January 19, 1893] 



NATURE 



281 



call it, and it would crawl or fly to her. As this was continued, 

 it would more and more frequently fly to her instead of crawling, 

 until at last it flew nearly every time it was called. When it came 

 in this way she would put it to her lips or to her nose, and the 

 insect would appear to be pleased, moving its antennae gently 

 over her lips, or taking the end of her nose between them and 

 touching it with a patting motion." Unfortunately this inte- 

 resting beetle lost its liveliness in winter. It was placed on a 

 cloth above the kitchen boiler, where it revived to some extent ; 

 but in December it accidentally fell to the floor and soon after- 

 wards died. 



The annual report of the U.S. Commission of Patents for 

 the year 1891 has been issued. In addition to the usual statis- 

 tical information there are added to this report two tables and 

 two diagrams illustrative of the growth of patent-granting from 

 1790 to 1890, the first century of the existence of the American 

 patent system. The first table gives the patents granted in 

 that period by years and by States to American citizens. The 

 second table does the same for patents granted to citizens of 

 foreign countries. The first diagram has one line illustrating 

 graphically the growth of patent-granting during the century, 

 along with another line denoting the increase of population in 

 the same period. The second diagram has one line illustrating 

 the growth per capita of patent-granting as a whole during the 

 century, and other lines illustrating the growth per capita of 

 patent-granting in the States by groups of States. There is 

 also a list of patentees and their improvements, by years, prior 

 to the year 1800. 



The first volume of the Irish Naturalist, a monthly journal 

 of general Irish natural history, has just been published, and a 

 very interesting volume it is. The editors are Mr. G. H. 

 Carpenter and Mr. R. Lloyd Praeger, and they have secured 

 from able contributors many good articles on subjects which 

 cannot fail to be attractive to Irish readers. The volume also 

 records work done by some of the foremost of the Irish scientific 

 societies. 



The Bureau des Longitudes has issued, through Messrs- 

 Gauthier-Villari et Fils, its " Annuaire " for the year 1893. It 

 contains, as usual, a great mass of scientific information, clearly 

 arranged. Among its " notices" is an interesting paper upon 

 the observatory of Mont Blanc, by M. J. Janssen. 



The Belgian Royal Academy of Science, Letters, and Art 

 has also issued its "Annuaire." Among the contents is a 

 rather elaborate memoir of Jean Servais Stas, accompanied by 

 an excellent portrait. 



Messrs. Charles Griffin and Co. have published a 

 ninth edition of " A Pocket Book of Electrical Rules and 

 Tables for the Use of Electricians and Engineers," by John 

 Munro and Andrew Jamieson. The authors state that the 

 work has been carefully revised and enriched with fresh matter, 

 including several important communications by leading authori- 

 ties on electro-technics. 



Messrs. George Bell and Sons have issued the first por- 

 tion of a supplement to the third edition of " English Botany, 

 or Coloured Figures of British Plants." This part has been 

 prepared by Mr. N. E. Brown. The rest will be done by Mr. 

 Arthur Bennett. 



In our review of " Modern Mechanism " last week (p. 242) a 

 typical American express locomotive with 20 x 24 cylinders 

 was said to be less powerful than an 18 x 26 cylinder British 

 engine. This should, of course, be reversed, the American 

 engine being the more powerful. 



NO. 121 2. VOL. 47] 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include a Macaque Monkey {Afacacus cynomolf^us 9 ) 

 from India, presented by Mr. F. Skinner ; eleven Tuatera 

 Lizards {Sphenodon punctatiis) from Stephen's Island, Cook's 

 Straits, New Zealand, presented by Captain E. A. Findlay ; 

 a Puff" Adder {Vipera arietans) from East Africa, pre- 

 sented by the Directors of the British East African Company ; 

 a Vulpine Phalanger {Phalangista vtilpina), from Australia ; a 

 a Stanleyan Chevrotain ( Tragulus stanleyanus 6 ) from Java, 

 deposited ; a Sanderling ( Calidris arcnaria), European ; two 

 Brown Capuchins {Cebus fatuellus), an Azara's Fox {Cants 

 azara), a Ring-tailed Coati {Nasua rufa), seven Glossy Ibises 

 {Plcgadis fakinellus), a Brown Milvago [Milvago ckimango), 

 four Barn Owls (Strix flammea), a Ypecaha Rail {Aramides 

 ypecaha), a Chilian Pintail {Dafila spinicanda), a Geoff'roy's 

 Terrapin (Platemys geoffroyana) from South America, pur- 

 chased ; a Hog Deer ( Cervus porcinus), bom in the Gardens. 



OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. 



Comet Holmes. — The following tele gram was received from 

 Dr. Copelandon Tuesday evening : — "Comet Holmes reported 

 suddenly brighter. Stellar" (nucleus). We therefore continue, 

 the ephemens. (Schulhof, for Paris, midnight.) 

 Date R.A app. Decl. app. 



R.A app. 

 h. m. s. 



Jan. 19 ... I 25 532 ... + 33 39 



20 ... 27 137 ... 39 



21 ... 28 35-1 ... 39 



22 ... 29 57-2 ... 39 



23 ... 31 20-I ... 40 



24 ••• 32 437 ••• 40 



25 ... 34 8-0 ... 41 



26 ... I 35 33'o ...+33 42 



The comet is now almost midway between /3 Andromedce 

 and o Trianguli. 



Burnham's Double-Star Observations. — Mr. Burnham's 

 splendid series of double-star measures, made chiefly with 

 the 3-foot refractor at the Lick Observatory during the 

 first six months of 1892, are published in Asi. Nach. No. 3141. 

 He states that the superiority of the great telescope for this 

 work has been fully demonstrated. In the present list there are 

 micrometric measures of eight new double stars, and additional 

 measures of 170 old ones, x P^g^^' has completed more than 

 one revolution since its discovery in 1880, the period being 

 about eleven and a half years, which " is probably shorter than 

 that of any other known pair in the heavens." 



Mr. Burnham's connection with the Lick Observatory having 

 permanently ended in June last, the present list of measures 

 concludes his work on double stars. It is to be hoped that the 

 field of work which he has so brilliantly occupied will not be 

 neglected in the future. 



Ephemeris of Comet Brooks. — The following is a con- 

 tinuation of Kreutz's ephemeris for Berlin, midnight : — 



Date. R.A. (app.) Decl. (app.) Log r. Log a. 



h. m. s. o / 



Jan. 19... 22 58 23 ... + 4859*3 •• 0-0835 ... 9*9670 

 20... 23 5 14 ■■. 47367 •.. 00845 ■•• 9"9786 

 21... II 26 ... 4617*3 •.. 0-0856 ... 9*9902 



22... 17 4 ... 45 1-2 ... 0-0867 ... 0-0017 



23... 2213... 4348-5 ■■ 0-0879 .. 0-0132 



24... 2656 ... 4239-0 ... 00891 ... 0-0245 



25... 3x16... 4132-8 ... 00904 ... 00358 



26... 23 35 17 ... + 4029-6 ... 00917 ... 00468 



The Eclipse of April 16, 1893.— In a communication to 



the Astronomical Society of France, M. de la Baume Pluvinel 



indicates some of the points to which attention should be 



directed in the eclipse of the sun in April. In the first place, 



he does not think any of the precious moments of totality need 



be d evoted to the study of prominences, as these can now be 



completely studied at any time. The investigation of the 



corona '\= all-important, and attempts should be made to obtain 



photographs showing its general aspect with various exposures, 



as well as photographs of its spectrum. The diff'eren't parts of 



