582 Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 



Tried by the gold-leaf electroscope, the electricity^ was found to be 

 positive. This was ascertained immediatel}^ after the instrument M'as 

 taken into the room ; had the experiment been delayed, it is pro- 

 bable that the fact would not have been satisfactorily determined, as 

 the instrument very soon became so excited by the opposite currents 

 in the room, that its action was quite uncertain. And latterly, when 

 brought vertically within about two feet of one of the driving belts, 

 the motion of the leaves became so violent that about three-fourths 

 of the length of one of them was torn off, and adhered to the side 

 of the jar. The excitation did not wholly disappear till several hours 

 after. 



It may seem somewhat contradictory that in these experiments 

 the same current that affected the electro magnet did not similarly 

 affect the needle of the multiplicator. As this circumstance may 

 perhaps be referable to the difference of character of the respective 

 helices, it may be proper to note that those of the multiplicator are 

 composed of about 300 feet length of rather fine wire, whereas the 

 helices of the magnet are composed of ten strands of sixteen feet 

 length each of much stronger wire. It was found however that the 

 helices of the multiplicator were capable of transmitting the current 

 without any obvious diminution. The explanation does not therefore 

 appear to be quite satisfactory. 



W. M. Buchanan. 



Glasgow, April 16, 1851. 



DISCOVERY OF A NEVk' PLANET. 



To the Editor of the Times. 



Sir, — At ten minutes before 1 o'clock this morning (May 20) I 

 discovered another new planet in the constellation Scorpio, about 

 8° north of the ecliptic, and forming at the time an equilateral triangle 

 with the stars ^ Scorpii and \p Librae. It is of a pale bluish colour, 

 and its light is about equal to that of a star of the ninth magnitude. 



The following are the observed places : — 



Greenwich Mean Time. Right Ascension. North Polar Distance, 



h m s n m s „ 



May 19, at 12 52 36 16 4 10-41 103 23 34-9 



13 26 36 16 4 8-81 103 23 376 



Whence we may infer that the right ascension is now diminish- 

 ing at the rate of !■" 8* daily, the change in N.P.D. in the same 

 interval being small, probably not exceeding two minutes. 



This is the fourth planet detected here during a close examina- 

 tion of the zodiacal heavens. The others are — Iris, discovered 

 August 13, 1847 ; Flora, on October 18 of the same year; and Vic- 

 toria, September 13, 1850. 



Sir John Herschel, who was consulted by Mr. Bishop in refer- 

 ence to the choice of the name, proposes to call the planet Irene 

 (properly Eirene, Elpt'ii'ij, Peace), one of the Seasons among the 

 Greeks, and therefore satisfying the condition which has hitherto 

 guided astronomers in the selection of names for newly discovered 



