6i6 



NATURE 



{Oct. 27, 1887 



The Cambridge Scientific Instrument Company have published 

 a descriptive list of "anthropometric apparatus," consisting of 

 instruments for measuring and testing the chief physical charac- 

 teristics of the human body. This list cancels those previously 

 issued. The instruments have been designed under the direction 

 of Mr. Francis Galton. 



A Biological and Microscopical Section has been formed 

 in connection with the Cardiff Naturalists' Society, with Dr. 

 C. T. Vachell, M.D., as President, and Prof. W. N. Parker as 

 Hon. Sec, The inaugural meeting was held on Thursday even- 

 ing, October 20, in the Biological Department of the University 

 College, when papers were read on the work of the Section by 

 the President and Hon. Sec. The objects of the Section are 

 stated to be the promotion of the study of biology generally, 

 but more especially of the local flora and fauna, including marine 

 as well as land forms. 



It is announced that the following lectures will be delivered 

 at the Royal Victoria Hall, Waterloo Bridge Road. November i, 

 Mr. A. H. Gilkes, "The First Napoleon;" 8th, Mr. W. L. 

 Carpenter, "Heat" (experiments by means of the projection 

 lantern); 15th, Dr. H. W. Crosskey, "Early Changes in the 

 Earth's Surface and how we get our Knowledge of them ; " 

 22nd, Sir John Lubbock, M.P., "The Habits and Ideas of 

 Savages;" 29th, Mr. W. F. Donkin, "Mountain Climbing in 

 Switzerland and the Caucasus ; " December 6, Prof. Boyd 

 Dawkins, F.R.S., "A Bit of Coal;" 13th, Dr. W. D. 

 Halliburton, "The Eye, and how we See." 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include two Nisnas Monkeys {Cercopithecus pyrrho- 

 notus) from West Africa, presented by Mrs. Benett Stanford ; a 

 Brown Capuchin {Cebus fatucllus) from Guiana, presented by 

 Mr. Edward A. B. Pitman ; a Dusky Ichneumon {Herpestes 

 pulverulentus) from South Africa, presented by Mr. L. G. 

 Morrell ; a Three-striped Paradoxure (Puradoxurus trivirgatus) 

 from India, presented by Mr. J. Millar ; a Buzzard {Biiteo 

 ^vulgaris), British, presented by Mr. F. Austen ; a Pennant's 

 Broadtail (Platycercus pennanti) from New South Wales, pre- 

 sented by Mrs. Brooks ; a Common Chameleon {Chamceleon 

 vulgaris) from North Africa, presented by Mr. Abseil ; two 

 Burrowing Owls {Speotyto ctmicularia) from South America, 

 presented by Mr. John Clarke Hawkshawe, F.Z.S. 



OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. 



The Parallax of 2 2398. — In the Astronomische Nach- 

 richten. No. 2676, Dr. E. Lamp, of Kiel, has published a 

 determination of the parallax of the brighter component of this 

 pair (to which his attention was attracted by their large proper 

 motion) referred to two neighbouring stars derived from a series 

 of differences of declination observed with the i-efractor and 

 filar micrometer of the Kiel Observatory between February 1883 

 and April 1885 ; the value of the parallax deduced from this 

 discussion being o"'34. Wishing to verify this result. Dr. Lamp 

 has made with the same instrument, between May 1885 and March 

 1887, a further series of measures of differences of declination of 

 each component of 2 2398 (= D.M. -f 59°, No. 1915, mags. 

 8 "2 and g'o respectively) referred to three comparison -stars : viz. 

 D.M. + 59°, No. 1911, mag. 70 ; D.M. + 59°, No. 1913, 

 mag. 9 "4 ; and D.M. + 59°, No. 1918, mag. 7-8 ; and has pub- 

 lished the results of his discussion of these measures in Nos. 

 2807-8 of the above-mentioned periodical. The following 

 tabular statement gives for each series of observations the result- 

 ing parallax deduced from the differences of declination between 

 each component of the double star and each of the above- 

 mentioned comparison-stars : — 



Period. Component. ^r, tt, t- m 



^ "1 ^-2 ^3 Measures. 



1883-84... 2i 



1884-85... 2i 



1885-87... 2i 



1885-87... 22 



+ o'36oi 

 + 0-2' 



H- 0-2958 

 + o'25i7 

 -t- 0-2656 

 -1- 0-2636 



-f 0-3801 46 



-ho -4628 44 



-f 0-4303 73 



+ 0-4199 73 



It would appear from this that Comparison-star No. 2 has a 

 sensible parallax relative to Comparison-stars Nos. i and 3, and 

 we hope that Dr, Lamp will proceed to investigate it independ- 

 ently. Meanwhile, combining the results obtained from the 

 three stars, the mean parallax is — 



for 2x = 0-3520 ± 0-0140 

 and for 23 = 0-3548 ± 0-0x31, 

 or the mean parallax of the system 2 2398 — o"-353 ± o""or4. 



New Minor Planet. — A new minor planet. No. 271, was 

 discovered on October 13 by Dr. Knorre, of Berlin. 



ASTRONOMICAL PHENOMENA FOR THE 

 WEEK 1887 OCTOBER ^o— NOVEMBER 5. 



/"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 October 30 

 Sun rises, 6h. 52m. ; souths, iih. 43m. 46-23. ; sets, i6h. 36m. : 



right asc. on meridian, I4h. 17 -7m. ; deck 13° 47' S. 



Sidereal Time at Sunset, igh. 11 m. 

 Moon (Full on October 31, 22h.) rises, i6h. 38m. ; souths, 



23h. I2m. ; sets, 5h. 58m.*: right asc. on meridian. 



* 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 



GEOGRAPHICAL NOTES. 



Lieut. Wissmann, the well-known African explorer, 

 arrived at Brussels from his journey across Africa. He 

 accompanied as far as Nyangwe by Lieut. Le Marinel, the rou 

 followed being different from that traversed by Wissmann on ' 

 first journey. He did not, however, succeed in penetrating t^ 

 region to the north of the Sankuru, nor in reaching the somewh 

 mysterious Lake Lundi. 



