August 3, 1893] 



NATURE 



327 



Father Fenyi gives also a very exhaustive table, or rather dia- 

 gram, of all the minor disturbances at this time, showing how 

 they were situated with respect to the axis of the sun at the time 

 of the eclipse. 



The Observatory of Yale University.— Dr. Elkin 

 reports as follows to the Board of Managers of the Observatory 

 of Yale University : — "The work with the heliometerhas been 

 carried forward during the past year in the directions outlined 

 in my last report. We have examined so far fifty-one stars of 

 large proper motion making in general three sets of measures at 

 each parallax maximum. We have not, however, been able to 

 keep the reductions quite up to date, so that I cannot at this 

 moment give any definite results of our search for large 

 parallaxes. I have also continued the series of parallax measures 

 on the first magnitude stars— Aldebaran, Procyon, Regulus, 

 Arcturus, and Vega having been followed up this year. Dr. 

 Chase has continued the work on Algol, and has commenced a 

 series on j8 Cygni to test the large parallax deduced by Mr. 

 Jacoby from the Rutherfurd photographic plates. He has also 

 been engaged upon and nearly completed the reduction of his 

 measurements in Coma Berenices. Miss Palmer has been 

 mainly occupied with the computations of our series on Jupiter's 

 satellites, a work of considerable extent." The record is one 

 which Dr. Elkin must regard with the satisfaction that comes to 

 all who make a good use of time. 



Astro.nomischen Gesellschaft. — The following are the 

 articles contributed to the first and second parts of the 



Vierteljahrschrift dtr Astronomischen Gesellschaft for 1893 : — 

 H. Gylden, " Untersuchungen liber die Convergenz der 

 Reihen welche zur Darstellung der Co-ordinaten der Plane- 

 ten angewendet werden," and " Nouvelles recherches sur 



les series employe dans les Theories des planetes ; " E. 

 Anding, Lambert's Photometric, " Photometria sive de men- 

 sura et gradibus luminis, colorum et umbrae; Robert Grant, 

 Second Glasgow Catalogue of 2156 Stars for the Epoch 1890 ; 

 J. G. Porter, a Catalogue of 1340 Proper Motion Stars ; and 

 Charles Pritchard, Researches in Stellar Parallax by the Aid of 

 Photography. There is a list also of all the planet discoveries 

 and comet appearances of the year 1892. 



GEOGRAPHICAL NOTES. 

 Dr. H. R. Mill has recently made a systematic bathymetri- 

 cal survey of the larger lakes of Cumberland and Lancashire, 

 the cost being defrayed by a grant from the council of the 

 Royal Geographical Society. The soundings designed to 

 delineate the general configuration of the various lake basins, 

 were made at close intervals along a series of lines cross- 

 ing the lake at right angles to its axis, and never more than 

 half a mile apart. These tranverse sections were connected by 

 oblique sections, along which the soundings were more widely 

 spaced, and in addition longitudinal sections were made when- 

 ever it was practicable to do so. In Derwentwater the greatest 

 depth found was 72 feet, but the surface of the lake was much 

 below its usual level, being lower, probably, than has ever pre- 

 viously been recorded. Bassenthwaite Lake, though simpler in 

 configuration, was found to have about the same maximum depth. 

 UUswater, the largest lake in England except Windermere, 

 was found to have a depth of 208 feet, but it is quite pos- 

 sible that deeper soundings might be obtained. This lake was 

 remarkably interesting on account of its division into a series of 

 deep basins separated from each other by wide bars, from the 

 most pronounced of which a rocky islet rises showing the charac- 

 teristic marks of ice-erosion very clearly. Coniston Lake is 

 simpler, being one practically straight deep trough, the deepest 

 part of which is at least 184 feet below the surface. Wastwater 

 was similar in configuration, though of much greater depth, an 

 area one mile long and a quarter of a mile wide being deeper 

 than 250 feet. The flatness of the floor of this depression may 

 be judged by the fact that 258 feet was the greatest depth found 

 m It. Samples of the deposit from different parts of each lake 

 were secured, and will be examined by a specialist. Tempera- 

 ture observations were also made. It is probable that a similar 

 survey of Windermere will be undertaken in the beginning of 

 September. ^ 



Mr. F. G. Jackson sailed last week with a complete equip- 

 ment for Nova Zembla, where he intends to spend next winter 

 alone, exploring the island and thus gaining practical experience 

 NO. 1240, VOL. 48] 



to aid him in his ultimate attempt to reach the North Pole by 

 Franz Josef Land. 



The Paris Geographical Society promotes the study of 

 geography amongst its members by conversational meetings 

 for the discussion of various geographical problems. There 

 are three groups of subjects: (l) mathematical and physical 

 geography ; (2) ethnography, anthropology, and the geographical 

 distribution of plants and animals ; and (3) historical and 

 economic geography. Those willing to read papers or take 

 part in the discussions at any group enter their names, and 

 are notified of the meetings of their particular section by the 

 general secretary. The importance of this method of promoting 

 an active interest in geography is very considerable, and might 

 well be introduced in this country, where the advantages of in- 

 formal discussion are rarely recognised. 



The authorities of Owen's College, Manchester, have decided 

 that Mr. Yule Oldham may continue his duties there con- 

 currently with those of the lectureship of geography at Cam- 

 bridge University to which he was recently appointed. 



CELEBRATION OF THE ROTHAMSTED 

 JUBILEE. 



'T'HE weather fortunately permitted the celebration on July 29 

 to take place, as originally intended, in the open air. The 

 lawn in front of the laboratory was filled by the subscribers to 

 the jubilee fund, while, on the common adjoining, a large crowd 

 of spectators was assembled. 



The memorial erected in front of the laboratory consists of 

 a natural boulder of Shap granite, weighing nearly eight tons, 

 standing on a rough granite base. On one side of the boulder 

 a part of the surface has been dressed and polished, and bears 

 the following inscription : — 



To commemorate 

 the completion of 



Fifty years 



of continuous experiments 



(the first of their kind) 



in Agriculture 



conducted at 



Rothamsted 



by 



Sir John Bennet Lawes 



and 

 Joseph Henry Gilbert 



A.D. MDCCCXCIII. 



The chair was taken by the Right Hon. Herbert Gardner, 

 M. P., Minister of Agriculture, at 3 p.m. 



The Secretary of the Jubilee Committee, Mr. Ernest Clarke, 

 then read a list of names of persons who had sent letters or 

 telegrams regretting their absence on the occasion. The list 

 was a long one, and included H.R. H. the Prince of Wales, 

 H.R. H. Prince Christian, the Marquis of Salisbury, Lord 

 Kelvin, Mr. Chaplin, Sir G. Stokes, Prof. Huxley, L. Pasteur, 

 P. Dehcrain, E. Tisserand, E. Wolff, F. Nobbe, the Associa- 

 tion of Agricultural Colleges and Experiment Stations in the 

 United States, and many others. 



The Chairman said they had met to do honour, as far as laj 

 in their power, in the name of agriculture and of the agricul- 

 tural classes, to two distinguished men, who had rendered in- 

 valuable services to our great national industry, and to dedicate 

 that day an outward and enduring memorial of the admiration 

 which the agricultural world felt for the work which they had 

 accomplished. Nothing could be more appropriate for such a 

 purpose than the massive granite boulder which they saw before 

 them. It had already witnessed many of the experiments of 

 nature ; they hoped it might stand for many generations to 

 come, as an outward and visible sign of (he manner in which 

 the life- long work of Lawes and Gilbert had been appreciated 

 by the men of their time. 



He believed, although Sir John Lawes commenced the work 

 of his life as far back as about 1834, it was only in 1843 that 

 the actual field experiments, on which our reliable records were 

 founded, were begun, and in which he was joined by Dr. 

 Gilbert, who had since been the partner of the labours of 

 his life ; they were, therefore, commemorating the jubilee 

 of both gentlemen. It must be interesting to all at such a 



