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NATURE 



[Aug. 3, 1876 



tcries during this year has been efficacious in America at least. 

 M. Trouvelot, who has given much time to the production of 

 astronomical drawings has already secured no less than thirty- 

 four drawings during June. This is important, as Dr. Oswald 

 Lbhse, who is studying the surface of Jupiter carefully, declares 

 the changes this year to be of exceptional interest. 



In the Bulletin International of the Paris Observatory for 

 July 14, Prof. Raulin gives a supplement to his valuable paper 

 on the distribution of the rainfall of Algeria, which was published 

 some years ago, based on fifty- five series of observations brought 

 down to the close of 1874. The mode of the distribution of the 

 rainfall of Algeria is much less varied than that of the south of 

 France, for while in the south of France there are six distinct 

 rain-regions, in Algeria there are only two, the one region being 

 characterised by a very dry summer and a very wet autumn 

 and winter, embracing the less elevated land near the shore and 

 the northern borders of the Hauts- Plateaux; and the other region 

 characterised by a very rainy spring and dry summer, including 

 the Hauts-Plateaux with their borders which skirt the Sahara. 



We have received the Meteorologische Beohachtungen made 

 thrice daily at the Observatory of the Leipsig University under 

 the direction of Dr. Bruhns during 1875, the whole being care- 

 fully reduced, and copious footnotes given each month of the 

 more marked phenomena. The method of publishing only the 

 readings of the dry-bulb and the hygrometric deductions is faulty. 

 All such publications ought to include at least both of the ob- 

 served facts, viz. , the readings of the wet bulb as well as those 

 of the dry bulb. 



A FALL of meteorites, we learn from Aftonblad, took place on 

 June 28, between 11 and 12 a.m., near Stalldalen, a station on 

 the Swedish Central Railway, in the northernmost part of Orebro- 

 lan. Several fell, some on the ground and others in a lake. Two 

 Avere found, one about the size of the fist and weighing 4^ lbs. , 

 the other smaller. Eye-witnesses stated that a loud whistling 

 was first heard in the air from west to east, and a light was 

 plainly distinguishable ; although the sky was clear and cloud- 

 less, thereafter two very sharp reports were heard, the second 

 succeeding the first after a momentary interval, followed by 

 several others less sharp, resembling thunder, after which the 

 falling stones were observed by eight or ten persons ; and finally, 

 there was seen in the air a whirling smoke, not very high up. A 

 meteor was observed simultaneously at Stockholm and at other 

 places. At thirteen English miles south-west of Linkoping it 

 was seen first in a north-westerly direction pretty high up in the 

 sky, and it then sank down in about ten seconds towards the 

 horison in the west. It had the appearance of a large pear a 

 foot long, which, notwithstanding the bright sunshine, lest be- 

 hind a clear shining streak of six or eight feet in apparent length, 

 which finally broke up into a multitude of starlike sparks. Here 

 no noise was heard. According to a communication from the 

 Stockholm Meteorological Bureau, there is reason to believe that 

 the phenomena arose from the *^'ksi!i}o\\yA." {foudre globulaire), 

 which generally appears as a luminous round object, and often, 

 on approaching the ground, assumes a lengthened form and a 

 blinding white colour, and bursts asunder, commonly with a 

 loud report. As all who observed the meteor, both in Stock- 

 holm and in Sodermanland, saw the luminous appearance in the 

 same direction, viz. W.N.W., it is probable that the light pro- 

 ceeded from the main mass of the meteor situated at a very great 

 distance. The phenomenon observed here (at Stockholm) must 

 therefore have been so far an illusion, the object, instead of 

 bsing, as most people estimated, within a few thousand feet, 

 being actually at a great distance. Later information shows that 

 the phenomenon was visible over a great part of middle Sweden. 



The most interesting article in Heft 7 of Petermann's 

 Miftheilungen is on the present Turko-Servian war in its ethno- 



graphic and historical bearing. The various and very varied 

 elements that go to make up the population over which the 

 Sultan holds sway are pointed out, as well as the fact that the 

 war is not one between Turks and non-Turks, but between 

 Mohammedans and Christians, and especially Christians of the 

 Greek Church. It is thus not a war of races, as many seem to 

 think, a struggle on European ground between Aryans and 

 Turanians, but a religious war, Mohammedanism not being con- 

 fined to people of Turkish origin. An excellent map to illustrate 

 the various data given in the paper, accompanies the part. 

 There is an article on the geography of the region around the 

 mouths of the Ob and the Jenisei, founded on the information 

 obtained by Nordenskj old's expedition of last year, of which an 

 account appeared in Nature ; this article is also accompanied 

 by a map. Another article describes Largeau's second expedi- 

 tion to Rhadames. Dr. Schweinfurth contributes an account of 

 the expedition conducted by himself and Dr. Giissfeldt to the 

 Arabian Desert from the Nile to the Red Sea, as also of Dr. 

 Ascherson's journey to the Little Oasis (Wah-el-Bah'rIeh) in 

 March-May, 1876. In an article on the "Solution of the 

 Question of the Nile Sources," Dr. Behm refers to the recent 

 circumnavigation of Lake Albert Nyanza by Signor Gessi, and 

 maintains that it is now proved that the true sources of the Nile 

 are Lakes Albert and Victoria, and that therefore the glory of 

 the finding of this ancient quest belongSj to the late Capt. 

 Speke along with his still living companion, Col. Grant. Among 

 the Geographical Notices is a paper by Dr. Hann, on " Certain 

 Important Irregularities of the Sea- level." 



From the "Ninth Annual Report of the Trustees of the 

 Peabody Museum of American Archoeology and Ethnology " 

 (Cambridge, U.S.), we learn that the trustees have resolved to 

 proceed with the erection of a museum building worthy of the 

 magnificent collection they possess. The most important addi- 

 tion to the museum during the year, probably the largest dona-^ 

 tion ever made to the museum, is that from Peru and Bolivia, 

 collected by and at the personal expense of Mr. Alexander 

 Agassiz. This collection is of great importance in relation to 

 South American archaeology and ethnology. Other additions 

 have been made from various parts of America. A General 

 Index to the nine Annual Reports accompanies the present one. 



M. Largeau and M. Louis Say are about to undertake 

 another expedition into North Africa ; the goal of the former 

 this time will be Timbuctoo, and of the latter Ahaggar, the cul- 

 mination of the Central Sahara, and which, it is said, has not 

 hitherto been visited by any European. 



In a recent communication to the French Geographical 

 Society, M. Alph. Pinard announced the discovery of a great 

 number of tumuli, quite different from the shell-mounds, on the 

 south and south-east coast of Vancouver Island, which he 

 has been exploring for some time. Out of one he obtained a 

 skeleton with a much deformed head. 



The Vienna papers report the death of Mdme. Hulsenstein, 

 a lady who had been maid of honour to Maria Theresa, and 

 lived to the extraordinary age of 119 years. The case ought to 

 be noted as being well authenticated and not grounded merely 

 on idle rumour. 



The number of visitors to the Loan Collection of Scientific 

 Apparatus during the week ending July 29 was as follows :— 

 Monday, 3,263 ; Tuesday, 2,660; Wednesday, 514; Thursday, 

 459; Friday, 508; Saturday, 3,880; total, 11, 284. The usual 

 lectures and demonstrations are given during the present week. 



The statue of M. Elie de Beaumont will be inaugurated at 

 Caen (Calvados) on the 6th inst. The ceremony will be 

 interesting, as a deputation from the Institute will he present to 

 do honour to the late perpetual secretary. 



