July 4, 1889] 



NA TURE 



231 



Transcaspian region being colonized. He pointed out that the 

 girdle of loess which encircles the mountains is quite as pro- 

 ductive as the loess in China. The climate is, of course, quite 

 different — not so much on account of the want of rain (the amount 

 of rain at Merv, during the winter months of 1885-86, 

 reached the very high figure of 1654 millimetres), as on account 

 of its absence during the summer months. But the rivers of the 

 region— the Amu, the Tejen, and the Murghab — if their waters 

 were utilized for irrigation, instead of being lost in the sandy 

 deserts, would supply the amount of water necessary for irri- 

 gating immense tracts of land. All that is wanted to make of 

 Central Asia a rich oasis of agriculture is human labour and 

 human intelligence. The soil, when irrigated, is not inferior in 

 fertility to the fertile loess fields of China. 



The Inspector-General of Indian Affairs in Canada, in his 

 Report for the past year, urges the continuation of the policy of 

 amalgamating the Canadian Indians as far as possible with the 

 surrounding population, especially by inducing them to adopt 

 agriculture and handicrafts, so that they may acquire a taste for 

 a settled life. The Indians of the Province of Ontario seem to 

 be most successful in reaching this end, and in all cases the 

 tribes show an increase in numbers. There were no serious 

 disturbances during the year, and the only excitement was pro- 

 duced amongst the natives on the Upper Skeena, in British 

 Columbia, owing to the arrest and execution of one of their 

 number for murder. The total number of Indians in the Do- 

 minion is given at 124,589; of these, 37,944 are in British 

 Columbia, 26,368 in Manitoba and the North-Western Territory, 

 17,700 in Ontario, 12,465 in Quebec, 8000 in Athabasca, 7000 

 in the Mackenzie district, 4016 in Eastern Rupert's Land, 4000 

 on the Arctic coasts, 2145 in New Scotland, 2038 in the Peace 

 River district, 1594 in New Brunswick, 1000 in the interior of 

 Labrador, and 319 in Prince Edward's Island. 6127 Indian 

 youths and girls attend the schools provided for them, nearly 

 half the pupils belonging to Manitoba and the North- Western 

 Territories ; of the 956,000 dollars appropriated for native 

 affairs, the same districts received 876,000 dollars. 21,344 acres 

 of the land set apart for the improvement of Indians were 

 alienated during the year, and 458,283 acres still remain. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include a Black-headed Lemur {Lemur brunneus 6 ) 

 from Madagascar, presented by Mr. Charles C. Stewart ; four 

 Angora Goats {Capra hircus, var., c? ? ? ? ) from Barrol, Cape 

 Colony, presented by Messrs. Theophilus Bros. ; a Two-spotted 

 Paradoxure {Nandinia binotata) from West Africa, presented 

 by Mr. Philip Lemberg ; a Ring-necked Parrakeet (PaLeornis 

 torquattis, yellow var.) from India, presented by Colonel C. Swin- 

 hoe ; a Common Kestrel ( Tinnunciilus alaudarius) .^ British, 

 presented by Master W. P. Teil ; two Goshawks {Asttp- palum- 



bariiis), European, deposited ; a Lemur {Hapale?nur, sp. 



inc.) from Madagascar, two Undulated Grass Parrakeet s 

 {Melopsittoius undulatus) from Australia, purchased ; a Thar 

 {•Capra jemlaica), two Mule Deer {Cariaciis macrotis Si), 

 three American Wild Turkeys (Meieagi-is gallopavo), bred in 

 the Gardens. 



OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. 



Astronomical Society of the Pacific. — The second of 

 the publications of this Society has appeared, containing an ad- 

 dress delivered before the Society on March 30, 1889, by the 

 President, Prof. Holden, on "The Work of an Astronomical 

 Society." Prof. Holden sketched the state of astronomical 

 science in England immediately prior to the foundation of the 

 Royal Astronomical Society, and quoted freely from its first 

 paper as showing the spirit which should inspire similar organiza- 

 tions elsewhere. The points Prof. Holden especially put forward 

 as to be attained by the new body were the publication of ob- 

 servations, the guidance of amateur workers, especially those who 



were skilled photographers, the instruction of learners, the forma- 

 tion of an astronomical library, together with all the advantages 

 resulting from free discussion, and the friendly interchange of 

 ideas. The addre-^s was able, straightforward and unpretentious, 

 and concludes with the recommendation, "Whatever we do, 

 let us do thoroughly. Whatever we say, let it be well considered. 

 Let us clearly understand the objects for which we are organized, 

 and let us pursue these with entire confidence." With these 

 principles for its guidance, the new Society will not fail of an 

 honourable and useful career. 



A New Comet.— A new comet was discovered by Mr. E. E. 

 Barnard (Lick Observatory) on June 23*9499 G.M.T., R.A. 

 20° 13' 21", N.P.D. 51° 9' 16"; daily motion, R.A. -t-l° 6', 

 N. P.D. - 0° 34'. The comet was only faint. 



ASTRONOMICAL PHENOMENA FOR THE 



WEEK \Z%^ JULY 7-13. 

 /"pOR the reckoning of time the civil day, commencing at 

 ^ Greenwich mean midnight, counting the hours on to 24, 



is here employed.) 



At Greenwich onjiily 7 

 Sun rises, 3h. 55m. ; souths, I2h. 4m. 40*03. ; daily increase of 

 southing, 9 '53, ; sets, 20h. 15m. : right asc. on meridian, 

 7h. 7"5m. ; deck 22° 33' N. Sidereal Time at Sunset, 

 I5h. 19m. 

 Moon (Full on July 12, 2ih.) rises, I3h. 46m. ; souths, 

 I9h. 1 6m. ; sets, oh. 34m.* : right asc. on meridian, 

 I4h. I9"8m. ; decl. 8" 49' S. 



Right asc. and declination 

 Planet. Rises. Souths. Sets. on meridian. 



h. m. h. m. h. m. h. m. q ^ 

 Mercury.. 2 49 ... 10 40 ... 18 31 ... 5 42*3 ... 19 44 N. 



Venus I 18 ... 8 51 ... 16 24 ... 3 53*4 ... 16 46 N. 



Mars 3 21 ... II 41 ... 20 I ... 6 43*5 ... 23 55 N. 



Jupiter.... 19 9 ... 23 3 ... 2 57*.,. 18 7'6 ... 23 18 S 

 Saturn.... 6 55 ... 14 24 ... 21 53 ... 9 26'8 ... 16 14 N. 

 Uranus... 12 33 ... i8 4 ... 23 35 ... 13 7-1 ... 6 28 S. 

 Neptune., i 16 ... 9 5 ... 16 54 ... 4 7*6 ... 19 18 N. 



* Indicates that the setting is that of the following morning. 

 July. h. 



10 ... 8 ... Venus at greatest elongation from the Sun, 



46° west. 



11 ... 14 ... Jupiter in conjunction with and 0° 52' south 



of the Moon. 



12 ... 10 ... Mercury at greatest elongation from the Sun, 



21° west. 

 12 ... — ... Partial eclipse of the Moon; first contact 

 with shadow, I9h. 43m. ; middle of eclipse, 

 20h. 54m. ; last contact with shadow, 

 22h. 5m. In England the Moon rises 

 generally before the middle of eclipse. 



Saturn, July 7. — Outer major axis of outer ring = 37""4 ; 

 outer minor axis of outer ring = 9" "2 : southern surface visible. 



Variable Stars. 

 Star. R.A. Ueci. 



h, m. e / 1^' "i- 



U Cephei o 52-5 ... 81 17 N. ... July 9, 21 25 m 



S Ursas Majoris ... 12 39-1 ... 61 42 N. ... ,, 11, m 



WOphiuchi 1615-4... 7 26 S. ... „ 8, M 



U Ophiuchi 17 10-9 ... i 20 N , 8, o 5 »» 



,, 13, o 51 m 



X Sagittarii 1740-6 .,2747 s. ... ,, 7,23 oM 



Y Sagittarii 18 149 ... 18 55 S , 11, 3 om 



/SLyrse 18 46-0 ... 33 14 N , 12, i oM 



R Aquilae 19 I'D... 8 4 N. ... ,, 12, m 



S Sagittae 19 Si'o ... 16 20 N. ... ,, 10, o o m 



R Sagittae 20 90 ... 16 23 N. ... „ 12, m 



VCygni 20 37-7 ... 47 45 N. ... ,, 10, M 



T Vulpeculse ... 20 46*8 ... 27 50 N , 13, 2 o m 



R Vulpeculse ... 20 59*5 ... 23 23 N, ... ,, 10, m 



5 Cephei 22 as'i ... 57 51 N 13, 22 o M 



M signifies maximum ; nt minimum. 



Aleteor-Shoiuers, 



K.A. Decl. 



Near 96 Herculis .. 



,, IT Cygni 



,, t Andromedae 



270 

 280 

 330 

 352 



21 N. 

 14 S. 

 36 N. 

 40 N. 



Very slow. 



Slow. 



Swift ; red streaKS. 



Swift. 



