292 



NATURE 



{Aug. 3, 1876 



but they are on a very small scale, and no two persons 

 are likely, perhaps, to agree as to the inferences to be 

 drawn from them. We may remark, however, that the 

 arc of great circle between Bode's extreme positions 

 exceeds the length of the path, as described in Huth's 

 letters. The following places result from an examination 

 of the figures with the particular view to identify several 

 of the telescopic stars entered in the larger diagram : — 



o o 



1801, Dec. 3. Longitude ... i57"o Latitude + 10*5 



5, 14- ,. ••• 1567 „ -r 9'9 



1802, Jan. I. ,, ... I56"2 ,, + 9-1 



Calculations founded upon the deductions from Huth's 

 diagram lead to no satisfactory, indeed no probable, 

 results. The ordinary formulae fail, but the distance of 

 such an object could hardly have been great. 



With regard to the boita fides of Huth's observations, it 

 is worthy of remark that he wrote several letters to Bode, 

 while according to his own showing, observations would 

 have been very practicable, but for the unusual preva- 

 lence of clouded skies ; while there is no doubt of the 

 looseness with which he gave its positions. 



Next week we shall refer to a similar astronomical 

 puzzle, or myth, as perhaps some readers may be dis- 

 posed to consider it. 



Venus in Inferior Conjunction. — Mr. J. Birming- 

 ham, Millbrook,Tuam, writes : — "In a careful measurement 

 of Venus at the late inferior conjunction, I found propor- 

 tionally that the full diameter was no more than 200, 

 while a perpendicular from centre of line between cusps 

 to the limb was from 145 to 150." 



The August Meteors. — The earth arrives at the 

 descending node of the third comet of 1862 in the track 

 of which the August meteors are supposed to circulate, 

 about midnight, on the 9th inst. The comet itself is 

 distant from the earth 27*8 times the distance of the earth 

 ffom the sun, requiring yet some forty-seven years before 

 the aphehon point will be reached, and it once more 

 begins to approach these parts of the system. Though it 

 will soon attain a distance from the sun equal to the 

 mean distance of Neptune, its heliocentric latitude is so 

 large, there cannot be any near approach to the planet. 

 The ascending node falls not far from midway between 

 the orbits of Saturn and Uranus, while as is well known 

 at the opposite node, its path almost meets the track of 

 the earth, less than two distances of the moon separating 

 them. 



THE KEW GARDENS REPORT 



DR. HOOKERiS report on the celebrated gardens 

 under his direction contains this year some facts 

 that will be noted as starting-points in the history of 

 scientific progress at Kew. Thus at the outset we are 

 reminded that a sum of money was included by the 

 Government in the estimate of last year for the purpose 

 of erecting a new building for the herbarium in which 

 will be deposited not only the unrivalled collections of 

 dried plants, but also the valuable library, MSS., and 

 collection of drawings of plants. The great importance 

 of a fire-proof building in which to deposit these valu- 

 able treasures, cannot be over-estimated. The old house 

 once occupied by the late King of Hanover, in which 

 the herbarium is now and has been contained for nearly 

 a quarter of a century, has become literally crammed ; 

 therefore, both on the score of safety and convenience, 

 the new building which has been commenced since Dr. 

 Hooker wrote will be welcomed by botanists of all 

 nationalities. 



Another point in the future history of the Gardens is 

 the erection of a laboratory. Dr. Hooker points out that 

 one of the recommendations of the Commission on 

 Scientific Instruction and the Advancement of Science 



was, " That opportunities for the pursuit of investigation 

 in physiological botany should be afforded at the Royal 

 Gardens at Kew." To carry this out, T. J. Phillips 

 Jodrell, Esq., M.A., generously placed the sum of 1,500/. 

 at the disposal of the authorities, out of which the build- 

 ing has been erected, and will be fitted with apparatus 

 for chemical, physiological, and microscopical work. The 

 design for this building, in which we anticipate a great 

 deal of interesting work will be conducted, is exhibited 

 in the Loan Collection at South Kensington. It is 

 pleasing also to note that " the lessons given to the young 

 gardeners in the evening, in chemistry, meteorology, struc- 

 tural and economic botany, and upon which the attend- 

 ance is voluntary, continue to give satisfactory results." 

 These lessons, with demonstrations from such rich 

 collections as those of Kew, cannot fail to impart a 

 sound knowledge on those subjects immediately con- 

 nected with botany, and to prepare the etnployes for 

 important posts in India and the Colonies. Many plants 

 of botanical interest, as well as of economic value, 

 have flowered in the Gardens during the past year 

 for the first time in this country, and have been 

 figured for the most part in the Botanical Magazine, 

 With regard to the Blue Gum {^Eucalyptus globubis),^o\3X 

 which so much has recently been written, Dr. Hookerpoints 

 out that the plant having been so largely distributed and 

 planted, will probably prove to be useful in another way — 

 that of a timber tree, in countries not too hot for its 

 growth. " On the Neilgherries, where Australian trees 

 have been largely introduced, one of the most valuable, 

 the Acacia Melanoxyton, proves to be all but, valueless, 

 owing to the ravages of various Loranthaceous parasites. 

 The Eucalyptus globulus is, however, reported by Dr. 

 Bidie to entirely escape their attacks. He attributes this 

 immunity to the * deciduous bark, the seeds ' (of the para- 

 site) ' thereby being dislodged before they can germinate 

 and gain a hold.' " Liberian coffee, which is of a more 

 robust habit, and produces larger seeds than the Coffea 

 arabica, has oeen distributed with uniform success to 

 most of the coffee-growing countries, foreign or colonial, 

 foremost among them being Bahamas, Bangalore, Barba- 

 does, Bermuda, Calcutta, Ceylon, Dominica, Jamaica, 

 Java, Madras, Mauritius, Montserrat, Natal, New Grenada, 

 and Rio de Janeiro. 



The introduction into India of the South American 

 rubber-producing plants has occupied, and is still occupy- 

 ing, considerable attention. The successful acclimatisation 

 of the Para rubber-tree {Hevea brasilieusis), as well as of 

 the Central American plant {Castilloa elastica), is a matter 

 of great importance, affecting as it does our future supplies 

 of this invaluable substance. Of the peculiar and inter- 

 esting plant, Pringlea autiscorbutica, or Kerguelen's Land 

 cabbage. Dr. Hooker announces the receipt of seeds both 

 from the \Challenoer and Transit of Venus expeditions, 

 although, however a number of fine young plants were 

 raised, they have nearly all since perished, a similar fate 

 having befallen those at the Botanic Gardens of Paris, 

 Cape-town, and Edinburgh, showing that the plant is very 

 intolerant of warmth. 



In the Museums where the collections are constantly 

 increasing, one new feature is specially noticed, that of 

 the separate collection illustrating vegetable terato- 

 logy and pathology. This collection has rapidly in- 

 creased since its formation two years since, and will, no 

 doubt, in course of time, prove valuable to students in 

 these interesting branches of botanical science, the more 

 so as no public collection has hitherto existed of this kind, 

 the materials consequently being scattered far and wide. 



The herbarium has been considerably enriched during 

 the past year, notably by the collections of the late John 

 Stuart Mill, who, besides his other achievements was a 

 diligent collector, and a good botanist ; also from other 

 private collections, as well as those of the Challenger and 

 Transit of Venus expeditions. 



