July II, 1889] 



NATURE 



255 



.xlkaline eartby metals are much less soluble, and are generally 

 obtained as crystalline precipitates by decomposition of the 

 potassium salt by the chloride of the metal which it is desired to 

 introduce. It is interesting that these salts are perfectly 

 analogous to the double oxalates of ferric iron and chromium, 

 Fe.,(C204)3. 3C2(NH4)204, for instance; but the two series are 

 not isomorphous owing to the difference in water of crystalliza- 

 tion. Evidence of similarity between iron and rhodium is of 

 course shown by the fact that their most stable chlorides are those 

 derived from the sesquioxides — namely, FcgClg and RhjClg ; but 

 the formation of these double oxalates shows that the connection 

 is perhaps closer than has hitherto been supposed. And the 

 interest in this connection is by no means lessened by the fact 

 that iron and rhodium occupy corresponding positions in the 

 eighth vertical group of Prof. Mendeleeff s periodic classification. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include two Indian Jerboas {Alactaya indica) from 

 India, presented by Mr. Cuthbert Johnson ; a Bonnet Monkey 

 {Macaais sinicus ? , white variety) from India, presented by 

 the Waterbury Watch (Sales) Company, Limited ; a Lesser 

 White-nosed Monkey {Cercopithecus peiaurista ? ) from West 

 Africa, presented by Captain Stewart Stephens ; a Brown Bear 

 {Ursus arctos ? ), European, presented by Mr. John Foster 

 Spence ; a. Fo\a.r Bea.r {Ursus marifimus ?) from Spitzbergen, 

 presented by Mr. Arnold Pike ; a Python (sp. inc.), presented by 

 Mrs. Bertha M. L. Bonser ; a Hybrid Wild Swine (between Siis 

 scrpfa and Sus domesticus 9 ) from Spain, presented by Mr. 

 Ralph Banks, F.Z.S. ; a Brush-tailed Kangaroo [Pelrogale peni- 

 cillata i ) from New South Wales, presented by Sir Edmund A. 

 H. Lechmere ; five Violaceous Night Herons {Nycticorax vio- 

 iaceus) from St. Kitt's, W.I., presented by Dr. A. P. Boon, 

 C.M.Z.S. ; twelve Aldrovandi's Skinks {Plestiodon auratm) from 

 North Africa, two Barnard's Parrakeets {Platycercus barnardi) 

 from South Australia, purchased ; a Laughing Kingfisher 

 {Dacelo gi-rantea) from Australia, deposited ; two Wonga Wonga 

 Pigeons {Leucosarcia picata) from New South Wales, and a Red- 

 winged Parrakeet [Aprosmidus erythroptencs) from Australia, 

 received in exchange ; an African Wild Ass [Eqtius tcenioptis ? ), 

 and a Collared Fruit Bat {Cynonyderis coUaris) born in the 

 Gardens. 



OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. 



The late Prof. Cacciatore.— Prof. G. Cacciatore, whose 

 death we have briefly resorded (p. 208), had been associated 

 with the Royal Observatory of Palermo, during nearly the whole 

 of his life. He was born at Palermo on March 17, 1814, his 

 father being the well known Prof. Nicolo Cacciatore, assistant 

 at one time to Piazzi, and later his successor in the directorship 

 of the Observatory. Gaetano Cacciatore, on the death of his 

 father in 1841, was appointed Director of the Observatory and 

 Professor of Astr.-.nomy in the University of Palermo, and he 

 held these positions until 1849, when, having taken a very 

 , prominent part in the revolution of the previous year, he was 

 compelled to leave Palermo by the return to power of the 

 Bourbons. _ In i860, however. Garibaldi recalled him to his 

 former position. He spared no pains to increase the power and 

 usefulness of the Observatory, and greatly increased its equip- 

 ment. It was under his direction that the scope of the institu- 

 tion was enlarged, so that in 1880 it was reorganized in three 

 sections— one of Geometrical Astronomy ; one of Physical 

 Astronomy, in the modern sense of the word ; and the third of 

 Meteorology. 



Comet 1889 ^/ (Swift). — A new comet was discovered on 

 July 5'833 G.M.T., by Prof. Lewis Swift, of the Warner Ob- 

 servatory, Rochester, New York. The comet's place was as 

 follows : — 



R.A. = 22h. 52m. 30s. 

 Decl. = 89° n'. 



Daily Motion, - 2m. 

 + 10'. 



C')Met 18893 (Barnard, March 31). — This object may 

 soon again be observed in the early morning. The following 

 elements and ephemeris are by Prof Millosevich, from observa- 

 tions made at the Lick Observatory on March 31, April 15 and 

 29 {Astr. Nach. No. 2907) : — 



T = 1889 June 10-63608 Berlin M.T. 



It = 186 38 208 ) 



Q = 310 40 19-3 > Mean Eq. i889"0. 

 I = 163 49 47-8) 

 log q = 0-353613 



Error of middle place O — C). 

 A\ = - i"-3. A.8 = 4- 5"-4. 



Ephemeris for Berlin Midnight. 

 1889. R.A. Decl. Log r. Log .i. Bright- 



July 1 9 ... 5 7 52 

 23 -571 

 27 •■• 5 5 SI 

 31 ... 5 4 26 



10 59-0 N. ... 0-3618 ... 0-4706 ... 0-83 



10 34-4 ... 0-3635 ... 04624 ... 085 



10 7-7 ... 0-3654 ... 0-4534 ... 0-88 



9 38-7 N.... 0-3675 ... 0-4436 ... 0-91 



The brightness at discovery is taken as unity. 



Comet 1889 c (Barnard, June 23). — The following ele- 

 ments for this comet are by Dr. H. Kreutz, from observations at 

 Lick on June 23, at Strasburg June 25, and at Munich June 26 ; 

 the ephemeris is by Prof. A. Krueger : — 



T = 1889 July 2-8884 Berlin M.T. 



* = 75 19-5 ) 



a = 278 6-7 1- Mean Eq. 1889-0. 

 t = 32 50-2 \ 

 log q = 0*09248 



Ephemeris for Berlin Midnight. 

 iSSj. R.A. Decl. Log r. Log A. Brlght- 



h. m. s. , ness. 



Julyi4... 3 I 51 ...47 38-9 N.... 00970 ... 0-1432 ... 0-9 

 18 ... 3 21 50 ... 48 35 5 ... o-ioo5 ... 0-1489 ... 0-9 

 22 ... 3 41 23 ... 49 17-9 ... o-io5t ... 0-1548 ... 0-8 

 26 ... 4 o 56 ... 49 47-7 N.... 0-1105 ••• 0-1603 ... 0-8 

 The brightness at discovery is taken as unity. 



Comet 1888 e (Barnard, September 2). — The following 

 ephemeris is in continuation of that given in Nature for May 

 30, p. 109 :— 



1889. 



R.A. 



De:l. 



Log r. 



Log A. Bright- 



h. m. =. o , ness. 



July II ... 21 7 34 ... o 1-4 N. ... 04287 ... 0-2491 ... 25 



15 ... 20 52 59 ... o 36-3 S. ... 0-4342 ... 0-2487 ... 2-4 



19 ... 20 38 17 ... I 16-7 ... 0-4396 ... 0-2509 ... 2-4 



23 ... 20 23 44 ... I 58-9 ... 0-4450 ... 0-2559 ... 2-3 



27 ... 20 9 33 ... 2 420 ... 0-4503 ... 0-2634 ... 2-2 



31 ... 19 55 58 ... 3 25-0 S. ... 04556 ... 0-2733 ... 2-0 



The brightness at discovery is taken as unity. 



Mr. Barnard, observing this comet on June 3, at 3 a.m., noticed 

 that it showed only one tail and that this followed the comet, 

 and therefore pointed almost directly towards the sun. The 

 tail was about a degree in length, and some 2' or 3' in 

 breadth ; position-angle, 90°. The head of the comet was 

 roundish, with an almost stellar nucleus in an extended 

 condensation, this latter having a position-angle of about 135". 



ASTRONOMICAL PHENOMENA FOR THE 



WEEK 1889 JULY 14-20. 



/'C'OR the reckoning of time the civil day, commencing at 



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



is here employed.) 



At Greenwich on July 14 



Right asc. and declination 

 Planet Rises. Souths. Sets. on meridian. 



h. m. h. m. h. m. h. m. o / 



Mercury.. 2 36 ... 10 37 ... 18 38 ... 6 7-1 ... 21 14 N. 

 Venus ... I 10 ... 8 51 ... 16 32 ... 4 20-8 ... 18 8 N. 

 Mars ... 3 16 ... II 33 ... 19 50 ... 7 36 ... 23 32 N. 

 Jupiter ... 18 38 ... 22 32 ... 2 26*... 18 4-0 ... 23 20 S. 

 Saturn ... 6 32 ... 14 o ... 21 28 ... 9 30-0 ... 15 59 N. 

 Uranus... 12 6 ... 17 36 ... 23 6 ... 13 7-4 ... 6 31 S. 

 Neptune., o 50 .. 8 39 ... 16 28 ... 4 8-4 ... 19 20 N. 

 * Indicates that the rising is that of the preceding evening and the 

 settirg t' at of the following morning. 



