Nov. 3, 1887] 



NATURE 



17 



impossible to reach the North Pole along the west coast of 

 Greenland, ^t point iVappni for the journeys on the plan advo- 

 cated would be confined to the European and Asiatic Polar seas. 

 The routes I should recommend are four : viz. one along East 

 Spitzbergen to Franz Josef Land, and northwards, starting 

 from the north of Norway ; one east of Franz Josef Land, 

 starting from the Yenisei or Obi ; one via Franz Josef Land, 

 starting from the New Siberian Islands or the Lena ; and one 

 from a siiitable.spot in Behring Strait. I have every reason to 

 believe that if four such expeditions were in readiness in these 

 localities every year during a period of eleven years, we should 

 by the end of that time, by one or another of the route?, have 

 solved the problems which still face us around the Pole. 

 Probably the scheme might be carried out most advantageously 

 by international co-operation, as in the case of the Polar Research 

 Expeditions of 1882-83. In any case, I venture to think that 

 the plan of any expeditions should not be finally formed before 

 July, or, if possible, August. By that time many of the hunts- 

 men have returned from their first voyage to several parts 

 of the Arctic Sea, and the expeditions would be in possession 

 of a fair knowledge of the state of the ice in each. I believe 

 that, should the route chosen be via Spitzbergen or Novaya 

 Zemlya, a careful study of the weather and wind in North 

 Norway during the spring and early summer would benefit 

 Polar expeditions immensely, showing whether the route to the 

 north or east of Spitzbergen should be followed, or the more 

 eastern one by Novaya Zemlya." 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include a Grand Eclectus {Eclcctiis rorattis) from 

 Moluccas, presented by Miss P, Lockwood ; a Goffin's Cockatoo 

 {Cacatica goffini), habitat uncertain, presented by Miss Barton ; 

 a Water Rattlesnake {Crotalus adamanteus), a Water Viper 

 {Cenchris piscivonis), two American Black Snakes {Coluber 

 constrictor), a Chicken Snake {Coluber qiiadrivittatus), two 

 Mocassin Snakes {Coluber fasciatus) from Florida, presented by 

 the Natural History Society of Toronto ; two Green Lizards 

 {Lacerta viridis), twelve Spotted Salamanders {Salatnandra 

 maculosa), two Common Snakes {Tropidonotus natrix) from 

 Italy, presented by Messrs. Paul and Sons ; an Algerian Tortoise 

 {Testudo mauritanica) from Algeria, deposited; an Aye- Aye 

 {Chiromys madagascariensis) ixora Madagascar, purchased; six 

 Painted Terrapins {Clemmys picta), two Corn Snakes {Coluber 

 guttatus), two Milk Snakes {Coluber eximius), two Mocassin 

 Snakes {Tropidonotus fasciatus), two Ribbon Snakes {Tropi- 

 donotus saurita),t\vo Hog-nosed Snakes {Heterodon platyrhinos), 

 two Grass Snakes {Cyclophis vdrnalis), six Dekay's Snakes 

 {Ischnognathus dekayi), nine American Green Frogs {Rana 

 halecina), ten Noisy Frogs {Rana clamata), a Wood Frog{Rana 

 sylvaticd), a Changeable Tree Frog {Hyla versicolor), nine^Red- 

 backed Salamanders {Plethodon etythronotus) from Canada, 

 leceived in exchange; a Blood-breasted Pigeon {Phlogcenas 

 cruentata), bred in the Gardens, 



ASTRONOMICAL PHENOMENA FOR THE 

 WEEK 1887 NOVEMBER 6-12. 



/T7OR the reckoning of time the civil day, commencing at 

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



is here employed. ) 



At Greenwich on November 6 



Sun rises, yh. 4m. ; souths, iih. 43m. 44"2s. ; sets, i6h. 24m. : 



right asc. on meridian, I4h. 45 ^m. ; decl. 15° 59' S. 



Sidereal Time at Sunset, igh. 2bm. 

 Moon (at Last Quarter Novembers, I7h.) rises, igh. 50m.*, 



souths, 3h. 54m. ; sets, iih. 58m. : right ate. on meridian, 



6h. 54 •4m. ; decl. 20° 14' N, 



Right asc. and declination 

 Planet. Riser. Southf. Sets. on mendian. 



h. m. h. m. h. m. h. m. , , 



Mercury.. 9 9 ... 13 3 ... 16 57 ... 16 47 ... 23 21 S. 

 Venus ... 2 57 ... 8 59 ... 15 I ... II 59*6 ... o 22 S. 

 Mars ... I 16 ... 8 o ... 14 44 ... II 1*4 ... 7 59 N. 

 Jupiter ... 7 12 ... II 53 ... 16 34 ... 14 544 ... IS 44 S. 

 Saturn ... 21 48*... 5 35 ... 13 22 ... 8 35-5 ... 19 O N. 

 Uranus... 4 17 ... 9 54 ... 15 31 ... 12 55-4 ... 5. I4 S. 

 Neptune . 17 7*... o 49 ... 8 31 ... 3 49-1 ... 18 16 N, 

 * Indicales that the rising is that of the preceding evening. 



Occultations of Stars by the Moon (visible at Greenwich). 



Corresponding 



angles from ver- 



Nov. Star. Mag. Disap. Reap. tex to right for 



inverted image, 

 h. m. h. m. no 



6 ... ^'■Geminorum ... 5^ ... 22 34 .. 22 5 I ... 338 302 



8 ... 7 Leonis 6^ ... 22 30 ... 23 8 ... 90 182 



9 ... ^ Leonis ... ... 6 ... i 52 ... 2 42 ... 78 181 



Nov. h. 



7 ... 8 ... Mercury stationary. 



8 ... o ... Saturn in conjunction with and l° l' north 



of the Moon. 



9 ... 2 ... Jupiter in conjunction with the Sun. 



12 ... I ... Venus in conjunction with and 3° 42' south 

 of the Moon. 

 Saturn, November 6. — Outer major axis of outer ring = 42"'2 ; 

 outer minor axis of outer ring = 13" "5 ; southern surface visible. 



Variable Stars. 

 Star. R.A. Decl. 



h. Bi. , / h. m. 



U Cephei o 52-3 ... 81 16 N. ... Nov. 7, 2 49 m 



,,12, 2 29 OT 



U Monocerotis ... 7 25-4 ... 9 33 S. ... ,, 9, M 



U Ophiuchi 17 io-8 ... i 20 N. ... ,, 7. 3 9 »' 



and at intervals of 20 8 



USagittarii 18 25-2 ... 19 12 S. .. ,, 7, o o /w 



R Scuti 841-5... 5 50 S. ... „ 7. '« 



3Lyrae 18 45-9 ... 33 14 N , 6, 3 o J/ 



S Vulpeculse ... 19 43'8 ... 27 o N. ... „ 8, m 



»; Aquilse 19467... o 43 N , 8, 5 om 



S Sagittae 19 50-9 ... 16 20 N. ... ,, 6, i o m 



„ 9, I oM 



5 Cephei 22 25-0 ... 57 50 N. ... „ 10, z oM 



M signifies maximum ; fit minimum. 

 Meteor-Showers. 



R.A. 



Near the Pleiades ... 60 

 From Camelopardalis 102 

 Near Tj Leonis 149 



Decl. 



20 N. ... Bright; rather slow. 



73 N. ... Very swift. 



22 N. ... Swift ; streaks. 



GEOGRAPHICAL NOTES. 



The Danish Government has decided upon hydrographically 

 measuring and charting the Guldborg Sound, the new harbour 

 at Odense, in the Island of Funen, and the Randers and 

 Mariager fjords in Jutland. Two vessels will also be en- 

 gaged in preparing a naval chart of the coast around Den- 

 mark. It has also been decided to despatch an Expedition — 

 the cost being estimated at ^^4000— to Iceland next summer, for 

 the purpose of effecting hydrographical measurements around 

 that island. Great fjords and waterways are here still unmea- 

 sured — a danger to navigation and a loss to science. It is 

 believed that these researches may lead to important scientific 

 discoveries, principally as regards zoology, meteorology, and 

 geography. Moreover, they would probably be of great benefit 

 to the Iceland fisheries, which are far from being thoroughly 

 developed on account of the ignorance of existing fishing-banks, 

 the temperature of the sea, &c. The researches, which will be 

 similar to those carried out around Norway for some years past, 

 will be effected with the Government schooner Ingolf, a vessel 

 particularly adapted for the purpose. It is intended to employ 

 the months of May, June, July, and August in this work, which, 

 it is estimated, will be fully accomplished in five years. 



In the Bollettino of the Italian Geographical Society for Sep- 

 tember Signor E. Modigliani concludes his series of papers on 

 Nias, with a detailed account of the physical features, natural 

 history, and social condition of that island. The hilly surface is 



