Jan. 19. 1888] 



NATURE 



287 



by the Moon at Greenwich. The angles ixi ounted from the 

 true North through the true East as in observations of double 

 stars, &c. : — 



The remaining stars are all of the eleventh magnitude. 



It would be advisable for intending observers to make a 

 rough map of the stars they are to observe, and to acquaint 

 themselves as completely as they are able with their configura- 

 tion. The observations should be rehearsed as far as possible 

 on previous evenings, that the necessary quickness in changing 

 from one point of the Moon's limb to another may be acquired, 

 and a fair acquaintance made with the sequence of the settings. 

 It will be well probably, to somewhat reduce the list of stars for 

 observation ; since some of the phenomena follow each other s ) 

 closely that some must be lost, and if the work of selection is 

 left for the actual time of observation probably more stars will 

 be lost than necessity demands, and a risk of confusion and 

 mistake will be incurred. The suggestion has also been made 

 that the eye-piece to be employed should not be placed as usual 

 in the centre of the field, but be made to revolve round it at the 

 distance of the Moon's radius. The Moon would then be brought 

 to the centre of the field, and kept there throughout the entire 

 series of observatio:is, and only the eye-piece would be moved. 

 A fairly high power will probably be found the best for the work. 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE. 



Cambridge. — Among the lectures for the present term 

 we note the following: — 



Chemistry : Prof. Dewar, on Organic Chemistry ; Mr. 

 Pattison Muir (Caius), on Chemical Affinity ; Mr. Heycock 

 (King's), on Chemical Philosophy for Natural Sciences Tripos, 

 Part I. ; Mr. Robinson, on Agricultural Chemistry. 



Physics : Prof. Stokes, Physical Optics ; Prof. J. J. Thom- 

 son, Properties of Matter ; Mr. Shaw (Emmanuel), Thermo- 

 dynamics and Radiation. 



Geology : Prof. Hughes, Geology of a District to be visited 

 at Easter ;' Mr. Marr, Principles of Geology. 



Botany : Mr. Gardiner, Advanced Anatomy of Plants ; Mr. 

 Potter, Advanced Systematic Botany. 



Zoology : Prof. Newton, Geographical Distribution of 

 Vertebrates ; Mr. Sedgwick, Morphology of Mollucsa and 

 Echinodermata ; Mr. Gordon, Morphology of Amniota, recent 

 and extinct. 



Physiology : Dr. Lea, Chemical Physiology ; Mr. Langley, 

 Advanced Histology and Physiology ; Dr. Gaskell, Advanced 

 Physiology of Vascular System. 



Prof. Ray lectures on Pathology, and has practical classes ; 

 Prof. Latham on the Physiological Actions and Therapeutical 

 Uses of Remedies ; Dr. Anningson gives demonstrations in 

 Practical Hygiene. 



In Mathematics the following are among the lectures : — 

 Prof. Cayley, Analytical Geometry ; Mr. Forsyth, Modem 

 Algebra, symbolical methods and ternary forms ; Dr. Ferrers, 

 Elliptic Functions ; Dr. Besant, Integral Calculus, Definite 

 Integrals, Mean Value and Pro'iability, Calculus of Variations, 

 and Differential Equations ; Mr. Ball, History of Mathematics 

 up to 1637 ; Mr. Mollison, Discontinuous Functions and Con- 

 duction of Heat ; Mr. Whitehead, Grassmann's Ausdeh- 

 nungslehre, with special reference to its applications. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES. 

 London. 



Royal Society, December 22, 1887. — " The Early Stages 

 in the Development of Antedon rosacea." By H. Bury, B.A., 

 F.L.S., Scholar of Trinity College, Cambridge. Communicated 

 by P. Herbert Carpenter, D.Sc, F.R.S., F.L.S. 



In the orientation of the larva, J. Barrois' suggestion {Comptes 

 rendus, November 9, 1886) has been adopted, viz. that the stalk 

 of the Pentacrinoid represents the prasoral lobe of other Echino- 

 derms. Besides the right and left body-cavities, an anterior 

 unpaired body-cavity is developed (distinct from the hydrocele), 

 and opens to the exterior by the water-pore in the free-swimming 

 larva. 



A larval nervous system is developed, but is lost after fixation. 



The vestibule of the fixed larva (Cystid) is formed by invagina- 

 tion, as described by Barrois {Comptes rendus, May 24, 1886). 



The water-tube (stone canal), by opening into the anterior 

 body-cavity (now very small), places the water-vascular ring in 

 indirect communication with the exterior. 



The anus opens in the same interradius as the water-pore. 



In the skeleton, besides th2 parts already known, three under- 

 basals are present, which are of great phylogeijetic interest. 



Geological Society, December 21, 1887. — Prof. J. W. 

 Judd, F.R. S., President, in the chair. — The following com- 

 munications were read : — On the correlation of some of the 

 Eocene strata in the Tertiary basins of England, Belgium, and 

 the north of France, by Prof. Joseph Prestwich, F. R. S. Al- 

 though the relations of the several series have been for the most 

 part established, there are still differences of opinion as to the 

 exact relation of the Sable de Bracheux and of the Soissonnais to 

 the English series ; of the Oldhaven Beds to the Woolwich 

 series ; and of the London Clay and Lower and Upper Bag- 

 shots to equivalent strata in the Paris basin. The author 

 referred to the usual classification of the Eocene series, and 

 proceeded to deal with each group in ascending order. The 

 Calcaire de Mons is not represented in England, but may be 

 in France by the Strontianiferous marls of Meudon. It con- 

 tains a rich molluscan fauna, including 300 species of Gastero- 

 pods, many of which, are peculiar, but all the genera are 

 Tertiary forms. The Heersian are beds of local occurrence, 

 and the author sees no good reas m for separating them from 

 the Lower Landenian or Thanet Sands. He gave reasons for 

 excluding the Sands of Bracheux from this group. Out 



