September 13, 1900 



NATURE 



49] 



period and wiihin historic times are summarised, and apart 

 from the intrinsic interest of the subject, the address is an 

 admirable illustration of the methods of descriptive geography. 



Dr. a. Lorenzen contributes two articles to Die Natur on 

 the Danish Expedition to East Greenland in 1898-1899. The 

 expedition was successful in closely following the plan of work 

 with which it set out. Its chief results consist of mapping the 

 coast of Greenland from lat. 65° J' N. to 67° 22' N. , and sketching 

 it as far as 68' N. ; making botanical, zoological and geological 

 collections ; ethnographic observations ; observations of the ice 

 north of the Angmagsalik district ; meteorological and other 

 observations in winter quarters. 



Our German contemporary, Naturwissenschaflliche IVochen- 

 schrijt for August 19 and September 2 contains a full account 

 of the discovery of the remains of Grypotheriuni listai in Ultima 

 Esperanza cavern, Patagonia. 



Perhaps the most interesting article in the September number 

 of the Irish Naturalist is an account, by Mr. R. Warren, of a 

 visit to Loch Erne in search of the Sandwich tern, which has 

 hitherto been known to breed in Ireland only in a single locality 

 in county Mayo. 



The report of the expeditions organised by the British 

 Astronomical Association to observe the total solar eclipse of 

 .May 28, 1900, will be contained in a volume shortly to be 

 issued from the office of Knowledge. The work will be edited 

 by Mr. E. Walter Maunder, and will contain many photographs 

 of the various stages of the eclipse. 



Among the scientific instrument makers who exhibited in the 

 British Section at the Paris Exhibition, the Grand Prix was 

 awarded to four firms, namely :— Class 15 {Instruments de 

 Precision), the Cambridge Scientific Instrument Co., Ltd., Cam- 

 bridge, and Messrs. Ross, Ltd., London. Class 16 {MMecine 

 W Chirtirgie), Messrs. Down Bros., London. Class 27 {Appli- 

 cations diverses de V £,lectriciti), Mr. James White, Glasgow. 

 Mr. W. Duddell received a gold medal (Class 27) for the oscillo- 

 graph exhibited by the Cambridge Scientific Instrument Company, 

 and Mr. Wayne, the inventor of both the Wayne and Simplex 

 Steam-engine Indicators, and now engaged at the Cambridge 

 works, received a silver medal. A silver medal was also awarded 

 in Class 16 to the company itself. Two gold and two silver 

 medals were awarded to Mr. J. J. Hicks, and one to Messrs. 

 Crompton and Co., Messrs. Negretti and Zambra, and Messrs. 

 Watson and Sons ; and silver medals were also awarded to Mr. 

 A. Higgins, Mr. E. Wellings, Mr. W. Sims and Mr. W. 

 Barton of Mr. Hicks' firm. 



Thk additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include a Lion {Felis lea) from Uganda, presented by 

 Captain Delme Radclifif; a Macaque Monkey {Macacus cyno- 

 tnolgus) from India, presented by Miss K. Bishop ; a Ring- 

 tailed Coati {Nasua rtifa) from South America, presented by 

 Mr. G. Percy Ashmore ; two Cunning Bassaris {Bassaris 

 ■astuta) from Mexico, presented by Miss Franklin ; two Chilian 

 Sea Eagles {Geranoai'tus melanoleucus) from South America, 

 iiresented by Mr. Tom Simonds ; a Puma {Felis concolor) from 



ic Argentine Republic, presented by Mr. Maurice F. Dennis ; a 

 Nilotic Crocodile {Crocodilus niloticus) from Omdurman, pre- 



■nted by Major H. B. Weatherall ; two Tenrecs {Centetes 



audatus) from Madagascar, a Cunning Bassaris {Bassaris 

 ' luta) from Mexico, three Cardinal Eclectus {Eclectus cardi- 



■ ilis) from Moluccas, deposited ; two Purple Herons {Ardea 

 Jiurpurea), two Common Cormorants {Phalaerocorax carbo), 

 <hree Common Spoonbills {Platalea leucorodia), European, 

 f)urchased. 



NO. 161 I, VOL. 62] 



OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN 



Ephemeris for Observations ok Eros. — The following 

 is continued from the new data given by E. Millosevich in the 

 Astronomische Nachrichten (Band 153, No. 3660) : — 



Ephemeris for I2h. Berlin Mean Time. 



Dec!. 



Sept. 



R.A. 



h. m. s. 

 2 34 19 43 



35 '1-87 



36 2-36 



36 50-83 



37 37 20 



38 21-38 



39 3-30 

 2 39 42 89 



The following elements for two epochs some two years apart 

 are also given in the same periodical : — 



I. Epoch 1898 August 25 II. Epoch 1900 October 31-5 



Berlin. Berlin. 



-f 38 7 24-2 

 38 30 7-3 



38 52 52-9 



39 IS 40-7 



39 38 30-3 



40 I 21 4 

 40 24 13-9 



+ 40 47 7-2 



M = 2o5 21 41 83 

 IT = 121 10 5140 

 a =303 31 56-17 

 i= 10 49 35-35 

 <p = 12 52 14-44 

 /x =20i5"-269o8 

 log a — 0-1637824 



M = 304 24 40-34 

 ir = l2I 9 47-82] 

 9> ^303 30 50-02 Vi 

 i = 10 49 38-97 j 

 <J) = 12 52 40-61 



■• n =20i5"-23324 



log a =0-1637875 



THE DA Y LIGHT METEOR OF SUNDA K, 

 SEPTEMBER 2. 



JUST before sunset on September 2 a magnificent meteor was 

 observed in the north of England and Scotland. A large 

 number of descriptions of the object have appeared in the news- 

 papers, and it appears that notwithstanding broad daylight the 

 spectacle was a very brilliant one. 



At St. Anne's, Lancashire, the meteor fell in a northerly 

 direction, and left a column of white smoke, which remained 

 visible ten minutes. At Hunt's Cross the time was noted as 

 6h. 52m., and the object is said to have fallen near Halewood, 

 leaving a long trail of white dust for several minutes. As seen 

 from Birkenhead the meteor appeared at 6h. 54m. in the N.E., 

 and looked like a descending rocket. Its path was nearly 

 vertical, and it left a "dust trail" for nearly six minutes. At 

 Wetherby, Yorks, the smoke-like cloud left by the nucleus re- 

 mained visible until 7h. 30m. At Overton, Ellesmere, the 

 object is said to have apparently fallen on a field on the left 

 bank of the Dee, about a mile from Bangor Isycoed. At Ulver- 

 stone it passed over Morecambe Bay, in a southerly direction 

 towards Blackpool. At Penton, Cumberland, the time was 

 noted as 6h. 54m., and thediiection was due south. It remained 

 visible two seconds, and was falling towards the earth. 



At Keswick, Mr. Lawson Dykes saw the fireball at 6h. 55m., 

 and says it fell through an arc of about ten degrees, the altitude 

 of appearance being 35° and disappearance 25°. It was pear- 

 shaped and of immense size, with a distinct tail. The line of 

 flight was almost due N. to S. At Warkton, Northampton- 

 shire, Dr. Herbert Spencer noted the time as 6h. 55m., and says 

 the track of the meteorite was afterwards marked by a narrow 

 white streak, which persisted for more than five minutes. 



At and near Edinburgh the fireball was witnessed by many 

 persons. One observer says that at 6h. 55m. there was a sudden 

 flash, and what appeared to be a streak of molten silver followed 

 by a train of sparks whizzed past, apparently falling into a large 

 field of turnips on his right hand. Its direction was due S.E. 

 At Inveresk the meteor appeared to be iti the direction of 

 Dalkeith. It resembled a large ball of fire with a tail, and 

 seemed to fall to the earth. At Earlswood, nine miles S.S.E. 

 of Birmingham, the time was noted as 6h. 55m., and the 

 end point of the flight occurred in altitude 20" N. and was 

 directed from N.N.E. At Blackwall, Alfreton, an observer noted 

 the time as 6h. 53m., and says the meteor left a trace in the 

 sky of a sinuous form and in colour a silver-gray. The trace 

 remained distinctly visible in the sky for thirty minutes. Its 

 direction was N. W. At West Kirby, Birkenhead, the meteor 

 was seen to fall into a wood on the east side of the hill there, 

 and apparently so close that the observer thought it would 

 ly set fire t 



possibly 



to the trees. 



