July 5, 1900] 



NATURE 



233 



Cook, who was attached to the Belgian Antarctic Expedition, 

 discourses pleasantly on " The Possibilities of Reaching the 

 Four Poles." In Good Words Mr. E. W. Maunder writes on 

 "The Lords of Cold "(the title, it may be noted, is borrowed 

 from a line in Plumptre's "Dante "), the article being a study 

 in stellar perspective. In the same magazine is also to be found 

 contribution, by Mr. Aflalo, on " How Wild Creatures Feed." 

 Chambers's Journal always contains at least one article of 

 scientific interest ; the present number has in it papers, entitled 

 " Tropical Diseases and Cures " and " Alcohol from Paper and 

 .Sawdust." 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include a Bonnet Monkey {Macactis sinicus) from 

 India, presented by Mr. G. A. S. Bell, R.N. ; a Ring-tailed 

 Lemur {Lemur catta) from Madagascar, presented by Miss 

 M. C. Rawcliffe ; a Common Duiker {Cephalophus grimmi, S ) 

 from South Africa, presented by Mr. J. E. Matcham ; five Wild 

 Cats (Felis calus) from Inverness-shire, presented by Mr. George 

 J. Bailey; a Levaillant's Amazon (Chrysolis levaillanii) from 

 Mexico, presented by Mr. J. Farmer Hall ; a Royal Python 

 {Python regius) from West Africa, presented by Mr. Benjamin 

 Stewart; an Alpine Newt (^/i?/^^ alpeslris), nine Black Sala- 

 manders {Salamandra atra), two Slowworms {Anguis fragilis) 

 from Switzerland, presented by the Rev. J. W. Horsley ; a 

 Common Viper {Vipera berus), British, presented by Mr. 

 G. Alan Marriott ; a Common Duiker {Cephalophus grimmi^ 9 ) 

 from South Africa, a Syrian Bear {Ursus syriacus) from 

 Western Asia, a Cheetah {Cynoelurus jubatus) from India, two 

 Black-faced Kangaroos ( Ma.ropus melanops, (J , 9 ) from Tas- 

 mania, six Wrinkled Terrapins {Chrysemys scripta rugosa) from 

 the West Lidlei, an Amboini Bjx Tortoise {Cyclemmys am- 

 boinensis) from the East Indies, five Mississippi Terrapins 

 {Malacocleminys geographica), a Prickly Trionyx {Trionyx 

 spinifer) from North America, three Annulated Terrapins 

 {Nicoria annulata) from Western South America, deposited ; a 

 Three-toed 'i\o\.\\ {Brady pus tridacfylm) from British Guiana, 

 purchased. 



OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN 



El'HEMERIS FOR OBSERVATIONS OF EROS. — The following 



computed positions for July are from the ephemeris prepared by 

 li&tT¥.l<\siQr\Y>3LXt{AstronomischeNachrichten,'RA. 152, No. 



3643)- 



Ephemeris for I2h. Berlin Mean Time. 



1900. R.A. Dec). 



h. m. s. o / </ 



July 5 ... o 54 6-51 ... -t-14 13 223 



7 ... 57 2778 ... 14 50 335 



9 ... I o 48-24 ... 15 27 55-3 



II ... 4 7'89 ••• 16 5 277 



13 ... 7 2671 ■ 16 43 lO'S 



15 ... 10 4466 ... 17 21 5"o 



17 .. 14 1-68 ... 17 59 IO-8 



19 ... 17 1770 ... 18 37 28-1 



21 ... 20 32-62 ... 19 15 571 



23 ... 23 4636 ... 19 54 38-1 



25 ... 26 5884 ... 20 33 31-3 



27 30 9-98 ... 21 12 36-9 



29 ••• 33 1970 ... 21 51 55-1 



31 ... I 36 27-93 ••• +22 31 26-5 



Measures ok Eros. — Harvard College Observatory Circular 

 N'o. 51) contains the results of the measurements of photo- 

 graphs obtained during the years 1893, 1894 and 1896, giving 

 he positions of the planet during those years. The complete 

 iiscussion of the measures is being prepared for a volume of the 

 I )bservatory Annals, but the numbers here published show that 

 t the Harvard College Observatory there is the means of tracing 

 lie path of any object since 1890, during the times in which it 

 was moderately bright, with nearly as great accuracy as if a 



NO. 1601, VOL. 62I 



series of observations ^had been taken of it with a meridian 

 circle. 



Total Eclipse of the Sun, May 28. — M. Deslandres com- 

 municates the report of his work in connection with the recent 

 eclipse to the Comptes rendus {vo\. cxxx. pp. 1691-1695). His 

 programme comprised four classes of investigation : — ( i ) velocity 

 of corona ; (2) ultra-violet spectrum of corona and chromo- 

 sphere ; (3) infra-red spectrum of corona ; (4) photc^raphy of 

 corona. 



Observing visually with a powerful grating spectroscope, he 

 found by the inclination of the corona line that on the west 

 side of the equator the corona appeared to have a more rapid 

 speed of rotation than the disc. The photographic spectra 

 taken for this purpose are too faint for measurement. 



The ultra-violet spectra were obtained with spar quartz pris- 

 matic cameras, ten plates being obtained showing good images 

 down to K 3000. 



The investigation of the infra-red radiation from the corona 

 was undertaken with a view of providing a possible means of 

 observing the corona without an eclipse, and the results would 

 indicate that the corona is specially rich in the.se calorific radia- 

 tions. M. Deslandres states that at his station, Argamasilla, 

 Spain, totality was five seconds shorter than the calculated time. 



THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY, GREENWICH. 

 TT is customary for the Astronomer Royal to present his- 

 -'■ annual report to the Board of Visitors of the Roya> 

 Observatory on the first Saturday in June, but as it is easier to- 

 transfer such a function to another date than to change the time 

 of a total eclipse of the sun, the usual day of meeting was- 

 adjourned until June 26 last. On this day, the weather,, 

 however, did not quite come up to summer standard ; but 

 fortunately the rain held off, and the afternoon proved suf- 

 ficiently fine to allow the numerous visitors to inspect the 

 buildings and in.struments. As is customary, we give below a 

 brief resumd of the report. 



Buildings. 

 The building of the new observatory so near to the boundary 

 of the grounds has necessitated an alteration in the position of 

 the old fence, to show the building off more effectively, so that 

 provision has been made in the Navy estimates to put the fence 

 further away, and the plans for this are now under considera- 

 tion. This building also includes the new library rooms, and 

 we learn that the removal of the books to their new position wa& 

 completed in March last. The opportunity has also been utilised 

 for their rearrangement and for the preparation of a new cata- 

 logue, both of which, we are told, were much needed. Not only 

 is the rearrangement of the books practically complete, but good 

 progress has also been made with the formation of the card 

 catalogue, a system which is to be highly recommended. 



Transit Circle. 



The sun, moon, planets, and fundamental stars have been, 

 regularly observed on the meridian as in previous years. The 

 number of observations made from 1899 May li to 1900 May lO^ 

 is as follows : — 



Transits, the separate limbs being counted as 



one observation 10,712; 



Determinations of collimation error ... ... 297 



Determinations of level error .. 684. 



Circle observations ... ... ... ... 10,001 



Determinations of nadir point (included in the 



number of circle observations) 674 



Reflexion observations of stars (similarly in- 

 cluded) 637 



The number of stars observed in 1899 is about 5000. 



An unusually large number of observations was obtained in 

 the three months, August-October, the averatje number of 

 transits observed being more than 1300 each month. From 

 November to the date of the report, in consequence of the 

 cloudy weather, the average has been only half this number. 



The apparent correction for discordance between the nadir 

 observations and stars obtained by reflexion for 1899 was found 

 to be slightly larger— namely, -o"-4i — than that of last year, 

 which was - o" -36. 



