April 28, 1898] 



NATURE 



617 



Aniaduvade Finches (Estrelda amandava), a Green Waxbill 

 {Eslrelda formosa), two Black-headed Finches (Munia malcuca), 

 two Chestnut-bellied Finches (Munia rubro-nigra), three Indian 

 Silver-bills (Munia malabarica) from India, a Common Waxbill 

 (Estrelda cinerea), three Orange-cheeked Waxbills (Estrelda 

 melpodd), two Red-bellied Waxbills (Estrelda rubriventris), a 

 Paradise Whydah Bird ( Vidua paradisea), a Grenadier Weaver 

 Bird (Etiplectes oryx) from West Africa, three Banded Grass 

 Finches (Poiphila cincta) from Queensland, a Bar-breasted 

 Finch {Munia nisoria) from Java, a Maja Finch (Munia inaja) 

 from Malacca, a Chestnut-eared Finch (Amadina castanotis) 

 from Australia, presented by Miss Petrocochino ; two Black 

 Rats (Mus rattus) from the Channel Islands, presented by Mr. 

 J. Ernest Ardron ; a Common Otter (Lutra vulgaris), British, 

 presented by Mr. A. P. Ashburnham ; three Hairy-footed Jer- 

 boas (Dipus htrtipes) from North-east Africa, presented by Miss 

 Baird ; a Green-cheeked Amazon (Chrysotis viridigejia) from 

 Colombia, deposited ; a Collared Fruit Bat (Cynonycteris col- 

 laris), a Yellow-cheeked Lemur (Lemur xantkomystax), a 

 Crested Porcupine (Hystrix cristata), two Squirrel-like Pha- 

 langers (Petaurus sciureus), a Red Kangaroo (Macropus rufus), 

 born in the Gardens. 



OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. 

 Astronomical Occurrences in May : — 

 May 2. iih. 24m. to I2h. iim. *B.A.C. 4006 (mag. 57) oc- 

 culted by the moon. 

 2. 2ih. Juoiter in conjunction with moon. Jupiter 

 6° 58' N. 



6. Vesta (mag. 6*5) in opposition to the sun. In Libra. 



7. 6h. 36m. a Scorpii (Antares) in .conjunction with 



moon, a Scorpii, 1^° S. 

 7. I2h. Saturn in conjunction with moon. Saturn 



S" T N. 

 II. I3h. 1 6m. to I3h. Sim. B.A.C. 7263 (mag. 6) 



occulted by moon. 

 13. Uranus 52' S. of i3 Scorpii (mag. 3). 

 15. Venus. Illuminated portion of disc 0923. 

 15. Mars. „ „ „ 0936. 



18. i8h. Venus in conjunction with Neptune. Venus 



2° 19' N. 

 20. Saturn. Outer minor axis of outer ring, 18" '69. 

 20. Ceres 16' N. of J3 Geminorum (Pollux). 

 22, 4h. Uranus in opposition to the sun. In Scorpio. 

 22. 6h. S4m. to 7h. 32m. Venus occulted by moon. 

 24. Encke's Comet arrives at perihelion. 



29. 22h. Saturn in opposition to the sun. In Scorpio. 



30. 5h. Jupiter in conjunction with moon. Jupiter 



7° i' N. 



Double and Multiple Southern Stars. — The observ- 

 ation of double and multiple stars in the southern heavens has 

 never been attempted on a large scale, although several observers 

 have turned their attention to these bodies with not very large 

 apertures. Sir John Herschel, in his southern sweep for nebulae 

 and clusters, was enabled to detect over 2000 new double stars ; 

 but his chief interest was more for the close examination of the 

 former celestial objects than for the search for double stars. 

 Since that time the Sydney Observatory, the Cape Observatory, 

 and the Harvard observers at Arequipa have done much to 

 promote our knowledge of this class of southern stars. A 

 search on a large scale has recently been undertaken by Dr. 

 T. J. J. See, who was invited by Mr. Lowell to undertake a 

 survey of the southern heavens for the discovery and measure- 

 ment of new double stars and nebulae with the 24-inch refractor, 

 which had just been completed by the Clarks. In the Astro- 

 nomical Journal (Hos. 431-432) Dr. See gives us some details 

 of his plan of work, together with the first part of the catalogue 

 of new double stars. In this survey Dr. See was aided by Mr. 

 Cogshall, The observing station was first at Mars' Hill, Flag- 

 staff; next in Mexico, in the western part of Tacubaya ; and then 

 again at Flagstaff, the telescope in each case being dismounted 

 and re- erected. 



The region of the sky embodied in this work includes the 

 entire zone between -20'' and -45°, and the more southern 



NO. 1487, VOL. 57] 



region swept over in Mexico lies between - 45° and - 65* 

 between 4h. and i6h. Right Ascension. Dr. See states : " In the 

 course of this work it is certain that we have examined carefully 

 not less than one hundred thousand stars, and many of them 

 doubtless on several occasions." All the star places have been 

 referred to the equator and mean equinox of I900'0, and in each 

 case the colours are given after a terminology which was found 

 best to describe the tints of the spectrum. To give an idea of the 

 quality of the object-glass used, and the excellent atmospheric 

 conditions at Flagstaff", we may mention that an object was not 

 considered difficult unless it was below o"'3, or fainter than the 

 14th magnitude for fairly wide objects. Dr. See proposes to 

 arrange the final catalogue in two parts : the first giving the new 

 doubles, and the second doubles recognised by previous observers. 

 He further uses the symbol A. to denote " stars discovered at the 

 Lowell Observatory," and an index i being affixed to this letter 

 in the first catalogue, and other numbers in subsequent catalogues. 

 When completed, this great work will prove a most valuable 

 contribution to our knowledge of many interesting systems in 

 the southern hemisphere. 



Comet Perrine. — The following is a continuation of the 

 ephemeris given previously in this column : — 



12//. Berlin Mean Time. 



R.A. 



Dec. 



log r 



log.1 



Br. 



o'ii7i 0*2675 0*52 



0-1285 0*2799 047 



The Manora Observatory. — In a recent number of the 

 Naturwissenschaftliche Wochenschrift (Band xiii. No. 14), Herr 

 Leo Brenner gives a condensed account of the observations made 

 at the Manora Observatory during the past year. As usual, the 

 observations are chiefly restricted to minute examinations 

 of the surface markings of planets. The article is illustrated 

 by reproductions of the observatory and instruments and drawings 

 of the surface markings of some of the planets. Herr Brenner 

 refers to the question that has been raised regarding the financial 

 condition of the observatory. In his concluding remarks he adds : 

 " For the main part my work this year will depend on whether 

 a change occurs in the financial condition of the observatory, or 

 whether I shall be obliged, as formerly, to waste my time in 

 writing worthless scientific articles." 



The Harvard College Observatory. — The fifty-second 

 annual report of the director of the Astronomical Observatory of 

 Harvard College gives us an idea of the immense amount of 

 work which is being carried on so successfully under his super- 

 vision. Not only are extensive investigations undertaken, but 

 they are brought to completion by the liberal staff" with which 

 he is provided. After referring to the large endowment for 

 current expenses which renders such assistance possible. Prof. 

 Pickering adds that as regards permanent plant they are far 

 behind other observatories even of the second class. That this 

 will be soon remedied there is no doubt ; and Prof. Pickering 

 has the happy faculty of knowing from which direction such don- 

 ations will come, for he says, " the need of modern buildings is 

 most likely to be supplied by gifts or bequests from persons 

 whose names should be attached to them. For instance, a library 

 building in which the clerical work of the institution could be 

 performed is greatly needed. A modern machine-shop to re- 

 place our present workshop would form an excellent memorial 

 of one who had been interested in the application of the 

 mechanic arts to scientific uses." As usual, each of the instru- 

 ments has been used for extensive investigations. The east 

 equatorial has been employed for photometric light comparisons 

 of variables mostly with the new polarising photometer, while 

 the west instrument has been used for similar observations of 

 variables and comparison stars. The meridian circle and me- 

 ridian photometer have also been continuously employed. Prof. 

 Pickering having worked with the latter on 152 nights, and 

 made 100,052 photometric settings. The researches planned for 

 this latter instrument are, we are told, approaching completion, 

 860,000 measures of about 40,000 stars having been made during 

 the last twenty years. Both the 8 inch telescopes have been 

 used for photographing stellar spectra, the number of photographs 



