204 SCIENTIFIC HECORD FOR 1884 



was made to photograph the nebula of Orion, resulting in failure; and 

 it was not until 1883 that his magnificent photoj:raph of the nebula was 

 secured. This photograph excels all others, and', except in the very 

 finest details, is far superior to any drawing. A few features can be 

 seen with a large telescope which are not sbowu in the plate. Mr. Com- 

 mon was among the first to obtain a photograph of a comet. His pho- 

 tographs of Jupiter and Saturn are described as being beautiful, and 

 he has lately applied himself with success in the direction of obtaining 

 photographic star-maps. President Stone called attention to the fact 

 that Mr. Common is an amateur astronomer, and that the records of 

 their society are rich in the labors of amateur workers. The amateur 

 who can provide himself with sufficient instrumental means for original 

 research need fear no professional rivalry, and it is in work of thig 

 class that the most striking advantages in astronomy are to be expected. 

 {The Nation.) 



The address of Prof. C. A. Young, as retiring president of the Am. 

 Assoc. A. S., at Philadelphia (1884, September 5), on the pending prob- 

 lems of astronomy is a careful review of the whole field of investigation, 

 and is full of suggestions as to the directions in which research should 

 be directed. It has been reprinted in many journals, and most widely 

 read. 



Professor Thibaut, of Benares, to whom we owe already many useful 

 contributions to Sanskrit scholarship, has submitted to the Asiatic 

 Society of Calcutta, a paper on the astronomer Varaha Mihira, which is 

 soon to be published in the Journal of that society. ' The abstract of 

 his paper contained in the Proceedings of the Asiatic Society, June, 1884, 

 informs us that the dependence of Sanskrit astronomy on Greek astron- 

 omy is now proved beyond contradiction, and a new confirmation has 

 thus been added to a theorj^ lately propounded by several Sanskrit 

 scholars, namely, that the so-c^-lled classical literature of India is in re- 

 ality a mere renaissance belonging to the VI century A. D. {Athenccum.) 



We are glad to announce the appearance of the fourth fascicule, com- 

 pleting the second volume of the valuable BibliograpMe Generate de 

 V Astronomic, which is in course of publication by MM. Houzeau and 

 Lancaster. It will be remembered that the scheme comprehends three 

 great divisions, each to form a separate volume: (1) astronomical works; 

 (2) astronomical memoirs and notices contained in serial publications 

 and academic collections ; (3) astronomical observations and observa- 

 tories. Of these it has been considered convenient and useful to pre- 

 pare and publish the second volume first, as it is on matters of more 

 pressing and general interest than the others. The final part of this 

 volume, which concludes with an index (occupying two hundred and 

 thirty pages) of the papers and memoirs contained therein, under the 

 names of the respective authors, is now before us, and we congratulate 

 MM. Houzeau and Lancaster on the completion of the portion in ques- 



