr., 2691.) 



Variability of D M. — 1^,3553. — Dr. Valentiner, director of the Karls- 

 ruhe Observatory, has detected a slight variation, of about 0-5 magni- 

 tude, in the brightness of this star. 



Variable in Ursa Minor. — Dr. Safarik has carefully observed a star 

 given in Professor Pickering's second list of stars with remarkable spec- 

 tra and there noted as variable; and he has found a mean period of 337 

 days with the epoch of max. 1883 August 1, epoch of min. 1883 Novem- 

 ber 26. The star is red, and gives a banded spectrum. Professor Sa- 

 farik has designated it "E Ursae Minoris," as the first variable known 

 to him in the constellation Ursa Minor. 



Observations of variable stars in 1884. — In the Proc. Amer. Acad., vol. 

 XX, p. 393, Professor Pickering gives a concise but clear view of the 

 progress of observations, in Europe as well as in America, of this inter- 

 esting class of objects during the year 1884. The following observers 

 have co-operated with Harvard College in this important branch of as- 

 tronomical research, viz, Backhouse and Knott in England ; Duu6r, 

 Hartwig, Safarik, and Wilsing on the continent of Europe; Eadie, Ha- 

 gen, Parkhurst, and Sawyer in the United States. Professor Pickering 

 gives a list of about 150 variables which have been observed during the 

 year, with the number of nights on which each star was observed by the 

 astronomer whose designation is attached to the number. It is hoped 

 that observers of variable stars will continue to furnish accounts of their 

 work during each year as soon as possible after its close. It is desira- 

 ble that these accounts should be received at the Harvard College Ob- 

 servatory as early as February 1 of the following year. [Observatory.) 



* Astron. Nadir., 2704. ] Astron. Nachr., 2660. 



