August io, 1893] 



NA TURE 



355 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include a Lesser White-nosed Monkey {Cercopitliecus 

 petaurista) from West Africa, presented by the Rev. W. 

 Meikleham ; a Brown Capuchin {Cebus fatuellus) from Guiana, 

 presented by Mr. T. Birks ; a Rhesus Monkey {Macacus rhesus) 

 from India, presented by Dr. G. Lindsay Johnson, F.Z. S. ; 

 a Leadbeater's Cockatoo (Cacalua leadbeateri) from Australia, 

 presented by Capt. St. G. Ord ; an Imperial Eagle [Aquila 

 imperialis), two Great Eagle Owls i^Bubo maximus) European, 

 presented by Mr. Charles Clifton Dicconson, F.Z.S. ; a Common 

 Jay [Garrtdus glandarius) British, two Alligators {Alligator 

 mississippiensis) from the Mississippi, presented by Mr. Walter 



D. Marks ; a Yellow-billed Sheathbill (C/iionis alba) cap. at 

 sea off Staten Island, presented by Capt. E. England ; seven, 

 teen Guillemots (Lomvia troile), two Paffins {Fratercula 

 arctica), twelve Kittawakes {Rissa tridactyla) British, presented 

 by Mr. Thomas A. Cotton, F.Z.S. ; a Cape Crowned Crane 

 {Balearica chrysopelargus) from South Africa, presented by Mr. 



E. S. Spooner; two Peregrine Falcons {Falco peregrinus) from 

 Ireland, presented by Capt. R. A. Ogilby, F.Z.S. ; a Larger 

 Hill Mynah Gracula intermedia) from Northern India, pre- 

 sented by Dr. Best; two Montagu's Harriers (C!Vi-aj(rj««;-a«;«) 

 European, presented by Lord Lilford, F.Z.S. ; ten Slowworms 

 {Angids fragilis) British, presented by Mr. F. A. Leach ; a 

 Black Rat {Mus rattiis) British, presented by Mr. Arch. E. 

 Scott, F.Z.S. ; a Brown Capuchin {Cebus fatuellus) from 

 Guiana, a Ring-tailed Lemur {Lemur caita) from Madagascar, 

 a Ring-tailed Coati {Nasua rufa) from South America, de- 

 posited ; a Yak (Poephagus grunniens) born In the Gardens. 



OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. 



Comet 1893 (Rordame-Quenisset). — Herr E. Lampgives 

 a four-day epliemeris for this comet in Astronoiinschen Nach- 

 richten. No. 3175, as obtained by using the elements he pub- 

 lished in a previous number of the same journal : — 



This comet is now rapidly fading, and at the same time becom- 

 ing very unfavourably situated on account of its rapid southerly 

 motion. 



Comet Finlay 1893. — The following is the current ephe- 

 meris for Finlay's comet : — 



I2h. Paris M.T. 

 1893 



August ID 

 II 

 12 

 13 

 14 



IS 

 l6 

 17 



Total Solar Eclipses. — Under this heading Mr. Turner 

 {Observatory, No. 204) says a few words about the results 

 of the late eclipse and also the total eclipse that will occur 

 on August 8, 1896. With regard to the former the observers 

 who went out may be thoroughly congratulated on their per- 

 formance. The photographs that were taken of the corona are, 

 as Mr. Turner informs us, now in the hands of Mr. Wesley, 

 who will make drawings of them, as he has done in the case 

 of previous eclipses. During his recent visit to England 

 Prof. W. n. Pickering compared the photographs he took 

 with those already mentioned, with the result that many most 

 interesting points have been revealed. Prof. Pickering, it may be 



NO. I 24 I, VOL. 48] 



remembered, employed one of Dr. Common's 20-inch reflectors 

 of 4S-inch focus, and, used slow plates, with the result that he 

 " has got more detail in the inner corona than is shown on the 

 English photographs." Referring to the eclipse of 1896 Mr. 

 Turner points out the importance of making preparations a 

 long time beforehand, in order to eliminate the possibility of 

 hasty arrangements at the last moment. In the case of this 

 eclipse it^seems not a bit too early to commence, for, owing to 

 the most favourable position of the central line of totality, it is 

 probable that a host of observers, both professional and amateur, 

 will be able to co-operate in the observations. 



The central line cuts through Norway in the north, the east 

 coast being the more favourable both for observation and com- 

 fort in travelling. Passing across Nova Zembla the line reaches 

 Japan, and thus, as Mr. Turner says, "another delightful trip 

 is open to any one with plenty of leisure." 



The details of the eclipse are as follows : — 



At Varanger Nova Siberia. Japan. 



Fjord. 2embla. River Amur. I. of Yezo. 



d. h. m. s. d. h. m. s. d. h. m. s. d. h. ra. s. 



Eclipse begins Aug. 8 16 59 43 ... 8 18 30 1 ... 9 i 16 13 ... 9 i 55 8 



Totality ,, ,, 8 17 55 37 ... 8 19 28 59 ... 9 2 27 31 ... 9 3 5 26 



Eclipse ends 8 18 55 31 ... 8 20 31 54 ... 9 3 36 54 ... 9 4 13 10 



Duration of totality o o i 46 ... o o 2 o ... o o 2 46 ... o o 2 40 



Sun's alt. at totality 15° ... 22° ... 46" ... 43° 



The Observation of Auror.«. — We have previously had 

 occasion to refer to the movement for systematically recording 

 the occurrence of auroras which has been set on foot by Dr. 

 M. A. Veeder. Public attention has lately been called to the 

 matter by a long article in the New York Sun describing the 

 plan of observation and the important results that must follow 

 from its extended adoption. The method of observation is very 

 simple, and requires but little time. Each observer indicates 

 on the blanks supplied for the purpose the presence or absence 

 of the aurora. Whenever the fact has been verified by obser- 

 vation the figures denoting the exact time at which the obser- 

 vation was made are entered in the proper space in the blank. 

 The facts which it is especially desired to learn are the exact 

 times of sudden changes in the brightness of the aurora, the 

 extent of sky which it covers, and its position relative to the 

 true north. In case observations are not made the spaces ate 

 simply to be left blank. Each blank sheet prepared in this way 

 covers an entire month, and is arranged so as to enable com- 

 parisons to be made at a glance between the records from differ- 

 ent stations. Only by the coordination of results uniformly 

 recorded can any definite information be obtained as to. the 

 distribution, periodicity, and source of luminosity of auro; as. 

 Dr. Veeder has employed his scheme of observation for some 

 years, and finds that it works satisfactorily. Arrangements 

 have been made for its introduction into the observatories of 

 Archangel, Pawlosk, Ekatrainbourg on the Ural mountains, 

 Irkutsk in Siberia, and at other points. The Director-General 

 of the Italian Meteorological Service has also written express- 

 ing approval of the purposes of the research, and promising to 

 aid it in every way possible. American observatories have also 

 taken up the system, and other observations have been provided 

 for on an extensive scale, so interesting and important results 

 may be expected. Those who desire to take part in the work 

 can obtain all information relating to it by application to Dr. 

 Veeder, Lyons, New York. 



New Determination of the Constant of Universal 

 Attraction. — In a note under this heading on July 27 we 

 gave a list of some of the different values obtained for the density 

 of the earth. The following should he added to make it more 

 complete : — 



Jolly and Poynting, by the method of weighing, obtained 

 5-58 as the value for the mean density. 



Wilsing's determinations in 1887 and l888 gave 5 '58 with a 

 very small probable error. 



" Himmel und Erde " FOR August. — In the current num- 

 ber of this periodical Prof, von Braunmiihl contributes the 

 discourse which he delivered before the Mathematical Society 

 at Munchen on "Galileo Galilei." Dr. Wilhelm Meyer con- 

 tinues his series of chapters on the planet Mars, and in this one 

 he is able to reproduce some of the most interesting drawings of 

 Prof J. M. Schaeberle, made at the Lick Observatory. The dis- 

 cussion deals chiefly with the observations made and the sugces- 

 tions put forward by such observers as Iloldei), Schaeberle, Bar- 

 nard, Pickering, &c. Chapter v., on "The origin of the world 



