5i6 



NATURE 



[March 28, 1889 



1882-83) was recently issued at Christiania ; and we have 

 already said something as to the contents (Nature, 

 December 13, 1888, p. 155). The following is a translation 

 of a statement, by Herr Cand. C. Krafft, in this Report : — 



" For spectroscopic researches the Expedition took with 

 them a Wrede spectroscope. Unfortunately the obligatory 

 observations did not render it possible to devote adequate 

 attention to spectroscopic researches. The writer may also 

 specially note that the use of powerful magnifiers made 

 measurements with the above-mentioned apparatus ex- 

 tremely fatiguing, and often quite impossible. It seemed 

 to me all the more permissible to omit these measurements 

 because the situation of the usual aurora-line is often very 

 distinctly defined. Other lines besides these were only 

 sometimes observed. Weak, indeterminable bands I ob- 

 served on November 12, 4h. i8m. If I remember rightly, 

 I saw similar indeterminable bands on another occasion, 

 but I cannot find any notice of it in the observations. 

 The red line was sometimes remarked, but it showed itself 

 very conspicously, and flashed up only some moments 

 (November 2, gh. 15m. ; November 17, 4h.). The general 

 rule is that only the aurora-line was to be seen even in 

 strong auronis ; as, for example, on November 2, 8h. S5m., 

 during a crown-formation, and on Novembers, Sh.-gh. on 

 a bow with the intensity 2-3. 



" In order to find the value of the scale-division of the 

 spectroscope expressed in wave-lengths, I made, on 

 October 30, 1882, the following determination of the most 

 important Fraunhofer lines : — 



B ... 25-04 (\ = 6867) a ... 23-27 (A =: 6276) 

 C ... 24-16 (A = 6562) D (Mean) 21-78 (A = 5892) 



E ... 18-51 (\ = 5269) 



3(Mean) 17-84(^ = 5174) 



" With the help of these determinations I constructed a 

 curve, and obtained from it the following wave-lengths of 

 the auroral lines : — 



November 2, 8h. 55m. aurora-line (mean) 20-37 ••• ^ = 5595 



November 11, loh. 15m. aurora-line 20-26 \ = 5586 



[D (NaCl flame) 21-71.] 



" November 17, 4h. 20m. ; Herr Schroeter found the 

 following- values : — 



Aurora-line 



•37) 

 34 j 



Mean 20-34 



5587 



34^ 

 Red line 23 'oo 



6205. 



" On account of the rapid flashing-up and disappearance 

 of the red line only this one measurement could be 

 obtained. 



" The spectroscope was used chiefly to decide oc- 

 casionally, in doubtful cases, whether and how far the 

 aurora was present — a matter which, as is well known, 

 it is very often impossible to decide in any other way. 

 Fine cirrostratus clouds may so closely resemble the 

 aurora as to be taken for it, especially if they are lighted 

 by the moon or by twilight. In the latter case one may 

 recognize the aurora-line apart from the continuous 

 spectrum (January 15, I2h. ; March 29, I4h.). Meanwhile 

 I do not think I can decide whether the aurora line is 

 to be regarded as absolute criterion for the aurora ; I have 

 had an opportunity of observing pulsating masses of light 

 (December 18, gh.), and also otherwise inexplicable pheno- 

 mena of light, as well with the usual aurora colour (January 

 13, I oh.) as with red (November 17, 6h. 15m.), without 

 being able to discover the aurora-line. On a red mass of 

 light it might appear very weakly, even if the light-mass 

 shone powerfully (November 17, i6h.). Beside, the aurora- 

 line was very often to be recognized everywhere. This 

 sometimes made me think that the whole firmament was 

 covered with aurora material, although the explanation 

 may be that the line everywhere visible springs from an 



aurora, only slightly extended, reflected from fine clouds, 

 &c., floating in the air. This reflected light showed the 

 aurora-line even on objects on the earth (snow on a field, 

 a wall), and even when the sky was pretty well covered 

 (November 11, loh. ; November 12, 5h. ; November 14, 

 8h. ; December 15, i5h. 25m. ; December 16, gh.)." 



NOTES. 

 The Croonian Lecture of the Royal Society, which, as we 

 have already announced, is to be delivered this year byM. Roux, 

 the " Chef de Service" of the Pasteur Laboratory, has now been 

 fixed for Thursday, May 23, at 4.30 p.m., in the Royal Society's 

 apartments at Burlington House. 



A GOOD many arrangements for the Newcastle meeting of the 

 British Association, over which Prof. Flower will preside, have 

 now been made. Among the Vice-Presidents are the Duke of 

 Northumberland, the Earl of Durham, the Bishop of Newcastle, 

 Lord Armstrong, the Mayors of Newcastle and of Gateshead, 

 and Mr. John Morley. The following are the Presidents of the 

 various Sections :— A — Mathematical and Physical Science, 

 Captain W. de W. Abney, F.R.S. B— Chemical Science, Sir 

 I. Lowthian Bell, F.R.S. C— Geology, Prof. James Geikie, 

 F.R.S. D— Biology, Prof. J. S. Burdon Sanderson, F.R.S. 

 E— Geography, Colonel Sir P"rancis de Winton. F — Economic 

 Science and Statistics, Prof. F. Y. Edgeworth. G— Mechanical 

 Science, Mr. William Anderson. H— Anthropology, Prof. Sir 

 W. Turner, F.R.S. The-first general meeting will be held on 

 Wednesday, September 11, at 8 p.m. On Thursday evening, 

 September 12, there will be a soiree; on Friday evening, 

 September 13, a discourse on "The Hardening and Tempering 

 of Steel," by Prof Roberts- Austen, F.R.S. ; on Monday even- 

 ing, September 16, another discourse ; and on Tuesday evening, 

 September 1 7, a soiree. Excursions to places of interest in the 

 neighbourhood of Newcastle-on-Tyne are being arranged for 

 Saturday, September 14, and Thursday, September 19. 



At a recent meeting of the Executive Council of the British 

 Section of the Paris Exhibition, the cordial thanks of the Coun- 

 cil were given to Sir Frederick Leighton, P.R.A., and the Fine 

 Arts Committee, for their exertions to insurejthat the Fine Arts 

 Department at the Exhibition should be a credit to the British 

 Section and the country. The result of the exertions of the 

 Committee will be that British art will be represented in Paris 

 by works of many of our foremost artists. Why is not like 

 energy being displayed by English men of science ? There 

 ought to be a Science as well as a Fine Arts Committee, and 

 the necessary arrangements might easily be made, as there are 

 several members of the French Institute in England. 



The Directors of the Ben Nevis Observatory have applied to 

 the Association of the Glasgow International Exhibition of 1888 

 for a grant from the surplus fund of the Exhibition. In the 

 memorial setting forth the claims of the Observatory on the 

 support of the public and of public bodies, reference is made to 

 the immediate and important advantages that will result from 

 the work of the High and Low Level Observatories of Ben 

 Nevis towards the further development of the meteorology of 

 the Clyde, in which Glasgow has taken so prominent a part, and 

 by the results of which the shipping and commercial interests 

 will to a certainty be largely benefited ; and it is urged that, in 

 carrying out these national objects, the Directors must look to 

 the liberality of the public and of public bodies, for the assistance 

 required to supplement the aid offered by the Government 

 towards the completion and maintenance of this double Ob- 

 servatory. 



The Botanical Society of France has issued a circular signed 

 by its President, M. de Vilmorin, and Secretaries, inviting foreign 



