March 6, 1879] 



NATURE 



42^ 



probably in the same region of the sky, has not yet been 

 recovered. The planet which was named Scylla, and of 

 which only four observations could be obtained at Pola 

 and Berlin in November, 1875, will probably be difficult 

 to detect again, since the observations, though inadequate 

 to furnish elements with any pretensions to accuracy, 

 sufficiently prove that the inclination of the orbit to the 

 ecliptic must be pretty large. In case any one of 

 our readers should be disposed to examine this point 

 further, we subjoin the four observed positions reduced to 

 longitude and latitude : — 



Greenwich 

 mean time. 



1875, November 8'6i57S 



» ,» 9'42473 



„ 22-56605 



.. ,. 23-44691 



Longitude 

 App. Ekj. 



4S '5 "2 

 47 54 13 

 44 54 44 

 44 43 41 



Latitude 

 North. 



1 58 41 



2 6 28 



3 53 18 

 407 



Varl\ble Stars. — Dr. Weiss, Director of the Imperial 

 Observatory at Vienna, announces several new variable 

 stars. One is Lalande 28607, which varies from 7-0 to 

 8-8 in a period not differing much from four months ; this 

 star is further to be noted for its large propar motion, 

 Aa = - Q-oSos., AS = - o'''-35. He also confirms varia- 

 tion in the neighbouring double star Lalande 28590, which 

 had been suspected by Struve. Further, the stars in the 

 Lhirdwiusteftmg, + 17% Nos. 2510 and 25 11, are found 

 to be variable, the former from 8 "8 to lo'o in rather over 

 eley-en months, and the latter, also to the extent of about 

 one magnitude, in a somewiat shorter period, about 9| 

 months. 



]M. Ceraski, of the ^loscow Obser^-atory, also finds 

 variation in the star, which appears thus in the Diirch- 

 viusterung : mag, 9-2, R.A. 2ih. 9m. 25s., Decl. -{-67^ 

 49''5- 



GEOGRAPHICAL NOTES 



The Council of the Royal Geographical Society have 

 presented a remarkable memorial "to H.M. Commis- 

 sioners of the University of Oxford, to those of Cam- 

 bridge, and to the Governing Bodies of either University." 

 The burden of this memorial is that steps ought to be 

 taken for the establishment of professorships of geography 

 in the two universities. The memorial points out forcibly 

 and justly the ignorance of geography in its highest sense, 

 in this countr}-, where it is commonly confounded with 

 mere topography. The Council of the Society, we are 

 pleased to see, show that they possess an adequate con- 

 ception of the position which geography ought to occupy, 

 and which, indeed, it does occupy in the Universities of 

 Germany, Switzerland, and France. We have often 

 repeated that geography is really the meeting-place of all 

 the sciences, and this is the idea which the Council 

 endeavour to enforce upon the Commissioners and 

 governing bodies of the universities. They show, how, 

 to have an adequate knowledge of geography it is neces- 

 sary to know something of both the biological and 

 physical sciences, and be able to trace the mutual in- 

 tluence of man and his surroundings. The duties of 

 such a professor as the Council desire to see appointed, 

 the memorial states, would be first, to promote the study 

 of scientific geography, and secondly, to apply geo- 

 graphical knowledge in illustrating and completing such 

 of the recognised university studies as require aid. It is 

 suggested, also, that he might deliver at least one annual 

 discourse on some subject of geographical research. The 

 memorial rightly states that there is no countr>' that can less 

 afford to dispense with geographical knowledge, b'ai we 

 doubt if the number of members of the Geographical Society 

 is any evidence that we have a greater natural interest in 

 the subject than other people. Certainly we ought to 

 have, for our interest-s are as wide as the world ; and as 



the memorial states, it would not be difficult to cite 

 instances in which these interests have been seriously 

 compromised by a want of geographical knowledge. 

 Thus, that as a nation, we are far behind, both in our 

 conception and in our knowledge of geography in its 

 highest sense there can be no doubt, but whether this 

 state of things is to be remedied by the founding of pro- 

 fessorships of geography at Oxford and Cambridge is 

 another question, which at present we cannot discuss. It 

 appears to us at first sight as if it were beginning at the 

 wrong end. Moreover, is not geography Jn its highest 

 sense really only a branch of physiography, and would not 

 the \\-ant in our university education be most effectually 

 met by a professorship, or perhaps a lectureship, on that 

 subject ? At all events we are grateful to the Geographical 

 Society for drawing attention to the importance and com- 

 prehensiveness which geography has assumed on the 

 Continent, and to the lamentable want of interest in the 

 subject which exists in this country. 



Ox the suggestion of the Bishop of Salford a committee 

 has been formed in Manchester for establishing a Society 

 of Commercial Geography. Mr. Armitage, the Bishop 

 of Manchester, Mr. Arthur Arnold, Mr. Hugh Mason, 

 Mr. Slagg, Mr. J. E. Taylor, and others, have joined the 

 committee. We suggested some time ago the utility of 

 forming such societies in our chief commercial centres, 

 and we hope the example of Manchester will soon be 

 followed by our principal seaports. That Manchester 

 stands in need of some education in geographical matters 

 was evidenced by the ignorance of African geographA' 

 shown at the recent meetings to promote the formation of 

 a railway from Zanzibar to the Lake Region, Similar 

 societies have been found of great ser\'ice in France. 

 Might it not be well, however, if other towns form similar 

 societies, that some common organisation be formed, and 

 perhaps a common journal be published ? 



From the new Yellow Book of the Chinese Maritime 

 Customs we gather some notes respecting the island of 

 Hainan, the port of which, Kiungchow, has been recently 

 opened to foreign trade. So far it has certainly not 

 proved a commercial Eldorado^ but what the real cap9r 

 biiities of the island are it is difficult to judge so long as 

 the greater part remains a terra incognita to foreigners. 

 This much, however, may be said in its favour, that it 

 possesses an advantage over many islands of its size, 

 viz., a large navigable river by which access may be 

 gained to the interior, and which partially obviates the 

 necessity for good roads. From the Kiungc;h<nu Racord 

 it appears that gold, silver, copper, tin, and loadstone 

 are found in different parts of the island, but no mention 

 is made of coal. The author of the report we aUude to 

 knows that peat exists, and samples of carbonate of 

 copper have been shown him by natives. The number of 

 different kinds of grain and other produce enumerated in 

 the Chinese work referred to as growing in Hainan is 

 surprising, and includes many \^rieties of rice, millet, 

 Barbadoes millet, wheat, barley, beans, peas, sugar-cane, 

 sesamum, ground-nut, taro, and yam. Of medicines 

 (according to the Chinese pharmacopoeia) exported the 

 following are the chief items : — Ai-fen, a kind of camphor, 

 obtained from the aborigines and said to be distilled from 

 the leaves of the Arteinisia jnoxa, ho-hsiang, stalks and 

 leaves of Betonica officinalis, bitter cardamoms, car- 

 damoms, the berries of Abrus precatoriuSy the stalks of 

 Dendrobiuni ceraia, and tortoise-shell rind. 



The March number of the organ of the Geographical 

 Society opens with the paper "On the Road to Merv," 

 read at a recent meeting by Sir H. Rawlinson, which now 

 appears, enriched with valuable notes, and illustrated by 

 a map of the Turkoman Steppe and Northern Khorassan. 

 Mr. C. R. Markham's paper "On the Basin of the Hel- 

 mund. Western Afghanistan," is also published, accom- 

 panied by a well-executed map of the region. The Zulu- 



