330 



NATURE 



[Feb. 



2, I 



handed over to the mercantile bodies that in France correspond 

 to our Chambers of Commerce, who understand local needs and 

 local industries better than any department of State. Most of 

 these institutions are behind the age, and the collections at the 

 Conservatoire des Arts et Metiers, Paris, are not so full as those 

 in other c-ountries, and the building itself is in a half-ruinous 

 condition. If the other establishments are inferior to this, as 

 the Report seems to imply, perhaps it is not so difficult to account 

 for the paucity of students and their lack of interest as the 

 Ministry of Commerce seems to thinkit is. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include two Poe Honey-eaters {Prosthetnadero. nova- 

 zealandia) from New Zealand, presented by Capt. Brabazon 

 J. Barlow, s.s. Tamui ; a Brazilian Hangnest {Icterus jamaicai) 

 from Brazil, presented by Mr. Geo. D. Morce ; a White-bellied 

 Sea Eagle {Haliaetus leucocephalus) from Newfoundland, pre- 

 sented by Mr. Geo. M. Johnson ; three Egyptian Cobras {Naia 

 haje), three Cerastes Vipers ( Vipera cerastes), two Hissing Sand 

 Snakes {Psainmophis sibilans), a Clifford's Snake {Zameiiis 

 cliffvrdi), an Egyptian Eryx {Eryx Jactilus), a Blunt-nosed Snake 

 {Dipsas obtusa) from Egypt, presented by Capt. W. G. Burrows ; 

 twenty-one Horrid Rattlesnakes {Crotalus horridus) born in the 

 Gardens. 



OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. 



American Observatories. — The January number of the 

 Sidereal Messenger states that the University of California has 

 allotted $19,000 for the current expenses of the Lick Observa- 

 tory during the present year. The Observatory has received an 

 accession to its staff in Mr. Charles B. Hill, formerly of Chabot 

 Observatory. The equipment of the Ob. ervatory has also been 

 furthered by the arrival of the 36-inch photographic corrector 

 and the micrometer for the great telescope. The micrometer 

 is by Fauth and Co. 



A new Observatory has been opened in connection with the 

 Syracuse University, New York. This Observatory, erected in 

 memory of Mr. C. D. Holden, a former graduate of the 

 University, was dedicated on November 18, 1887, Prof. 

 Newcomb pronouncing the inaugural address. The new insti- 

 tution possesses a transit instrument by Troughton and Simms, 

 of 3 inches aperture, a chronometer by Dent and Co., a chrono- 

 graph by Fauth and Co., and an 8-inch equatorial by the Alvan 

 Clarks. Prof. John R. French is the Director. 



At the Washburn Observatory, Prof. Brown, the new Director, 

 who was formerly at the Naval Observatory, Washington, is 

 engaged at Prof Auwers' request in the determination of the 

 fundamental star-places of the Zusatz-sterne in Auwers' system. 



ASTRONOMICAL PHENOMENA FOR THE 

 WEEK 1888 FEBRUARY 5-11. 



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

 Greenwich mean midnight, counting the hours on to 24, 

 is here employed.) 



At Greenwich on February 5 

 Sun rises, 7h. 35m. ; souths, I2h. 14m. I3"6s. ; sets, i6h. 53m. : 

 right asc. on meridian, 2ih. I4'6m. ; decl. 16° o' S. 

 Sidereal Time at Sunset, ih. 54m. 

 Moon (between Last Quarter and New) rises, ih. 20m. ; souths, 

 6h. 24m.; sets, iih. 19m.: right asc. on meridian, 

 I5h. 23-5m. ; decl. 13° 16' S. 



* Indicates that the rising is that of the preceding evening and the setting 

 that of the following morning. 



Feb. h. 



6 ... I ... Jupiter in conjunction with and 4° 2' south 



of the Moon. 



7 ... 6 ... Neptune stationary. 



8 .. 21 ... Venus in conjunction with and 1° 24' south 



of the Moon 



February I1-12. — A partial eclipse of the Sun : not visible in 

 Europe. 



Saturn, February 5. — Outer major axis of outer ring = 46"'i ; 

 outer minor axis of outer ring = 16" 'o ; southern surface visible. 



Variable Stars. 

 Star. R.A. Decl. 



h. m. a / h. m. 



U Cephei o 52-4 ... 81 16 N, ... Feb. 9, 20 19 m 



Algol 3 o'9 ... 40 31 N. ... ,, 10, I 30 in 



R Canis Majoris... 7 I4'5 ... 16 12 S. ... ,, 5, 22 43 m 



„ 7, I 59 w 



S Hydrae 8477... 3 30 N. ... ,, 9, M 



T Virginis 12 8"9 ... 5 24 S. ... ,, 7, M 



5 Librae 14 5S"o ... 8 4 S. ... ,, 8, 2 50 m 



U Coronae 15 13*6 ... 32 3 N. ... ,, 8, 2 26 w 



V Coronas ^5 45"5 ••• 39 55 N. ... ,, 5, m 



U Ophiuchi 17 10-9 ... i 20 N , 9, l 29 m 



and at intervals of 20 8 



X Sagittarii I7 40"5 .. 27 47 S. ...Feb. 9, 5 o yJ/ 



Z Sagittarii 18 14*8 ... 18 55 S. ... ,, 6, o o m 



/8 Lyrae 18 46-0 ... 33 14 N 7, 21 o m 



,, II, 2 o M 



U Aquilas 19 23-3 ... 7 16 S. ... ,, 11, 5 o m 



r? Aquilae 19 46'8 ... o 43 N. ... ,, 11, 2i oM 



S Sagittae 19 50*9 ... 16 20 N. ... ,, 6, 4 o m 



„ 9, 4 oM 



Y Cygni 20 47'6 ... 34 14 N. ... ,, 6, 20 9 m 



,, 9, 20 3 m 

 M signifies maximum ; m minimum. 

 Meteor- Showers. 



R.A. 



Decl. 



February 6. 



GEOGRAPHICAL NOTES. 



At Monday's meeting of the Royal Geographical Society, 

 Admiral Mayne gave an account of recent explorations in 

 British North Borneo. The paper of most original interest was, 

 however, that of Mr. Maurice Portman, on the exploration and 

 surveys of the Little Andaman, As an official on the Andaman 

 Islands, Mr. Portman made it his business to conciliate the 

 natives of the Little Andaman, who were regarded as quite 

 intractable, and had been severely punished several times for 

 murdering shipwrecked sailors. After a great deal of trouble 

 and much risk, Mr. Portman succeeded in making friends with 

 the natives, with the result that he and those who accompanied 

 him could visit the island with impunity. He has thus been 

 able to collect much welcome information both concerning the 

 island and its highly interesting inhabitants. He completely 

 surveyed the island, and has thus been able to make iinportant 

 corrections on our maps. At the north end the island consists 

 of mangrove swamp and low belts of sandy soil, on which the 

 aborigines have their huts. On the west and south-west the 

 land rises into low hills of a coarse sandstone, running more or 

 less north and south. The timber appears to be much the 

 same as that of the South Andaman, though Mr. Portman saw 

 no padouk and very few bamboos. The rocks are chiefly lime 

 and sandstone, with a good deal of actual coral rock on the east 

 and south coasts. In one place, south of Daogule Bay, Mr. 

 Portman noticed an outcrop of igneous rock. He found no 

 minerals of importance. This island is about 27 miles long by 

 15 miles broad, and is encircled by a fringing coral reef. The 

 products of the sea are the same as at the Great Andaman ; but 

 the Tubiporine family of coral, particularly Tiibipora vuisica, 

 occur in profusion. Dugong and turtle are very plentiful. On 

 the South Sentinel Island, about 12 miles west of the Little 

 Andaman, the turtle appear to have their breeding-station. This 

 island, which is composed entirely of coral rock, is infested by 

 large iguanas, and the Birgiis lairo, or cocoa-nut-stealing crab 



