400 



NATURE 



[August 25, 1898 



was cast adrift off Nantucket Shoal, and recovered near 

 Campbelton after the lapse of 512 days, giving an average 

 daily velocity of 5'i miles. Three other bottles, which were 

 thrown overboard in mid-ocean at the same time, were all re- 

 covered within a short distance of each other in the same week 

 after a drift eastward of 1200 miles, the mean rate of travel 

 being 9*9 miles a day. 



Two sphygmograph curves, obtained by Mr. R. De C. Ward 

 at altitudes of 15,700 feet and 19,200 feet, are reproduced in a 

 short paper in the Journal of the Boston Society of Medical 

 Sciences (June). The curves derive interest from the fact that 

 they are the first from so great altitudes to be reproduced, and 

 also because the peculiarities of heart action shown in them are 

 the result of altitude pure and simple, as absolutely no physical 

 was taken in making the ascents. 



In the current number of the Zeitschrift fiir physikalische 

 Cheniie, Mr. S. L. Bigelow describes some interesting results of 

 experiments made in Prof. Ostwald's laboratory on the catalytic 

 action of organic substances on the oxidation of sodium sulphite. 

 It has been known for a considerable time that the rate of oxida- 

 tion of sulphurous acid is increased by the presence, of many 

 inorganic salts. In beginning a closer investigation of this 

 subject, Mr. Bigelow was accidentally led to the discovery that 

 the oxidation of a sodium sulphate solution by a current of air 

 is hindered to a remarkable extent by the presence of a small 

 quantity of alcohol. One part of alcohol in ten thousand of a 

 one-hundredth normal solution of sodium sulphite had a per- 

 ceptible influence. In another case it was found that the 

 admixture of mannitol with sodium sulphite in the proportion 

 of one molecule to eight hundred, diminished the rate of 

 oxidation 50 per cent. Great difficulty was experienced in 

 obtaining constant results, and it was found that the small 

 quantities of impurity in the water used as solvent, and in the 

 aspirated air, produced large variations : it was, in fact, not found 

 possible to obtain perfectly constant conditions. An extension 

 of the inquiry to other organic substances led to the discovery 

 of some regularities, but not to the establishment of any general 

 theory of the action. The phenomenon obviously bears some 

 relation to the well-known inhibitory action of organic substances 

 on the oxidation of phosphorus. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include a Bonnet Monkey (Macacus sinicus, <J ) from 

 India, presented by Miss E. Sandell ; a Macaque Monkey 

 {Macacus cynomolgns) from India, presented by Madam Giorgi ; 

 a Rhesus Monkey {Macacus rhesus) from India, presented by 

 Miss Leathers ; a Sykes' Monkey ( Cercopithecus albigidaris, ? ) 

 from East Africa, presented by Mr. C. Carter ; a Grand 

 Eclectes {Eclectus roratus) from Molluccas, presented by Mrs. 

 Peter Watson ; a Coral's Snake ( Caluber corats) from British 

 Guiana, presented by Mr. C. W. Lilley ; a Chimpanzee 

 {Anthropopithecus troglodytes, 'i) from West Africa, a Tiger 

 ( Felis tigris) from Eastern Asia, a Leopard {Felts pardus) from 

 Africa, a Red-bellied Wallaby {Macropus billardieri) from Tas- 

 mania, two Elephantine Tortoises ( Testudo elephantma) from 

 Aldabra and Mahe Islands, a Reticulated Python ( Python reti- 

 culatus) from the East Indies, deposited ; two Maximilian's 

 Aracaris {Pteroglossus uredi), three Lettered Aracaris {Ptero- 

 glossus inscriptus), six Superb Tanagers {Calliste fastuosa), four 

 Brazilian Hangnests {Icterus jamaicat), three Merrem's Snakes 

 '{Rhachncea mirrimi) from Brazil, two Red Under- winged 

 Doves {Leptoptila rufaxilla), a Little Guan {Ortalis motmol) 

 from Guiana, three Golden-headed Conures (Conurus aureus) 

 from South-east Brazil, two Red-ground Doves {Geotrygon 

 montana) from South America, purchased ; a Burrhel Wild 

 Sheep {Ovts burrhel), born in the Gardens ; six Californian 

 Quails {Callipepla calif arnica), a Crested Pigeon {Ocrphafs 

 Jophotes), bred in the Gardens. 



NO. 1504, VOL. 58] 



OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. 



Comet Perrine (March 19).— Dr. Berberich communicates 

 to Ast. Nach. (3510) the following elliptical elements for 

 Comet I. 1898 (Perrine, March 19) :— 



T = 1898 March 17-11244 Berlin M.T. 



= 47 IS 4-0) 

 = 262 24 37'i V\ 

 = 72 32 45 2 J 



log <7 = o 040842 

 log e = 9"9897755 

 Period = 322-56 years. 



An ephemeris for Berlin midnight, computed from these 

 elements, is also given ; but seeing that the brightness is now 

 only about one-twentieth that at the time of discovery, we give 

 only the following abstract : — 



1898. R.A. Decl. Br. 



During the above period the comet passes from the noith- 

 eastern part of Auriga into the constellation of the Lynx. 



Parallaxes and Masses of 7 Virginis and 7 Leonis. 

 — The mass and dimensions of a binary system can be readily 

 calculated if the parallax as well as the apparent size of the 

 orbit be known, but there is another possible method of arriving 

 at the same facts without a previous knowledge of the parallax. 

 This consists in a measurement of the relative velocities of the 

 two components, from which, the period being known, the 

 circumference or semi-axis major of the orbit at once follows^ 

 so that, in addition, the parallax itself can be determined in the 

 case of telescopic binary stars. In spectroscopic binaries, where 

 the velocities are usually very great, the spectroscopic measure- 

 ment of the relative orbital velocity is easy, but it becomes a 

 much more difficult matter in the case of slowly moving tele- 

 scopic binaries. Dr. Belopolsky, however, has had the courage 

 to attack the problem, and has applied the spectroscopic 

 method to 7 Virginis and 7 Leonis {Ast. Nach., 3510). The 

 30-inch refractor at Pulkowa, he tells us, permits the investiga- 

 tion of the spectra of stars down to magnitude 4-5, and enables 

 him to separately photograph the spectra of the components of 

 double stars which are not less than 3" apart. 



In the case of 7 Virginis the mean values of the velocities of 

 the components in the line of sight, with respect to the sun, 

 were found to be — 2-926 g.m. (13-49 Eng. miles) per sec> 

 and -2-648 gm. (12 21 Eng. miles) per sec. respectively for 

 the northern and southern components. It follows, then, that 

 the velocity of the northern component with respect to the 

 southern one is -0-278 g.m. (1-28 Eng. miles) per sec, from 

 which the relative orbital velocity can be deduced. Following 

 the methods of Lehman-Filhes, and adopting Doberck's 

 elements of the orbit, which give a semi-axis major of 4" and 

 a period of 180 years. Dr. Belopolsky arrives at the following 

 results for the systerh of 7 Virginis : — 



Semi-axis major ... = 79-4 astronomical units. 

 Combined ma.ss ... = 15 sun's mass. 



Parallax = o"-o5i 



Velocity of system in \ _ ( - 2-79 g.m. (12-86 Eng. miles) 

 line of sight ... / ~" \ per sec. 



In the case of 7 Leonis, where the components are 3"-2 apart, 

 and have magnitudes of 2-0 and 3-5 respectively, the mean 

 velocity in the line of sight of the brighter component, including 

 the Potsdam measurements, is -5-32 g.m. (2453 Eng. miles) 

 per sec. with respect to the sun, while that of the companion, 

 as measured at Pulkowa, is —5-03 g.m. (23-19 Eng. miles) per 

 sec. The relative velocity is therefore -f- 0-29 g.m. (1-34 Eng. 

 riiiles) per sec, if the brighter component be regarded as the 

 central body. Adopting Doberck's elements, giving the semj- 

 axis major as 2"-o and the period as 402-6 years. Dr. Belopolsky 

 finds the following results : — * 



