424 



NATURE 



S^August 29, 1889 



one of the plantations attacked produced only 175 pounds 

 instead of 18,000 pounds of cocoa. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include a Formosan Deer {Cet-vus tacvanus tJ ), a 

 Japanese Deer {Cervus sika ?) from Japan, two Three-striped 

 Paradoxures {Paradoxurus trivigafus), a Great Eagle Owl 

 {Bubo maximiis) from China, presented by Capt. C. Taylor 

 s.s. Aberdeen ; z. Common Fox {Canis vulpes 9), British, pre- 

 sented by Mr. Edward Hall ; a Bewick's Swan (Cygmis bewicki) 

 from China, presented by Mr. Jansen ; a Peregrine Falcon {Falco 

 peregrinus) from Cyprus, presented by Dr. W. Hoad ; a Mant- 

 churian Crane {Grus viridirostris) from North China, eighteen 

 Spanish Blue Magpies {Cyanopolius cooki) from Spain, an Indian 

 Python {Python molurus) from India, two Water Rattlesnakes 

 {Croialus adamanleus) a Mocassin Snake {Tropidonoiiis fasci- 

 atus) from North America, deposited ; five African Lepidosirens 

 {Protopterus annectans) from the River Gambia, West Africa, 

 purchased ; a Royal Python {Python regius) from West Africa, 

 received in exchange ; an Indian Muntjac {Cervulus muntjac <J ), 

 bom in the Gardens. 



OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. 



Comet 1889 ^ (Brooks, July 6.) — The following elements 

 and ephemeris for this object are by Herr Otto Knopf {Astr. 

 Nach., No. 2916) : — 



T = 1889 July i2-26i6 Berlin M.T. 



■^ = 330 7 S ) 

 Q> — 29 4 56 V Mean Eq. 1889 'o. 



* = 5 44 7 ) 

 log a = 0-35280 



Error of middle place (O 

 dK cos S = + 20" ; d^ = 



C). 



2". 



The observations on which these elements are based were 

 obtained at Lick, July 8 ; Vienna, July 21 ; and Dresden, July 30. 



Epheineris for Berlin Midnight. 



The brightness on July 8 is taken as unity. 



On August I, Mr. Barnard observing at the Lick Observatory, 

 found the comet to be composed of three distinct adjacent 

 comets, perhaps more ; and Prof. Weiss, under date August 6, 

 reported it as fourfold. 



Comet 1889 e (Davidson). — Dr. Becker gives the following 

 elements and ephemeris for this comet, derived from observations 

 made at Rome on July 26, Vienna on August 4, and Dun Echt 

 on August 15. 



T = 1889 July 19-29538 G.M.T. 



TT - a = 345 53 6-9 ) 



a = 286 8 i6-2 / Mean Eq 1889-0. 

 ' = 65 59 59-7 \ 

 log q = 0-016949 

 A\ cos y3 = + 6" -6 ; A;3 = - o"-3 ; (O - C). 



Ephetjieris for Greenwich Midnight. 



Aug. 28 .. 



Sept. I ... 



5 •• 



9 •• 



13 .. 



17 .. 



21 .. 



R.A. 



h. m. s. 

 16 943 .. 

 16 18 58 .. 

 16 27 38 .. 



16 35 53 •• 

 164349 .. 

 16 51 34 •■ 

 16 59 12 .. 



Decl. 



24 8*2 N. 



25 47-5 



27 91 



28 18-8 



29 17-6 



30 8-2 



Log A. 



9 '9432 

 9 '9794 

 00125 

 0-0429 

 0-0708 

 0-0966 



30 523 N. ... 0-1205 



New Minor Planets. — Two new minor planets were dis- 

 covered on August 3; the one, No. 285, by Herr Palisa at Vienna, 

 the other, No. 286, by M. Charlois at Nice. 



New Double Stars.— Mr. Burnham reports that ijOphiuchi 

 is a close double, the two components being ©f nearly equal 

 magnitude. The present position of the fainter is angle =274°-7> 

 and distance = o"-35. It will probably be found to be a binary 

 of somewhat short period. 



6 Cygni has a small companion at position-angle 43°-9, and 

 distance 3"'62, recently discovered by Mr. Burnham. The com- 

 panion is about the fourteenth magnitude. 



Stars WITH Remarkable Spectra. — The examination of 

 the photographs of stellar spectra taken at Harvard College in 

 connection with the Plenry Draper Memorial has shown 

 DM -f- 43° No. 3571 to have a spectrum crossed by bright lines, 

 and similar to iho^e of the three stars discovered \y Wolf and 

 Rayet in 1867. Two other stars, DM -|- 66° No. 878, and 

 DM + 84° No. 516, especially the latter, have the most strongly 

 marked spectra of Secchi's third type which have yet been 

 recognized, except in the case of some variables of long period. 



ASTRONOMICAL PHENOMENA FOR THE 

 WEEK 1889 SEPTEMBER 1-7. 



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

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



is here employed.) 



At Greenwich on September I 

 Sun rises, 5h. 15m. ; souths, iih. 59m. 46-7s. ; daily decrease of 

 southing, 1 8 -9s. ; sets, i8h. 45m. : right asc. on meridian, 

 loh. 43-im. ; decl. 8° 8' N. Sidereal Time at Sunset, 

 I7h. 30m. 

 Moon (at First Quarter September 2, 2oh.) rises, iih. 59m.; 

 souths, i6h. 50m. ; sets, 2ih. 31m. : right asc. on meridian, 

 I5h. 33 9m. ; decl. 15° 29' S. 



Right asc. and declination 

 on meridian, 

 h. m. o / 



Log r. Bright- 

 ness. 

 .. 0-0919 ... 0-12 

 .. 0-1043 ... o 10 



.. O-II70 ... 008 

 .. 0-1299 ... 006 

 .. 0-1428 ... 005 

 .. 0-1557 ... 0-04 

 .. 0-1686 ... 0*04 



Rises, 

 h. m. 



Mercury.. 7 



Venus I 



Mars 2 



Jupiter. ., 

 Saturn.., 

 Uranus ., 

 Neptune, 



Sept. 



4 



Souths. Sets, 



h. m. h. m, 



13 14 ... 19 18 ... II 58-0 ... O 5 N. 

 9 23 ... 17 13 ... 8 6-4 ... 19 33 N. 



10 33 ... 18 7 ... 9 161 ... 17 5 N. 

 19 9 ... 23 2 ... 17 53-6 ... 23 26 S. 



11 II ... 18 28 .... 9 54-1 ... 14 I N. 



14 30 ... 19 57 ... 13 13-9 ... 7 12 S. 

 5 29 .. 13 19 .. 4 ii>-7 ... 19 26 N. 



Indicates that the rising is that of the preceding evening. 



h. 

 2 ... Jupiter in conjunction with and 1° 2' south 



of the Moon. 

 8 ... Neptune stationary. 



33 



2 59 

 15 16 



3 54 

 9 3 



21 39* 



Variable Stars. 



Star. 



R.A. 



Decl. 



S Arietis 



R Arietis 2 9-8 



R Ursse Majoris ... 12 31-3 



I 58-7 ... 12 o N. 

 24 32 N. 

 60 6N. 



Sept. 



The brightness on July 22 has been taken as unity. 



R Bootis 

 8 Librte 

 U Coronae ... 

 U Ophiuchi... 



X Sagittarii . . , 

 W Sagittarii 

 Y Sagittarii... 



j8 Lyrse , 



K LyrK 

 U Aquilae ... 

 T Vulpeculae 

 5 Cephei 



14 32-3 • 



14 55-1 



15 137 

 17 10-9 , 



17 406 



17 579 



18 149 

 18 46 o 



18 52-0 



19 23-4 



20 46-8 

 22 25-1 



27 

 8 



32 

 I 



13 N. 



ss. 



3 N. 

 20 N. 



27 47 S. 

 29 35 S. 

 18 55 S. 

 33 14 N. 

 43 48 N. 

 7 16 S. 

 27 50 N. 

 57 51 N. 



M signifies maximum ; m minimum ; fn^ secondary 



Meteor- Shozvers. 

 R.A. Decl. 



Near p Persei 

 .. 33 Cygni 

 ,, 7 Piscium 



Swift ; streaks. 

 Swift ; bright. 

 Slo-w ; bright. 



