November 29, 1900] 



NATURE 



115 



Sibthorp and Smith's " Prodromus florae graecae," and other 

 works on the subject have been issued ; but the conspectus now 

 in course of publication will be the first attempt to give any- 

 thing like a complete account of the flora of Greece, inclusive of 

 Epirus, Crete and neighbouring islands. The work will be 

 entirely in Latin, and will be completed in from eight to ten 

 parts, each of about i6o pages. It is estimated that about five 

 years will elapse before the last part has appeared. 



A FIFTH edition, rewritten and enlarged, of the " Handbook 

 of Practical Botany," translated by Prof. W. Hillhouse from 

 Prof. Strasburger's *' Praktikum," has been published by 

 Messrs. Swan Sonnenschien and Co., Ltd. The translation is 

 based upon the third German edition of Prof. Strasburger's 

 well-known work, issued in 1897. A number of new figures 

 have been added, and the notes introduced by Prof. Hillhouse 

 in earlier editions have now been incorporated in the text. The 

 bibliographical notes formerly appended to the chapters have 

 been omitted. For nearly fourteen years Prof. Hillhouse's 

 translation of Prof. Strasburger's text-book has been in use in 

 botanical laboratories, and has shown many students the way 

 to become acquainted with the broad facts of scientific structural 

 botany and the methods of microscopical work. In its revised 

 form the book will be welcomed by all who are interested in the 

 practical study of botany. 



The publication of a bibliography, guide and index to 

 bacteriological literature has been commenced in The Scietilific 

 Roll, conducted by Mr. Alexander Ramsay. The first title 

 included in the part of the general bibliography just i.ssued is 

 " Arcana naturje detecta," by Leeuwenhoek {1680), and the list 

 extends to 1875 ^"d includes one hundred and one papers pub- 

 lished in that year. The works are arranged alphabetically, 

 according to authors. Though the list is not exhaustive it will 

 provide people interested in bacteria with a ready means of 

 finding what has been published on bacteriological subjects, and 

 of tracing the growth of the science. Mr. Ramsay invites 

 authors to send him copies of their papers so that he may make 

 the bibliography as complete as possible. The publisher of the 

 list is Mr. R. L. Sharland, 38, Churchfield-road, Acton, 

 London, W, 



A WORK of interest to students of ethnology, containing the 

 results of the journey to Algeria made by Messrs. D. Randall- 

 Maclver and A.Wilkins, is about to be published by Messrs. Mac- 

 millan and Co., under the title of " Libyan Notes." The object 

 of the expedition was to establish if possible any trace of a con- 

 nection between the Berber tribes and Egypt— a trace finally dis- 

 covered in the pottery of the Kabyles — but incidentally the writers 

 undertook and recorded a general investigation of the indigenous 

 ■white race of Northern Africa known to Rome as the Numi- 

 dians, Goetulians or Maurj — who figure as a white race on 

 Egyptian monuments as far back probably as 1300 B.C. Thus 

 in addition to the special chapters on the Kabyle pottery and 

 the evidences of a Libyo-Egyptian connection, the book will 

 contain remarks on the Berber history, their language, their 

 interesting political and social organisation ; detailed descriptions 

 both of the Aures and Kabylia, their inhabitants and the local 

 industries ; observations and statistics on the physical type of 

 the Berbers based on measurements ; and finally some account 

 of the rude stone monuments of Algeria. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include a Bonnet Monkey {Macacus sink us) from 

 India, presented by Mrs. Henry Lazarus ; a Rhesus Monkey 

 ( Macacus rhesus) from India, presented by Mr. H. A. Loop ; 

 an Egyptian Jerboa {Dipiis aegyftius) from North Africa, pre- 

 sented by Mr. K. Riccardo ; four Black-backed Jackals (Cants 

 mesomelas) from South Africa, presented by Mr. J. E. Matcham ; 

 an African Civet Cat ( Viverra civetta) from West Africa, pre- 



NO. 1622, VOL. 63] 



sented by Mr. R. H. Brady; a Puffin [Fraterctila arclica), 

 European, presented by Mr. E. T. Norris ; a Common Roe 

 {Capreolus caproea, albino), European ; a One-wattled Casso- 

 wary [Casuarius uniappendiculatus) from New Guinea, a 

 Yellow-rumped VaxriSao^fA^Platycerctis flaveolus)hom Queens- 

 land, an Ocellated Monitor (Varanus ocellatus) from East 

 Africa, five Blue Lizards (Gerrh motus coeruleus) from Western 

 North America, three Undulated Lizards (Sceloporus ttndulalus) 

 from South-east United States, deposited ; an Axis Deer(C<;;w« 

 axis), born in the Gardens. 



OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. 

 Astronomical Occurrences in December. 



Dec. 4 



II 

 12 

 13 

 14 

 15 



16 



17 

 i" 



19 

 20 



26 

 26 



29. 



i8h. 



6h. 



45m. 

 46m. 



Moon occults 13 Tauri 



Moon occults 



Tauri 



i8h. 41m. to 



(mag. 5-4). 

 6h. iim. to 



(mag. 4-6). 

 i6h. 5m. to I7h. cm. Moon occults DM-f20°, 785 



(mag. 5-8). 

 I5h. Mercury at greatest elongation, 20° 50' W. 

 I3h. 32m. to I4h. 37m. Moon occults DM -1-17"' 



1596 (mag. 56). 

 8h. 56m. to 9h. 52m. Moon occults k Cancri 



(mag. 50). 

 Epoch of Geminid meteoric shower (Radiant 108° 



+ 33°)- 

 I2h. 36m. Minimum of Algol (fl Persei). 

 1311. Mars in conjunction with moon. Mars 8° 26' N. 

 2ih. Jupiter in conjunction with the sun. 

 9h. 25m. Minimum of Algol (0 Persei). 

 Venus. Illuminated portion of disc = 0*836. 

 Mars. ,, „ ,, = 0-907. 



Saturn. Outer minor axis of outer ring = 15 

 6h. 14m. Minimum of Algol (3 Persei). 

 igh. Venus in conjunction with the moon. 



2° 19' N. 

 i6h. Neptune in opposition to the sun. 

 oh. Mercury in conjunction with moon. 



0° 2' N. 

 Eros makes nearest approach to the earth. 

 7h. 42m. to 8h. 33m. Moon occults 51 



(mag. 5-8). 

 ih. Saturn in conjunction with sun. 



New Variable Stars. — Cygnus. — Herr T. Kohl, writing 

 from an observatory at Odder, Denmark, to the Astronomische 

 Nachrichten {Ed. 154, No. 3673), draws attention to the vari- 

 ability of the star B. D. -f- 46° "2970, whose coordinates are 



R.A. =2oh. 28m. 337s. \/iO... 

 Decl.= +46° 4'-2 j^i»55J- 



A note by Herr E. Hartwig suggests that the period of this 

 variable is more than a year. 



Aquila. — Dr. T. D. Anderson, in the same journal, an- 

 nounces the variability of the star B.D. -f 9°-4205, having the 

 position 



R.A. =i9h. 33m. 48-2S.1, J, , 

 Decl.^+g" 35'-4 /^'»S5). 



Using four neighbouring stars for comparison, the following 

 values were obtained : — 



40. 



Venus 



Mercury 

 Aquarii 



1900 Sept. 

 Oct. 



Nov. 



Mag. 

 18= 9*2 

 24= 92 



1= 94 

 25=10*0 



9=106 



Pegasus.— Dt. Anderson also finds the star A.G. Leipzig I. 

 8381 to be variable. Its position is 



R.A. =2ih. 6m. 

 Decl. = -M2° 12' 



■|:'"-}(.855), 



The following 

 made : — 



estimations of its m^nitude have been 



1900 Sept. 

 Oct. 

 Nov. 



Mag. 

 26= 9"I 



27= 9*5 

 10= 10 I 



