328 



NA TURE 



[August 2, 1888 



At a recent meeting of the Wellington Philosophical Society, 

 Mr. J. W. Fortescue spoke of the rapid increase of deer that 

 have been acclimatized in the New Zealand mountains. Having 

 had special facilities for observing these creatures, he proceeded 

 to state some interesting facts a? to their habits. At the close 

 of his address Sir James Hector asked Mr. Fortescue, as an 

 expert on the subject, whether the chief use of the antlers was 

 not so much for fighting as for facilitating the progress of the 

 stag through dense woods. He had considerable experience with 

 the wapiti, in North America, and found that by throwing up 

 the head, thereby placing the horns along the back, the animals 

 were enabled to go forward with great rapidity and follow the 

 hinds. He asked this, as it had been stated at a previous meet- 

 ing of the Society that the antlers tended to entangle the deer. 

 Mr. Fortescue said that Sir James Hector was quite correct in 

 stating that the antlers assisted the stags in penetrating dense 

 forests. Mr. Higginson also bore out this statement from his 

 experience in India. 



On July 23, at 1 1. 1 7 p.m., a brilliant meteor was seen in the 

 province of Smaland, in Sweden. At Nexjo it was seen due 

 east, falling perpendicularly towards the horizon, when it suddenly 

 burst. 



During the month of June severe frosts occurred in the north 

 of Finland, doing great damage to the crops. 



Norwegian hunters returning from the Arctic regions report 

 much ice and severe storms. 



Zoological Gardens are being laid out in Christiania and 

 Helsingfors. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include a Feline Douroucouli (Nyctipithecus vociferans) 

 from Savanilla, presented by Master Lester Ralph ; a Crested 

 Grebe (Podiceps cristalus), British, presented by Mr. W. 

 Nicholls ; a Brazilian Cariama {Cariama cristatd) from South- 

 East Brazil, presented by Mr. Fredrick Rose, jun. ; an Indian 

 Kite {Mihus govindd) from India, presented by Mrs. Dean ; a 

 Green Turtle {Chelone viridis) from the West Indies, presented 

 by Baron Henry de Worms ; a Hawk's-billed Turtle (Chelone 

 imbricatd) from the Bahamas, presented by Mr. W. T. Manger ; 

 a Corn Snake (Coluber guttatus) from North America, presented 

 by Mr. J. Garnett ; a Common Viper ( Vipera berus), British, 

 presented by Mr. F. C. Smith ; a Virginian Fox (Cams vir- 

 ginianus ) from North America, deposited ; a Derbian 

 Screamer (Chauna derbiana) from the Northern Coast of 

 Columbia, a Prince Albert's Curassow (Crax alberti ? ) from 

 Columbia, four Beautiful Grass-Finches (Poiphila mirabilis), 

 four Gouldian Grass- Finches (Poephila gouldice) from Australia, 

 purchased; two Rose-coloured Pastors (Pastor roseus) from 

 India, received in exchange; two Collared Fruit Bats \Cyno- 

 nycteris collaris), two Mule Deer (Cariacus macrotis $ ? ), a 

 Canadian Beaver (Castor canadensis), a Thar (Capra jemlaica), 

 born in the Gardens ; a Brazilian Cariama (Cariama cristata), 

 bred in the Gardens. 



OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. 



Variable Stars. — Mr. Sawyer gives, in Nos. 174 and 176 

 of Gould's Astronomical yournal, the results of his observations 

 of variable stars in the year 1887. The following are the 

 observations for the more regular variables :— 



R Virginis M June 17 Mag. 7- 1 Calculated June 21 

 S Coronte M Apr. 19 71 Apr. 6 



R Lyrae M Sept. 9 Aug. 31 



M Oct. 15 Oct. 16 



m Nov. 10 Nov. 16 



M Nov. 29 Dec. 1 



The calculated dates are those which have been given in Nature 

 in the column heade 1 " Astronomical Phenomena." U Mono- 

 cerotis was observed at maximum on Jan. 15, March 4, April 28 ; 



and at minimum Feb. 18 and April 6 ; R Scuti was observed at 

 maximum on Oct. 27, and at minimum on Sept. 14 and Nov. 23 ; 

 W Cygni was at minimum, mag. 67, on July 23 and Dec. 8, 

 and at maximum, mag. 6t, on Sept. 13 ; Mira Ceti was at 

 maximum, mag. 4*4, on 1886 December 30. 



Mr. John Tebbutt reports (Astr. Nachr., No. 2849) that 

 77 Argus has undergone a notable increase of brilliancy of late, 

 as he observed it as 7 - o mag. on May 19 of this year ; whilst on 

 April 23, 1887, it was only 7-5. 



Comet 1888 a (Sawerthal). — The following ephemeris for 

 Greenwich midnight for this object is from the Dun Echt 

 Circular, No. 157 : — 



ASTRONOMICAL PHENOMENA FOR THE 

 WEEK 1888 AUGUST 5-1 1. 



/~G*OR the reckoning of time the civil day, commencing at 

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



is here employed.) 



At Greenwich on August 5 

 Sunrises, 4I1. 33m. ; souths, I2h. 5m. 4f8s. ; sets, 19V1. 39m. ; 



right asc. on meridian, 9I1. 3 "6m. ; decl. 16 48' N. 



Sidereal Time at Sunset, l6h. 38m. 

 Moon (New on August 7, i8h.) rises, ih. 57m. ; souths, ioh. 8m. - r 



sets, i8h. 17m. : right asc. on meridian, 7h. 5'8tn.; decl. 



21° 12' N. 



M signifies maximum ; tit minimum. 



