620 



NA TURE 



[April 25, 1901 



It will interest, archaeologists to know that the concluding 

 volume (vol. iv) of "Old Northern Runic Monuments of 

 Scandinavia and England," by the late Prof. George Stephens, 

 will be published shortly in English by Messrs. Williams and 

 Norgate. The work was left incomplete by Prof. Stephens, but 

 from his notes and papers his son has been enabled to prepare 

 the volume for publication. 



Much information not easily obtainable is brought together 

 in a little publication just added to the Patent Office Library 

 Series, of which it forms No. 4, under the title " Guide to the 

 Search Department of the Patent Office Library, with a 

 Dictionary of 'Trade or Fancy' Names." The book shows 

 in what publications, and for what periods, grants of patents 

 and registration of trade marks and designs are recorded, the 

 information being arranged under the names of countries. The 

 dictionary of words used to designate materials, processes and 

 mechanical appliances will often prove of service, for the 

 etymology of the words rarely gives a clue to the nature of the 

 things designated. 



The Proceedings of the American Association for the Ad- 

 vancement of Science, containing addresses and abstracts of 

 papers read at the forty-ninth meeting, held last June in New 

 York, have just been received. By an arrangement with the 

 Macmillan Company, members of the Association now receive 

 the weekly journal. Science, free of charge ; and as the journal 

 publishes the official notices and proceedings of the Association, 

 the members are kept in touch with these affairs as well as with 

 the progress of science in return for their single subscription. 



The Psychological Index this year occupies 179 pages of the 

 special number of the Psychological Review. The index is a 

 bibliography of the literature of psychology and cognate subjects 

 for the year 1900, and includes publications in all languages, to- 

 gether with translations and new editions in French, German 

 and English. There is a comprehensive subject-index, contain- 

 ing 2627 entries, and also an authors' index. Prof. H. C. Warren, 

 of Princeton University, who is the compiler of the index, de- 

 serves the thanks of psychologists for the careful way in which 

 he has done his work. 



"The Handbook of Jamaica" for 1901, compiled by Messrs. 

 T. L. Roxburgh and J. C. Ford, has been published by Mr. 

 Edward Stanford. The work is now in its twenty-first year of 

 publication, and contains an immense amount of historical, 

 statistical and general information concerning the island 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during 

 the past week include a Macaque Monkey {Macacus cyno- 

 molgus) from India, presented by the Rev. J. M. Glubb ; a 

 Bennett's Wallaby (Macropus bennetli) from Tasmania, pre- 

 sented by Mrs. L. Brown ; a Water Rail {Rallus aqtmticus), 

 British, presented by Mr. A. W. Arrowsmith ; a Blue-breasted 

 Waxbill {Estrelda cyanogastra) from W^est Africa, presented by 

 Miss E. C. Stephens; a Raven (Corvus corax), European, pre- 

 sented by Mr. J. C. Cadogan ; two Red-eared Bulbuls {Pycno- 

 nottis jocosus), a. Red- vented ^\x\h\i\ {Pycnonolus haemorrhotis) 

 from India, a Chinese Bulbul (Pycnonotus sinensis), a Chinese 

 White-eye (Zoslerops simplex), a Chinese Mynah (Acridotheres 

 crislalellus) from China, a Wattled Honey-eater {Anthochaera 

 carimculata) from Australia, a Black Tanager {Tachyphonus 

 melaleucus), a Silky Cow-bird {Molothrus bonariensis), a Red- 

 headed Marsh-bird (Agelaeus rtijicapillus), two Sulphury 

 Tyrants (Pitangus sulphuratus) from South America, a Brazilian 

 Tanager {Rainphocoelus brasilius), a Red-headed Cardinal 

 {Paroaria laivala), a Brazilian Hangnest ( /f/^rwi ^ainaicai), a Bay 



NO. 1643. VOL. 63 I 



Cow-bird {Molothrus badius) from Brazil, a Black-tailed Hawfinch 

 (Coccothraustes inelanurus) from Japan, a Long-tailed Glossy 

 Starling {Lamprotornis aeneus) from West Africa, a Nutcracker 

 {Nucifraga caryocatactes), European, two Black Larks (Melano- 

 corypha yellonensis) from Siberia, presented by Mr. J. M. C. 

 Johnston ; a One- wattled Cassowary (Casuarius uniappendicu- 

 latus) from New Guinea, a Blackish Sternothere {Sternothoerus 

 nigricans) from Madagascar, Six Ceylonese Terrapins {Nicoria 

 trijuga), three Bungoma River Turtle {Ernyda granosa) from 

 India, a Black Tortoise {Testudo nigra) from the Galapagos 

 Islands, deposited ; a Garnett's GaXdi^o {Galago garnetli) from 

 East Africa, three Brazilian Grosbeaks {Gtiiraca cyanea) from 

 Brazil, purchased. 



OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. 



Astronomical Occurrences in May. 

 May I. I5h. i8m. to i6h. 19m. Moon occults / Virginis 

 (mag. 5-5). 

 1-6. Epoch of Aquarid meteoric shower (Radiant 338° — 2"). 

 3. 4h. 6m. to 8h. 55m. A penumbral eclipse of the 



moon. 

 3. 6h. 31m. Middle of the eclipse. 

 3. 7h. 28m. Moon rises at Greenwich. 



7. I2h. 39m. to I3h. 51m. Moon occults 21 Sagittarii 



(mag. 4-9). 



8. I2h. 26m. to I3h. 23m. Moon occults a Sagittarii 



(mag. 49). 



8. I3h. Saturn in conjunction with moon. Saturn 



3° 48' South. 



9. I3h. 3m. to I4h. 59m. Transit of Jupiter's Sat. IV. 

 12. iih. 48m. Minimum of Algol (/3 Persei). 



1 3- iS'i- 57'i''- 1^0 14^' 48m. Moon occults A Piscium 

 (mag. 47). 



14. Iih. 30m. to I4h. 34m. Transit of Jupiter's Sat. III. 



15. Venus. Illuminated portion of disc = 0*998. 

 15. Mars. Illuminated portion of disc = o'895. 



17. ' I7h. 29m. Sun eclipsed, invisible at Greenwich. 

 21. I5h. im. Transit (ingress) of Jupiter's Sat. III. 

 25. Saturn. Outer minor axis of outer ring = i7"'o6. 

 31. iih. 49m. to I2h. 36m. Moon occults B.A.C. 5109 

 (mag. 5-4). 



New Variable Star 70 (1901) Ursa Majoris. — In the 

 Astronotnische Nachrichten (Bd. 155, No. 3701) Dr. T. D. 

 Anderson announces the discovery of a new variable star having 

 the position 



R.A. = 8h. 57•9m•l/,o„^ 



Decl. = -f-Si° 42' /^i^55J- 



The magnitudes observed were : — 

 1901 ~ 



Nova Persel — Prof. H. C. Vogel gives particulars of some 

 of his later work on the spectrum of the new star in the Astro- 

 notnische Nachrichten (Bd. 155, No. 3701). Measures of seven 

 lines between H„ and H^ are given, being ascribed to sodium, 

 helium and possibly magnesium. A discussion is included of 

 the possible explanation of the great width of the lines by the 

 work of Humphrey and Mohler, Wilsing and others. 



Herr J. Plassmann, the well-known variable star observer, gives 

 a series of estimates, by Argelander's method, of the brightness 

 of the Nova from February 23 to March 27. In many cases 

 estimates taken at different times during the same night show 

 the variation of the star {Astronotnische Nachrichten, No. 3705). 



Reduction of Photographs of Stellar Spectra. — 

 Nos. 3702-3 of the Astronotnische Nachrichten are devoted 

 to a treatise by Dr. Hartmann on the measurement and reduc- 

 tion of photographs of stellar spectra, using the dispersion 

 formula put forward by him some time ago, with special reference 

 to the determination of velocities in the line of sight. 



I 



