282 



NATURE 



{July 2 1, 1887 



F.R.S., and Mr. H. G. Madan. The first volume, containing 

 elementary exercises, has been issued. In the preface to this 

 new edition, Mr. Madan, who has undertaken the task of revi- 

 sion, explains that he has made some verbal alterations, intro- 

 duced additional experiments and exercises, and somewhat 

 altered the course of analysis of a single substance. In many 

 cases the preparation of useful compounds of the radicle is more 

 fully dealt with than in former editions. 



The "Flora of West Yorkshire," a volume of about 800 

 pages, by Mr. Frederick Arnold Lees, will be ready in August. 

 It will be published by the Yorkshire Naturalists' Union, by 

 subscription, and will form an extra volume of the Botanical 

 Series of the Transactions of the Union. The work is divided 

 into four sections — (i) Climatology ; (2) Lithology ; (3) the 

 Botanical Bibliography of the Riding ; (4) the Flora proper. 

 With regard to the fourth section, it is claimed that "such a 

 complete flora for any district in the world has never before 

 been published, more than 3000 species being dealt with." 



An interesting volume relating to the " Grand Concours 

 International des Sciences et de I'Industrie," which is to be 

 held at Brussels in the year 1888, has just been issued. It con- 

 sists of reports drawn up by the Committees 'which have been 

 appointed to make preparations for the Exhibition. Each of 

 these reports includes a letter addressed to producers, a general 

 and detailed classification of objects, a list of sub-committees, 

 and a series of desiderata in the department to which the report 

 relates. If the " Grand Concours International" corresponds 

 to the scheme which the Committees have worked out, it will be 

 one of the most complete and suggestive Exhibitions that have 

 yet been held. 



On August 7 the University of Gottingen will celebrate the 

 iSoth anniversary of its foundation. 



The annual conversazione given by the students of the Fins- 

 bury Technical College was held on Friday the 15th inst. , and 

 was remarkably successful. The College was tastefully decorated 

 with flowers and flags, and a large fountain, illuminated by 

 powerful coloured arc and incandescent lamps, played during the 

 evening. All the rooms were thrown open to visitors, and exhi- 

 bitions of chemical, electrical, and mechanical apparatus and 

 manufactures were arranged in the laboratories. Over fifty of the 

 leading scientific firms lent exhibits, and one electrical firm 

 sent over £y:^o worth of apparatus. In the workshops speci- 

 mens of the work of the students during the session were shown. 

 Two concerts, both attended by crowded audiences, were given ; 

 and Prof. Ayrton lectured on "Church Bells," and Prof. 

 Meldola on "Spectrum Analysis." Over four hundred visitors 

 were present, including many distinguished men of science and 

 commerce ; and the students are to be congratulated on having 

 provided a very pleasant entertainment for their friends. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include a Pig-tailed Monkey {Macaciis nemestrinus) 

 from Java, presented by Mrs. Lewis ; a Tiger {Felis tigris <J ) 

 from India, presented by Mr. Sandford Kilby ; a Turtle-Dove 

 ( Turtur comtminis), British, presented by Mr. R. Humphries ; 

 a Bonnet Monkey {Macacus sinicus Q ) from India, two Booted 

 Eagles {Nisaetus pennattis) from Spain, a Golden-crowned 

 QoxmxQ. {Conurus aureus) from Bi-azil, two Alligators {Alligator 

 mississippiensis) from the Mississippi, two Common Toads 

 {Biifo vulgaris) from North Africa, deposited ; a Ruffed Lemur 

 {Lemur varius) from Madagascar, an Elate Hornbill {Cerate- 

 gymnx data) from West Africa, two Common Boas {Boa con- 

 strictor) from South America, purchased ; a Squirrel-like 

 Phalanger {Belideus sciureics) born in the Gardens ; two Diuca 

 Finches {Diuca grisea), an Auriculated Dove {Zenaida auricii- 

 lata) bred in the Gardens. 



OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. 



The Nice Observatory. — M. Faye has published in the 

 Comptes rendiis, tome cv. No. i, a note on the work of the Nice 

 Observatory, from which the following particulars are extracted : — 

 As soon as a small meridian circle by Gautier had been erected 

 at the new Observatory, M. Perrotin, the Director determined 

 the difference of longitude telegraphically from Paris and 

 from Milan. These operations gave for the difference : Paris- 

 Milan, 27m. 25 •325s., whilst a direct determination pre- 

 viously made by MM. Perrier and Celoria gave 27m. 25 '3 13s. 

 The value 43° 43' 16" "9 has been provisionally adopted for the 

 latitude. With the equatorial of o'38m. aperture M. Perrotin 

 has undertaken an extensive series of double-star measures, 

 which have already proved of great excellence and value. It 

 is proposed to continue these measures on a more extended scale 

 with the large telescope of 076 m. aperture. A large number of 

 observations of comets and of minor planets have been made by 

 M. Perrotin and by M. Charlois, liis assistant. The latter has 

 also quite recently discovered a new asteroid (No. 267). M. 

 Faye goes on to speak of the spectroscopic researches carried 

 out at Nice by the late M. ThoUon, particularly those connected 

 with the investigation of the telluric lines in the solar spectrum. 

 As our readers will remember, M. Thollon showed that in the 

 regions B and a of the solar spectrum some of the telluric lines 

 are due, not to an element varying with the temperature, such 

 as aqueous vapour, but to a constituent of the atmosphere, such 

 as oxygen, the influence of which varies with the altitude of 

 the Sun only. M. Egoroff afterwards confirmed this by showing 

 that the lines referred to are due to the oxygen present in our 

 atmosphere. 



The instrumental equipment of the Nice Observatory is now 

 all but complete, and M. Faye speaks with enthusiasm of the 

 career of usefulness before it — favoured as it is with a splendid 

 climate, and, thanks to the munificence of M. Bischoffsheim, 

 with instruments which suffice to place it in the front rank of 

 modern Observatories. 



ASTRONOMICAL PHENOMENA FOR THE 

 WEEK 1887 JUL Y 24-30. 



/"C^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 July 24 



Sun rises, 4h. 14m. ; souths, I2h. 6m. 14*33. ; sets, igh. 59m. ; 



deck on meridian, 19° 54' N. : Sidereal Time at Sunset, 



i6h. 8m. 

 Moon (at First Quarter on July 27) rises, 8h. 38m. ; souths, 



I5h. 26m. ; sets, 22h. cm. ; deck on meridian, 5° 53' N. 



Planet. Rises. South?. Sets. Decl. on meridian, 



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



Mercury ... 5 20 ... 12 33 ... 19 46 ... 13 24 N. 



Venus 8 33 ... 15 i ... 21 29 ... 4 47 N. 



Mars 2 8 ... 10 28 ... 18 48 ... 23 53 N. 



Jupiter 12 20 ... 17 35 ... 22 50 ... 9 29 S. 



Saturn 3 48 ... 11 48 ... 19 48 ... 20 57 N. 



Occultation of Star by the Moon (visible at Greenwich). 



July. 



25 •■ 



July. 

 24 



27 



29 



Star. 



Mag. Disap. 



B.A.C. 4277 ... 6 



h. m. 

 20 20 



Reap, 

 h. m. 



20 45 



Corresponding 

 angles from ver- 

 tex to right for 

 inverted image. 



•■• 34 350 



Venus in conjunction with and 3° 8' soil 



of the Moon. 

 Jupiter in conjunction with and 3° 59' sou 



of the Moon. 

 Mercury in inferior conjunction with the Su 



Meteor- Showers. 



The Aquarids, R.A. 340°, Decl. 13° S., near S Aquarii, 



form the principal meteor-shower at this season of the year ; the 



meteors from this radiant are slow, in marked contrast to those 



from Perseus, radiant at R.A. 32°, Decl. 55° N., at the same 



J time, which are swift. ? 



