November io, 1892 J 



NATURE 



veloping the photosphere he had abundantly demon- 

 strated in the winter of 1850-51, from a discussion of all 

 the observations extant (" History," pp. 395, 396). It can 

 excite no surprise that Prof. Grant assumed the red layer 

 and also the prominences to shine by reflected light, when 

 it is recollected that the sun's light and heat were then 

 supposed to originate wholly in the photosphere while 

 the nucleus was thought to be so cool as possibly to be 

 habitable. When Prof. Grant took charge of the Glas- 

 gow Observatory the only useful instrument he found was 

 the transit-circle by Ertel and Son, of Munich, but 

 through the liberality of a few friends, chiefly in Glasgow, 

 a nine-inch Cooke Equatorial was added to the Observa- 

 tory some years afterwards. After thoroughly testing 

 the transit-circle the new director commenced a series of 

 observations of Mercury, Neptune, the minor planets, and 

 a selection of stars from the British Association Cata- 

 logue. Gradually, however, his attention was concen- 

 trated entirely on the stars, the list being correspondingly 

 expanded. The observations of planets were communi- 

 cated from time to time to the Astronomische Nachrich- 

 ten or to the " Monthly Notices." 



The stellar observations were published at the expense 

 of her Majesty's Government in 1883 in the well-known 

 "Catalogue of 6415 Stars for the epoch 1870, deduced 

 from Observations made at the Glasgow University 

 Observatory during the years i860 to 1881, preceded by 

 a Synopsis of the Annual Results of each Star arranged 

 in the order of Right Ascension." 



In the introduction will be found a discussion of 

 the Proper Motions of 99 stars. A very complete and 

 appreciative review of this work from the pen of Prof. 

 Auwers of Berlin appeared in the Vierteljahrsschrift der 

 Astronomischen Geselhchaft (19 Jahrgang). The Glasgow 

 star places were at once looked on with confidence by 

 the numerous observers of comets and minor planets. 

 One point connected with the Catalogue deserves special 

 mention, viz. that, although the observations from which 

 it is derived extend over a space of twenty-one years, the 

 work appeared within two years of the close of the series. 

 This promptitude excites the greater admiration when we 

 learn that, exclusive of Prof Grant's personal share in 

 the work, no less than thirteen young assistants at various 

 times took part in the observations, and two others in the 

 computations. Many of these personal changes, each of 

 which brought its quota of extra work to Prof. Grant, 

 were no doubt in some measure due to the smallness of 

 the allowance provided for assistance, viz. ^100 per 

 annum Prof. Grant, however, was the last man to 

 waste his energies in useless complaint, and dismisses 

 this point with the remark that " in recent years the 

 work of scrutinizing, reducing to a common epoch, and 

 combining together the vast mass of the observations of 

 the catalogue, extending over a period of more than 

 twenty-one years, has pressed very heavily upon the 

 slender resources of the observatory." The important 

 time service of the City of Glasgow was originated by 

 Prof. Grant some thirty years ago, and continues in 

 operation up to the present moment. In 1855 he received 

 from the University of Aberdeen the degree of M.A., 

 followed by that of the honorary LL.D. in 1865, in which 

 latter year he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society 

 of London. For three years he presided over the Philo- 

 sophical Society of Glasgow, to whose proceedings he 

 made various contributions. It may also be noted that 

 among his writings are two remarkable letters proving 

 beyond a shadow of a doubt the spurious character of the 

 pretended Pascal correspondence. These letters were 

 printed in the Comptes Rendus by special permission of 

 the French Academy. 



In manner Prof. Grant was singularly vivacious, and to 

 the last he greeted with the warmest enthusiasm every 

 fresh discovery in the science to which his life was 

 devoted. R. C. 



NO. r202, VOL. 47] 



NOTES. 



The following is the list of names recommended by the Presi- 

 dent and Council of the Royal Society for election into the Council 

 for the year 1893. The ballot will take place at the anniversary 

 meeting on November 30 : — President, The Lord Kelvin, D.C.L., 

 LL.D. ; treasurer, Sir John Evans, K.C.B,, D.C.L., LL.D. ; 

 secretaries. Prof. Michael Foster, The Lord Rayleigh, D.C.L. ; 

 foreign secretary, Sir Archibald Geikie, LL.D. ; other members 

 of the Council, Captain William de Wiveleslie Abney, C.B., 

 Sir Benjamin Baker, K.C.M.G., LL.D., Prof. Isaac Bayley Bal- 

 four, William Thomas Blanford, Prof. George Carey Foster, 

 Richard Tetley Glazebrook, Frederick Ducane Godman, John 

 Hopkinson, Prof. Joseph Norman Lockyer, F.R.A.S., Prof. 

 John Gray McKendrick, William Davidson Niven, William 

 Henry Perkin, LL.D., Rev. Prof. B. Price, The Marquess of 

 Salisbury, K.G., Adam Sedgwick, Prof. William Augustus 

 Tilden. 



An international subscription for a testimonial to M. Pasteur 

 on the occasion of his seventieth birthday on December 27 is 

 to be opened by the French Academy of Science. Many men 

 of science in all parts of the world will be glad to have this op- 

 portunity of expressing their high appreciation of M. Pasteur's 

 labours. 



Some time ago we announced that Baron Nordenskiold pro- 

 posed to edit a number of very remarkable letters and memoirs 

 of Carl Wilhelm Scheele, who died in 1786. It has now been 

 decided that the one hundred-and-fiftieth anniversary of the birth 

 of this great Swedish chemist, on December 9, shall be made 

 the occasion of a brilliant celebration in his native country. A 

 monument to Scheele is to be unveiled in Stockholm. 



The Naturforschende Gesellschaft of Danzig are issuing invi- 

 tations to the celebration of the 150th anniversary of their foun- 

 dation on January 2 and 3, 1893. The meetings will take place 

 on the Monday evening in the Friedrich-Wilhelm-Schiitzenhaus, 

 and on the Tuesday morning in the large hall of the Landeshaus, 

 and the proceedings will wind up on the latter day with a dinner 

 at 4 p.m. in the Schiitzenhaus. 



Prof. Edward Prince, of Glasgow, has been offered the 

 important post of Commissioner and General Inspector of 

 Fisheries for Canada by the Dominion Government, and has 

 accepted the office. Prof. Prince is well known as an authority 

 in Fishery Science. Heholds the chair of Zoology in St Mungo's 

 College, Glasgow, and is President of the Anderson's College 

 Scientific Society, and Vice-President of the Glasgow Natural 

 History Society. 



It is announced that the King of Italy will open in person the 

 International Medical Congress, which is to be held in Rome 

 next year. An English committee is being formed to do what 

 it can to secure the success of the Congress. 



The New York Academy of Sciences has organized a Bio- 

 logical Section, which is to hold monthly meetings. The open- 

 ing meeting, at which Prof. H. F. Osbom presided, was held 

 on October 1 7, 



The Victoria University has issued a list of University 

 Extension lectures which are to be delivered in the 

 course of the session 1892-93. They are to be given at many 

 different centres, and include a wide range of subjects, among 

 which various departments of physical and natural science hold 

 a prominent place. 



Liverpool has sustained a real loss by the death of Mr. T. 

 J. Moore, the late curator of the Liverpool Derby Museum, 

 Mr. Moore had a wide knowledge of various branches of science, 

 and did much to foster popular interest in the results of scientific 

 inquiry. He died on October 31. 



