552 



NATURE 



[October 7, 1897 



their Treatment," by Bornal, and " Notes Introductory to the 

 Study of the Animal Alkaloids for Students," by Dr. A. M. 

 Brown. Messrs. Sampson Low and Co., Ltd., promise : — 

 "The Wild Flower Journal," by Mrs. Arthur Bell; "The 

 Manufacture of Leather," by Charles T. Davis, new and 

 revised edition, illustrated ; "How to treat Accidents and Ill- 

 nesses," by H. Morten, new edition, illustrated; "A Treatise 

 on Paper- Making," by Carl Hofniann, new edition in parts, illus- 

 trated. Among Mr. Murray's announcements we notice : — " A 

 Flower Hunter in Queensland," by Mrs. Rowan, illustrated. In 

 Messrs. Nelson and Sons' list we find : — " Rambles among the 

 Wild Flowers," by Dr. M. C. Cooke, illustrated. Mr. J. C. 

 Nimmo announces : — " British Game Birds and Wild Fowl," 

 by Dr. B. R. Morris, revised and brought up to date by W. 

 B. Tegetmeier, 2 vols., illustrated. Messrs. George Philip 

 and Son's announcements include: — " Life Size Anatomical 

 Model of the Human Body, for Class Use"; " Model of a Loco- 

 motive Steam Engine, wilh an historical sketch and brief de- 

 scription of the working parts for the use of general readers and 

 elementary students," by H, H. P. Powles ; "Indian Frontier, 

 a map of the North Western Frontier of India, with insets 

 (i) showing the overland route to India, (2) a military map of 

 the Indian Empire " (scale : 55 miles to i inch ; size : 22 x 30 

 inches) ; " Klondike Gold Fields, a map of British Columbia 

 showing the Klondike, Cariboo, Kootenay and other Gold 

 Fields, with inset map of West Canada showing the route 

 to the new Gold Fields" (scale: 47 miles to i inch; size: 

 22 X 30 inches); "Philips' Revolving Planisphere and Per- 

 petual Calendar " (special edition for desk use) ; Messrs. G. 

 P. Putnam's Sons give notice of: — "Religions of Primitive 

 Peoples," by Dr. D. G. Brinton, and "The Liver of 

 Dyspeptics," by Dr. 6mile Boix. Messrs. Rivington and Co. 

 promise : — Handbooks of Practical Science, in three books, 

 to be published separately : No. i, "Physical Measurements"; 

 No. 2, "Chemical Experiments"; No. 3, "Experimental 

 Mechanics," by G. H. Wyatt ; and a New Edition of " Elemen- 

 tary Non-Metallic Chemistry," by S. R. Trotman. Messrs. 

 Smith, Elder, and Co.'s list contains: — "Reference Book of 

 Practical Therapeutics," by various authors, edited by Dr. F. 

 P. Foster, 2 vols; "A Practical Treatise on Traumatic 

 Separation of the Epiphyses, including the Anatomy of the 

 Ephiphyses, the Pathological Anatomy, Symptoms. Treat- 

 ment, and Results of Traumatic Separations"; "Spinal 

 Caries," by Noble Smith, new edition, illustrated. The 

 list of the University Correspondence College Press in- 

 cludes : — "A Manual of Psychology," by G. F. Stout; "The 

 Tutorial Algebra," by W. Briggs, and Prof. G. H. Bryan, 

 F. R.S. ; Part i. Elementary Course ; Part ii. Advanced Course ; 

 "Advanced Mechanics," by W. Briggs, and Prof. G. H. 

 Bryan, F.R.S. ; Part i. Dynamics, Science and Art ; " Elemen- 

 tary Text-book of Mechanics," second edition, by W. Briggs, 

 and Prof. G. H. Bryan, F.R.S. ; "Properties of Matter," by 

 E. Catchpool ; "First Stage Magnetism and Electricity," by 

 Dr. R. H. Jude ; " An Elementary Text-book of Sound," by 

 John Don; "The Tutorial Chemistry," by Dr. G. H. Bailey, 

 Part ii. Metals. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include a Macaque Monkey (Macaciis cynomolgus) 

 from India, a Toque Monkey {Macacits pileatiis) from Ceylon, 

 a Sooty Mangabey {Ceixocebus fuliginosus), a White-crowned 

 Mangabey {C'ercocebiis cethiops) from West Africa, presented by 

 Mr. W. S. Gilbert ; a White-fronted Lemur {Lemur albifrons) 

 from Madagascar, presented by Mr. George F. Gardner ; a 

 Rufous Rat Kangaroo {^^pyprymnus rtifescens) from New 

 South Wales, presented by Dr. J. S. Williams ; a Greater 

 Black-backed Gull {Lams marinus), four Lesser Black-backed 

 Gulls {Larus fuscus), British, presented by Mr. W. J. Simpson 



NO. 1458, VOL. 56] 



Ladell ; four Rollers {Coracias garrulns), twenty Marblcl 

 Ducks {Alannaronetta angustirostris), two Pochards {Fiiligulu 

 ferina), six Black-bellied Sand Grouse {Pterocles arenarius), 

 two Pintail Sand Grouse {Pterocles akhata), three Stone Cur- 

 lews {yEdicnemus) scoiopax), twelve Pratincoles {Gareola pratin- 

 cola), nine Great Bustards {Olis tarda), four Little Bustards 

 {Otis tetrax), two Slender Gulls (Zarz/^ gelastes) from Spain,, 

 two Serrated Terrapins {Chrysetnys scripta) from Nortlv 

 America, four Reeve's Terrapins {Damonia reevesi) from China, 

 an Amboina Box Terrapin {Cyclemmys anibotnensis) from th 



East Indies, a Bell's Cimxy?, {Cinixys belliana), two Sterno 



theres {Sternotharus adansoni) from West Africa, a Lesueur's. 

 Gecko {Mdura iestienrz), a White's Skink {Egernia whitit]^ 

 two Cunningham's Skinks {Egernia ctinninghavii), twi)- 



Lesueur's Skinks {Lygosouia lesuetiri), a Skink {Lygosoma 



iinistelinuni), thirty-one Skinks {Lygosoma decresiensc\ 



from Australia, deposited. 



OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. 

 New Divisions in the Rings of Saturn.— Prof. J. M> 

 Schaeberle announces {Astronomical Journal, No. 411) thai 

 during the present opposition of Saturn he has detected a partial 

 division in the B- or middle-ring of Saturn not previously seeu 

 by him. The new division is said to be o"7 from the inner 

 edge of the B-ring, and the width about the same as that of the 

 Cassini division. The fact that the new division is not con- 

 spicuous, like Cassini's, suggests to Prof. Schaeberle that the 

 separation is not yet complete, and that the interval which he 

 has detected contains matter which reflects light to such an 

 extent that unless the conditions of seeing are very good it is- 

 indistinguishable from the general appearance of the B-ring. 

 He has not been able to see the division between the middle- 

 ring and the crape-ring, announced by Herr Brenner. WritinL"; 

 to the Observatory, Herr Brenner says : — " On August 27 I 

 discovered two new divisions in the rings of Saturn ; the one 

 between the Manora division and the inner edge of the crape- 

 ring is identical with the Struve division, discovered in 1850, and 

 seen again in 1887 by Struvaert. The other division, lietweeiv 

 those of Encke and Cassini, is quite new, and was never before 

 seen. Nevertheless it was more conspicuous than the Encke 

 division and more extended too." In connection with these 

 announcements it may be worth referring to a paper by Captain 

 H. Kater, in the Memoirs of the Royal Astronomical Society 

 (vol. iv. p. 383, 1831). Enough divisions in the outer ring are 

 there described and figured to furni.sh astronomers with material 

 for contemplation for some time to come. 



A New Meteor Photograph.— We are glad that increased 

 attention is being given to the photography of meteors. Prof. 

 E. E. Barnard slates {Astronomical Jo2trnal, No. 412) that he 

 exposed photographic plates in two cameras on the mornings, 

 of August 10, II and 12, wilh the object of securing meteor 

 trails. Only one meteor trail was secured, but this was a very 

 fine one, the full length of the path, about 8°, being recorded 

 upon the plates. The trail commences at R.A. 2h. 59m., Dec!. 

 -t- 23°7, and ends in R.A. 2h. 59m., Decl. -I- 32° "o. The meteor 

 must have been a very bright one, as the trail, which is perfectly 

 straight, is strong and clear. Near the southern end of ii.s 

 path the meteor appears to have exploded, as there is a distinct 

 enlargement of the trail at that point. The path continues a 

 little beyond this in the same direction but fainter, and there is. 

 evidence of a second minor explosion about 1° from the first. It 

 may be remembered that in the case of Mr. Butler's meteor 

 photograph, reproduced in Nature two years ago (vol. liii. 

 p. 131) the meteor underwent a change of direction after it 

 exploded. 



Prof. Barnard has sent to the Royal Astronomical Society a 

 copy of the photograph obtained with each camera. 



The Alleged Former Redness of Sirius.— This subject 

 is discussed at length by Dr. H. Samter in the September number 

 oi Hi7nmel und Erde, and answered in the negative sense so far 

 as human records are concerned. Besides some ambiguous- 

 references of Ptolemy and Aratus to the colour of the star, there 

 is Horace's reference to rubra canicula or red dog-star, and 

 Pliny's description of the colour as redder than Mars. But the 



