April 12, 1888] 



NATURE 



569 



A BOOK entitled •'Moeurs et Monuments des Peuples pre- 

 historiques," by M. de Nadaillac, is about to be published in 

 Paris. The text will be fully illustrated. 



The Selbortte Magazine will in future be published by Mr. 

 Elliot Stock. 



The new number of Mind opens with an article on the con- 

 ditions of a true philosophy, by Mr. S. H. Hodgson. There are 

 also articles on the nature and functions of a complete symbolic 

 language, by Mr. S. Bryant ; on Dr. Martineau and the theory 

 of vocation, by the Rev. H. Rashdale ; and on the unity of 

 consciousness, by Mr. A. F. Shand. 



We have received a little pamphlet by Dr. G. Y. Cadogan- 

 Masterman, Medical Officer of Health, Stourport, entitled 

 " Dermepenthesis : Animal Skin-Grafting," in which the author 

 gives several interesting cases of successful grafting of the skin 

 of rabbits on wounds on the human body. 



An International Exhibition of farmyard poultry, rabbits, 

 game raised for reserved shooting, machinery and engines for 

 bird-culture, hunting-dogs, and sporting apparatus allowed by 

 law, will be held in Rome, at the Botanical Garden, from 

 April 25 to May 10. The Exhibition is being organized by a 

 Committee of the Agricultural Society of Rome. 



According to the Natiirforscher, Herr von dem Borne- 

 Berneuchen has succeeded in breeding, in his piscicultural esta- 

 blishment, specimens of the fish known in America as the black 

 boss. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include two Striped Hyaenas {Hymna striata) from 

 Algeria, presented by Capt. E. B. Pusey, R.N. ; an Ortolan 

 Bunting {Emberiza horttdana), British, presented by Mr. W. H. 

 St. Quintin ; a Moorish Gecko ( Tarentola maiiritanica) from 

 Cannes, South France, presented by Mr. J. C. Warbury ; two 

 Poiret's Newts {^Molge poireti) from Algeria, presented by Mr. 

 G. A. Boulenger ; a Greater Sulphur-crested Cockatoo {Cacatua 

 galerita) from Australia, deposited ; a Central American Agouti 

 {Dasyprocta isthtnica) from Central America, purchased. 



OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. 



The Paris Catalogue. — The first two volumes of the great 

 work undertaken by Leverrier a third of a century ago,— the 

 re-observation of thestarsof Lalande's catalogue,— have recently 

 been published. The first volume contains the first instalment of 

 the catalogue, viz. stars from oh, to 6h. of R.A. observed during 

 the years 1837 to i88r, whilst the second gives the separate 

 observations. That this great undertaking has advanced so far 

 towards completion is chiefly owing to the energy which has 

 characterized the Paris Observatory under the directorship of 

 Admiral Mouchez, and to the strength it has derived from the 

 School of Practical Astronomy which was for several years con- 

 nected with it. When Admiral Mouchez succeeded to the 

 direction in 1878, barely one-third of the necessary observations 

 had been secured, and the annual number of observations 

 obtained was only about 6000 or 7000, a total which, however 

 considerable in itself, was very inadequate in view of the 300,000 

 required to complete the original programme of a minimum of 

 three observations in each element for the 47. 39^ stars of 

 Lalande's catalogue. The gift by M. Bischoffsheim of the fine 

 Eichens meridian-circle, and the assistance furnished by the 

 pupils of the astronomical school have, however, raised the 

 yearly average to 25,000 or 28,000 observations, and rendered it 

 possible to commence the publication of results. As the observa- 

 tions include not only those made since Leverrier became Director, 

 but also some 20,000 or 30,000 made between 1837 and 1854, 

 under Arago's superintendence, but left unreduced by him, they 

 have been divided into three periods, viz. 1837-53, 1854-67, and 

 1868-81, and severally reduced to the mean epochs 1845, i860, 

 or 1875. Observations subsequent to i88r, about one-fourth of 



the entire number, will be published separately, and a separate 

 supplementary catalogue will also be formed of those stars which 

 it has been found necessary to re-observe owing to the dispropor- 

 tion between the number of observations secured in the two 

 elements, due to the R. A.'s in so many cases having been ob- 

 served with the transit instrument, whilst the declinations were 

 taken with the mural circle, the transit circles having been 

 erected only in 1863 and 1877 respectively. The present 

 section of the catalogue contains 7245 stars, and represents 

 about 80,000 observations in both elements. It gives for 

 each of the three periods the number of observations, the mean 

 date, the R.A. and N. P.D. reduced to the mean epoch, and a 

 comparison with Lalande. The precessions for 1875 are also 

 added. The introduction, by M. Gaillot, who has superintended 

 the reduction, contains a discussion of the probable errors of the 

 observations, and is followed by a comparison of the present 

 catalogue with Auwers' Bradley, and an important investigation 

 by M. Bossert of the proper motions of a large number of stars, 

 followed by a table of errors in Lalande's catalogue, which the 

 present and other catalogues have brought to light. 



ASTRONOMICAL PHENOMENA FOR THE 

 WEEK 1888 APRIL 15-21. 



/T^ 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 April 1 5 

 Sunrises, 5h. 5m. ; souths, iih. 59m. 53"6s. ; sets, l8h^ 55m. : 

 right asc. on meridian, ih. 36'2m. ; decl. lo° l' N. 

 Sidereal Time at Sunset, 8h. 32m. 

 Moon (at First Quarter April 19, I2h.) rises, 7h. 23m. ; 

 souths, I5h. 9m. ; sets, 23h. 4m. : right asc. on meridian, 

 4h. 46-om. ; decl. 18° 18' N. 



Right asc. and declination 

 Planet. Rises. Souths. Sets. on meridian. 



h. m. h. m. h. m. h. m. o / 

 Mercury.. 4 41 ••• 1° 3^ •.• 16 35 ... o 13-8 ... i 21 S. 



Venus 4 34 ... 10 36 ... 16 38 ... o 12-6 ... o 20 S. 



Mars 18 6 ... 23 39 ... 5 12*... 13 16-9 ... 5 55 S. 



Jupiter.... 22 26*... 2 40 ... 6 54 ... 16 15-1 ... 20 14 S. 

 Saturn.... 10 33 ... 18 31 ... 2 zc,* ... 8 8-5 ... 20 46 N. 

 Uranus... 17 40 ■•■ 23 17 ... 4 54*-- 12 55-3 ... 5 10 S. 

 Neptune.. 6 28 ... 14 10 ... 21 52 ... 3 466 ... 18 15 N. 

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

 that of the following morning. 



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



Corresponding 

 ifro 



April. 



16 ... 

 19 ... 



April. 

 19 



Star. 



X^ Orionis 

 B Cancri .. 



h. 

 ... 13 ... 



Mag. Disap. 



h. m. 



, 6 ... 21 27 



6 ... 19 34 



Reap. 



h. m. 

 .. 22 26 

 .. 20 45 



angles from ver- 

 tex to right for 

 inverted image. 



o o 

 ... 139 300 

 ... 70 308 



Saturn in conjunction with and 1° 5' north 

 of the Moon. 



Variable Stars. 



Star. R-A. Decl. 



h. m. , , n. m. 



U Cephei o 52-4 ... 81 16 N. ... Apr. 17, 3 41 m 



Algol" 3 0*9 ." 40 31 N. ... „ 18, 21 4 »* 



R Canis Majoris... 7 H'S — 16 12 S 20, 22 14 m 



SLibrse 14 SS'O - 8 4 S. ... „ 17, 22 30 »» 



U Coronse 15 13-6 ... 32 3 N. ... „ 17, 3 3^ »» 



U Ophiuchi 1710-9... i 20 N. ... ,, 16, 3 44 »» 



and at intervals of 20 8 



X Sagittarii 17 40-S •• 2? 47 S. ... Apr. 15, 4 oM 



Z Sagittarii 18 I4'8 ... 18 55 S. ... „ 15, o o /w 



Lyrse 18 46-0 ... 33 ^4 N 18, 22 o m^ 



RLyrse 18 51-9 ... 43 4^ N. ... ,, 17, 



S Vulpeculse ... 19 43'8 ... 27 I N 20, 



R Sagittse 20 90 ... 16 23 N. ... „ 18, 



T Cephei 21 81 ... 68 2N , 16, M 



5 Cephei 22 25-0 ... 57 Si N , 19, 3 oM 



R Aquarii 23 38-0 ... 15 54 S. . ,, 17. ^ 



iW signifies maximum ; m minimum ; m^ secondary minimum. 



M 

 M 



