424 



NATURE 



[September i, 1898 



Mr. Marr, though in several matters of detail diflerent results 

 are reached. Other important papers complete what is a 

 particularly interesting issue of i\\& Journal. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include two Maholi Galagos {Galago mahoH), a 

 Bosch Bok ( Tragelaphus sylvaticus, <J ), two Cape Zorillas 

 (Ictonyx zorilla), a Hoary Snake {Pseudaspis cana), two Rough- 

 keeled Snakes {Dasypeltis scabra), twelve Grossed Snakes 

 {Psamniophis crucifer), two Rufescent Snakes {Leptodera 

 hotainbaia), two Smooth-bellied Snakes (Homalosoma lutrix), 

 two Puff Adders {Bitis arietans) from Port Elizabeth, Cape 

 Colony, presented by Mr. J. E. Matcham ; a Fat-tailed Sheep 

 {Ovis aries, i , var. ) from Cape Colony, presented by the Hon. 

 Sir James Sivewright, K.C.M G. ; an African Civet (Vivei-ra 

 civetta) from West Africa, presented by Lieut. Carroll and 



Major Arthur Testing ; a Gannet (Sula, sp. inc. ), captured 



at sea, presented by Captain Ernest W. Burnett ; two Alli- 

 gators (Alligator mississippiensis) from North America, pre- 

 sented by. Mr. O. Moser ; a C<jmmon Viper {Vipera hems), 

 tvio Common Snakts (Tropidotwtus natrix), British, presented 

 Mr. W. F. Blandford ; twelve African Walking Fish {Peri- 

 ophthabnus koelreuieri) from West Africa, presented by Dr. H. 

 O. Forbes ; a Reticulated Python [Python reliculatus) from 

 Malacca, two Indian Pythons {Python molurtis) from India, 

 deposited ; an Indian Chevrotain (Tragulus memimia, 6 ) from 

 India, purchased ; a Burrhel Wild Sheep {Ovis burrhel, ? ), 

 born in the Gardens. 



OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. 



Astronomical Occurrences in September :— 

 September 5. i6h. 44m. to lyh. 41m. Occultationof 66 Arietis 

 (mag. 6'i) by the moon. 



8. loh. 52m. to iih. 42m. Occultation of DM + 



24" 1033 (mag. 6) by the moon. 



9. ih. 31m. to 2h. 19m. Occultation of Mars by 



the moon. 

 ID. I4h. 5m. to I4h. 30m. Occultation of 79 Gemi- 



norum (mag. 6'5) by the moon. 

 12. iih. 27m. Minimum of Algol (/8 Persei). 

 15. Venus. Illuminated portion of disc 0'52i. 



Diameter 23" 2. 

 15. Mars. Illuminated portion of disc o 880. 



Diameter 6"-8. 

 15. 8h. i6m. Minimum of Algol (;8 Persei). 

 17. Saturn. Outer minor axis of outer ring, 16" •43. 

 21. 3h. Mercury at greatest western elongation 



(17° 51'). 

 21. 5h. Venus at greatest eastern elongation 



(46° 27'). 

 26. Vesta 20' S. of Saturn. 

 28. I3h. 39m. to I4h. 44m. Occultation of 16 



Piscium (mag. 5-6) by the moon. 

 The planet Mercury will be favourably presented as a morning 

 star between about September 18 and 27. The time of his 

 rising compared with that of the sun will be as under :— 



Date. Mercury rises. Sun rises. Interval, 



h. m. h. m. h. m. 



September 18 ... 43.. 5 40 ... i 37 



19 ... 4 3 ••• 5 42 ... I 39 



20 ... 4 2 ... 5 43 ... I 41 



21 ... 4 3 ••• 5 45 ••• I 42 



22 ... 4 4 ... 5 46 ... I 42 



23 ... 4 6 ... 5 48 ... I 42 



24 ..■ 4 9 ••• 5 49 ••• I 40 



25 ... 4 13 ... 5 51 ... I 38 



26 ... 4 16 ... 5 53 ... 1 37 

 ■ 27 ... 4 20 ... 5 55 ... I 35 



The Great Telescope rbR the Paris Exhibition.— 

 We gather from an article in La Nature, August 27, that M. 

 Gautier, the well-known optician, is making good progress 

 with the construction of the giant telescope intended for the 



NO. 1505, VOL. 58] 



Great Exhibition at Paris in 19CO. The aperture will be i'25 

 metres (49 "2 inches), and the focal length 60 metres (196 feet 

 10 inches), while the estimated cost is 1,400,000 francs. Ar> 

 equatorial mounting and dome for such a gigantic instrument 

 may well be considered impracticable, and accordingly the 

 telescope itself will be rigidly fixed in a horizontal position on 

 supports of masonry, and will receive the light of the heavenly 

 bodies after reflection from a movable plane mirror 2 metres in 

 diameter. The plane mirror is 13 inches thick, and weighs 

 3600 kilogrammes ; and it is curious that of twelve discs cast 

 for the purpose, the first one turned out to be the best. This 

 has been in process of grinding for seven months, and is not 

 yet finished. 



There will be two objectives, one photographic and one 

 visual, which will be easily interchangeable at will. It is 

 expected that a magnifying power of 6000 will be usefully 

 employed, and that occasionally a power of 10,000 may be 

 used. As the highest power available in the largest existing 

 telescope does not exceed 4000, the new instrument, if it be 

 the success that every one will wish, should have a wide field 

 of usefulness. 



A New Variable Star.— In Ast. Nach., No. 3512, Prof. 

 Ceraski, Director of the Moscow Observatory, announces the 

 discovery, by Madame Ceraski, of a new variable star. The 

 variability was detected by a comparison of photographs, and 

 has been confirmed by visual observations. Its estimated 

 position is in R.A. 2ih. G-gm., Decl. + 82° 28' (1855) ; that is, 

 not far from 76 Draconis. The range of variation is not stated, 

 but it is mentioned that on July 25 it was of the tenth 

 magnitude. 



Minor Meteoric Radiants.— In view of the large amount! 

 of attention which will probably be directed to meteoric displays 

 during the next few years, Mr. Denning summarises in Ast. 

 Nach., No. 3513, the positions of the radiant points of the 

 minor showers visible during the principal meteoric epochs. The 

 catalogue comprises fifty radiants observable at each of the six 

 periods corresponding to the displays of Quadrantids, Lyrids, 

 Perseids, Orionids, Leonids and Geminids. As the Andromedes 

 fall near and between the Leonids and Geminids, a separate list 

 is unnecessary for this epoch. It is seen from the table that 

 some of the positions for radiants are almost the same at different 

 epochs, and Mr. Denning again draws attention to his conclusion 

 that " certain radiants are actively maintained (though possibly 

 with varying or intermittent intensity) over consideraVjle intervals 

 of time, during which their positions are quite stationary among 

 the stars." The list will be invaluable to those who take up 

 observations of shooting-stars. 



THE INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS 01 

 ZOOLOGISTS. 



''pHE fourth International Congress of Zoologists, under the 

 -*■ patronage of H.R.H. the Prince of Wales and the 

 presidency of the Right Hon. Sir John Lubbock, Bart., M.P., 

 F. R.S., which met last week at Cambridge, may be chronicled 

 as a success, as well from the social as the scientific point of 

 view. The discussions were animated, the sectional papers of 

 general interest, and the attendance was large and representative. 

 The severity of the zoological discussions was relieved by 

 frequent social festivities, of which the reception at the Guildhall 

 by the Mayor of Cambridge on Monday, and the open air party 

 at the Botanic Gardens on Thursday afternoon, were especially 

 noteworthy. 



The Congress is a triennial one, and has already been held at 

 Paris, Moscow and Leyden. This is the first occasion that 

 the Congress has met on English soil, and it is gratifying to 

 find that more members were in attendance last week than were 

 present at any of the three preceding Congresses. The pro- 

 gramme for the week was drawn up in such a way that the 

 topics of general interest were discussed in the mornings before 

 the whole body of the members, while those of more limited 

 interest were divided into four sections — (A) General Zoology, 

 (B) Vertebrata, (C) Invertebrata, excepting Arthropoda, (D) 

 Arthropoda, and were read in the afternoons. 



Tuesday, August 23. — Sir John Lubbock, in opening the 

 Congress, expressed his regret at the absence through continued 

 ill-health of Sir William Flower, who, at the Leyden meeting 

 in 1895 '^'^s made President-Elect for the present Congress. 



