I^O 



NATURE 



[December i, 1910 



verse fields of still greater intensities again to diminish it. 

 He considers these results point to the existence in the 

 gas of neutral doublets, each consisting of a positively 

 charged ion with a negative electron as satellite. 



In an offprint from the At\i del Reale Istituio Veneto 

 for 1909-10 Drs. R. Alpago and G. Silva discuss hourly 

 observations of magnetic declination and dissipation of 

 electric charge which they made at Padua on May 14-21. 

 The magnetic observations agree with the more complete 

 results from magnetographs in various parts of Europe in 

 showing a small disturbance on the morning of May 19 

 about the time of the supposed passage of the earth 

 through the tail of Halley's comet. But the coincidence 

 might well be accidental, as magnetic conditions were dis- 

 turbed for several days before and after. Electrical dis- 

 sipation on May 19 was in no way outstanding. A very 

 unusual feature throughout the observations is the absence 

 of any decided difference between the rates of loss of 

 positive and negative charges. For both the mean per- 

 centage loss observed per minute was 3-5, which is 

 exceptionally high for the Elster and Geitel apparatus 

 employed. There was a well-marked diurnal variation, 

 again nearly the same for positive and negative charges. 

 It showed a double oscillation. The two maxima, about 

 1.30 a.m. and 4 p.m., respectively, were not far from 

 equal, and were more than double the principal minimum, 

 which occurred about 8 a.m. 



An illustrated catalogue of optical lanterns and accessory 

 apparatus, and of an extensive series of lantern-slides to 

 illustrate scientific and educational subjects, has been 

 issued by Messrs. Reynolds and Branson, Ltd., of Leeds. 

 Many of the slides may be hired as well as purchased. 

 The catalogue shows that this firm has some 10,000 slides 

 for sale or hire, and a list of 30,000 slides for sale only 

 will be sent on application. In addition to slides illus- 

 trating most branches of science, we notice in the cata- 

 logue particulars of a very complete series of slides to 

 illustrate school lessons in geography. 



Messrs. W. and J. George, Ltd., of Birmingham, are 

 issuing their latest illustrated catalogue of scientific 

 apparatus in sections, each dealing with a specific group 

 of science subjects. We have received sections 1—4 bound 

 in one volume and sections 5-7 in a second. Copies of 

 the catalogue will be sent on application to teachers and 

 lecturers in charge of laboratories, and to other purchasers 

 of apparatus. The lists are profusely illustrated, and so 

 arranged that reference is easy. The information provided 

 is thoroughly practical, and will assist the teacher greatly 

 in the choice of instruments. 



Mr. W. H. Harling, Finsbury Pavement, London, is 

 issuing in parts the fourteenth edition of his catalogue of 

 mathematical drawing instruments and materials. Sec- 

 tion A, forming the first part of the full list, has reached 

 us, and gives particulars of the drawing pens, half sets 

 of compasses, bow compasses, spring bows, and propor- 

 tional, beam, and pencil compasses which are manu- 

 factured by this firm. We have also received from Mr. 

 Harling a specimen of the set-square guide he has just 

 produced. It is a simple contrivance in pearwood for 

 guiding a set-square from any edge of a drawing board 

 or sketch block. The guide should be convenient for rapid 

 field sketch work and useful for section lining and cross- 

 hatching. The price of the guide is is. 6d. 



The report of the council of the Natural History Society 

 of Northumberland, Durham, and Newcastle-upon-Tyne 

 for 1909-10 shows that the membership has suffered a net 



NO. 2144, VOL. 85] 



loss of eighteen during the year, having fallen to 395. 

 The society's work, especially in connection with the main- 

 tenance of its museum, has been helped greatly by the 

 Crawhall bequest of 6000/., which has been so invested 

 that it yields an annual income of 200Z. Without this 

 timely aid the position of the society would be serious, 

 and it is difficult to see how some such exceptional source 

 of income could have been dispensed with, for in some 

 respects the society is not so flourishing as the council 

 wishes to see it. An issue of the Transactions of the 

 society has been published during the year, and the con- 

 cluding part of the third volume of the new series is nearly 

 ready. The usual series of winter lectures and summer 

 field meetings have been held. The average attendance 

 at the evening lectures was 85, at the children's lectures 

 164, and at the curator's " talks "53. 



OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. 



Recent F"ireballs. — There was a brilliant meteor seen 

 on Sunday, November 20, by Mr. and Mrs. Wilson, of 

 Cheshunt, Herts, and by Mr. C. B. Pennington, of. 

 Newark. It passed over the North Sea east of Spurn 

 Head at heights of from 73 to 33 miles. Its motion was 

 exceedingly slow, being about 12 miles per second. 



On Friday, November 25, about 7.30, a fine meteor 

 vi^as seen at Weston-super-Mare by Mr. J. Hicks. He 

 was using a telescope at the moment, but a bright light 

 caused him to look upwards, when he saw a fireball 

 travelling in the direction from Saturn to two degrees 

 above Altair. Near the end of its luminous flight it 

 broke up into a string of fragments like first-magnitude 

 stars, and went some distance farther. The same meteor 

 was seen at Bristol travelling from between Saturn and 

 a Arietis through the stars of Pegasus. It threw off a 

 brilliant train ol yellow sparks, and the nucleus distributed 

 itself into a stream of particles at the end. The height 

 of the object seems to have been from 88 to 41 miles from 

 Portland Bill to Launceston, and its path about 93 miles 

 at a velocity of 23 miles per second. The radiant was 

 at about 64° -1-21°. Another but smaller Taurid was 

 observed on November 25 at 6.52 at normal heights above 

 Somerset, and it moved with great slowness, the speed 

 being about 14 miles i>er second. 



During the progress of the eclipse on November 16, at 

 about i2h. 24m., a splendid meteor was observed from 

 Ireland and Scotland. It had a long and rapid flight, and 

 left a bright streak for several minutes. According to an 

 observer near Glasgow, the meteor was apparently a- 

 large as the moon. The descriptions prove that this fire- 

 ball was a late Leonid. It passed from over a point a 

 few miles west of Glasgow to over the sea north of the 

 Irish coast in a direction almost east to west. The 

 heights were about 89 to 48 miles, and the length of path 

 145 miles. 



Saturn's Rings. — Circular No. 129 from the Kiel 

 Centralstelle contains a telegram from M. Jonckheere, of 

 the Hem Observatory, stating that, on several evenings, 

 he has observed a nebulous degradation of the exterior, 

 edge of the Saturnian ring A. 



Cerulli's Comet (igioe) identified with Faye's Short- 

 period Comet. — In a communication to the Astro- 

 nomische Nachrichten (No. 4456) Prof. Pickering gives 

 the elements, and an ephemeris, calculated by Mr. Meyer 

 Lewy, for Cerulli's comet, and points out the probah!" 

 identity of this object and Faye's periodical comet ; sui 

 identity was also suggested by Prof. Berberich. 



Dr. Ebell, having investigated the subject, finds th; 

 the observed place on November 12 differs from the caki: 

 lated place of Faye's comet by only —4s., —4-1', whilst ^ 

 the present apparition is the most favourable and brightest | 

 since the object was discovered by Faye, at Paris, in ! 

 November, 1843 ; he considers the identity is assured. A | 

 later telegram Prof. Pickering gives improved elements ; 

 and ephemeris by Mr. Lewy, and states that the identity 

 with Faye's comet is confirmed. 



Faye's comet has a period of 7-44 years, and was re- 



