July 30, 1891] 



NATURE 



305 



the volume of carbon monoxide obtained in five such experiments 

 gave for the proportion of molecules of CO to one atom of iron 

 the numbers 4-14, 4-03, 415, 4*26, and 4*04 respectively. Hence 

 there can be very little doubt that the compound is represented by 

 the formula Fe(CO)4, analogous to the nickel compound obtained 

 last year, Ni(CO)4. As regards the relation of the compound to 

 the processes of iron and cementation steel manufacture, the 

 authors are of opinion that, although they have been unable to 

 prepare it at temperatures between 1 50° and 750°, still it is quite 

 possible that it may be momentarily formed at such temperatures, 

 but again immediately dissociated. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include a Macaque Monkey {Macacus cyiwmolgus) 

 from India, presented by Mr. G. Stevenson Macfarlane ; a 

 White-fronted Capuchin {Cebtis allrifrons) from South "America, 

 presented by the Earl of Carnarvon ; a Silver-backed Fox 

 {Cams chama <J) from South Africa, presented by Mr. Max 

 Michaelis ; a Ring-tailed Coati {Nasua rufa) from South 

 America, presented by Mr. J. Smalman Smith ; two Rough 

 Foxes {Caiiis rttdis) from British Guiana, presented by Mr. 

 G. H. Hawtayne, C.M.Z. S. ; two Pennsylvanian Buzzards (^«/^^ 

 pennsylvanicus) from North America, presented by Sir Walter 

 Hely Hutchinson ; a Barn Owl {StHx Jlammea), British, pre- 

 sented by Mr. E. Hart, F.Z.S. ; a Tigrine Cat {Felis iigrina), 

 two Spotted Cavies {Ctelogenys paca), a White-lipped Peccary 

 {Dicotylcs labiatus), a Red and Yellow Macaw i^Ara chloroptera), 

 a Blue and Yellow Macaw {Ara ararauna), two Orange-winged 

 Amazons {Chrysotis amazonica), two West Indian Rails (Ara- 

 midcs caycnnensis), a Martinique Gallinule {/onornis martinicus) 

 from South America, a Golden Agouti [Dasyprocta aguti), 

 three Crested Curassows {Crax alector) from Guiana, a Hawk- 

 headed Parrot {Dcroptyus accipilHnus), a Common Trumpeter 

 (Psophta crepitans) from Demerara, deposited ; an Azara's 

 Agouti {Dasyprocta caarcs) from South Brazil, purchased. 



OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. 



Observations of Sun-spots and Facul^e. — Comptes 

 re /u/us (or July 13 contains the results of observations of sun- 

 spots and faculse, made by M. Marchand, at Lyons Observatory, 

 during the first six months of this year. The following table 

 expresses, in millionths of the sun's visible hemisphere, the 

 surface covered by spots and faculas during this period. 



Total 



3517 



1263 



These figures demonstrate the increase in solar activity which 

 must have been noted by all observers. The total spotted area 

 of 3517 millionths is made up by 65 groups. During the whole 

 of 1890 the spotted area given by 43 groups was only 3760 

 millionths. Since the end of March not a single day has passed 

 without a spot being seen on the sun. With regard to distribu- 

 tion, 40 groups have appeared in the northern hemisphere as 

 against 25 in the south. These occurred most frequently between 

 the latitudes ± 20° and ± 30°. At the same time 22 groups 

 have had latitudes between 10° and 20° (with four groups below 

 15"), thus indicating an approach to the equator. 



The measures of faculae give similar results. The two zones 

 from 20° to 30° are the richest, and those from 0° to lo° the 

 poorest. The total numbers are sensibly the same in both 

 hemispheres. There is, however, a slight suj^eriority in relative 

 number in the northern hemisphere, but less marked than during 

 1890. The total surface covered by faculae in 1890 was io3'3 

 millionths of the sun's visible disk, so that the figures now given 



NO. II 35, VOL. 44] 



indicate a considerable augmentation. It is also worthy of note- 

 that the results obtained for spots and faculae show a certain 

 parallelism, secondary minima in March and in May occurring, 

 in each case. 



Stars having Peculiar Spectra. — In a communication to 

 Astronomische Nachrichten, No. 3049, Prof. Pickering notes 

 that a Group II. star situated in Sagittarius (R.A. I9h. 5f8m., 

 Decl. - 42 7', 1900), having exhibited bright hydrogen lines in 

 its photographic spectrum, was suspected of the variability of 

 which this appearance is a characteristic. Measures of photo- 

 graphs of the star taken on different dates proved that the 

 supposition was a correct one, and indicated a variation between 

 the magnitudes 9"i and I3"i. 



The photographic spectrum of the star S.D. - I2°-II72 (R.A. 

 5h. 22 'gm., Decl. - 12^ 46'), mag. 9 '2, appears to be the same 

 as that of a planetary nebula as regards the positions of lines, 

 but it differs in the interesting fact that the H^ hydrogen line (F). 

 is unusually strong in comparison with the nebula line at A 500. 



Two more stars having spectra mainly consisting of bright 

 lines, like the three stars in Cygnus discovered by Wolf and 

 Rayet, have been discovered. They are Cord. G. C, I5"934b. 

 (R.A. I5h. I5'9m., Decl. -62° 20', 1900), and a faint star in tht 

 position R.A. i3h. 36-3m., Decl. - 66° 55' (1900). The num- 

 ber of stars of the Wolf- Rayet type is thus brought up to thirty- 

 five. 



THE INSTITUTION OF NAVAL ARCHITECTS 



'T'HE first London summer meeting of the Institution of Navd 

 ■*- Architects was held on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday 

 of last week. During the thirty-one years that the Institu- 

 tion has existed, it has only held five summer meetings. 

 The first of these was in Glasgow, and was highly suc- 

 cessful, but it was not followed by another summer meeting 

 until the year 1886, when the attractions of the Liverpool Ex- 

 hibition were sufficient to cause the Council to arrange a second 

 meeting for that year in the second city of the kingdom. The 

 Newcastle and Glasgow Exhibitions followed in the two suc- 

 ceeding years, and the members accordingly were summoned to 

 the banks of the Tyne and Clyde. All these meetings were 

 successful in every respect, not only in adding to the member- 

 ship of the Institution, but in the valuable papers contributed to 

 the Transactions, and the interest of the various excursions. In 

 spite of this, no summer meeting was held either in 1889 or 

 1890, in which years there were but the single three days 

 meeting rin the spring. That has been conclusively proved 

 not to be sufficient time for the conduct of the business of the 

 year ; and at the last spring meeting it was announced that in 

 future two meetings would be held every year — the first to be 

 the usual spring meeting, which always takes place in London, 

 and the second to be held in the summer, either in London or 

 elsewhere. The success of the meeting just held strongly sup- 

 ports the wisdom of this decision. 



There was naturally not so long a list of papers on the pro- 

 gramme as there is at the spring meeting, for allowance had to 

 be made for the excursions. With the latter we are compelled 

 to deal very briefly on account of pressure on our space, and 

 we will therefore say a few words upon them at once, before pro- 

 ceeding to notice the papers. On the first day, Thursday, the 

 23rd inst., the afternoon was devoted to the Royal Naval Ex- 

 hibition, and in the evening there was a dinner, at which Lord 

 Brassey presided, the absence of the President, Lord Ravens- 

 worth, being caused by a domestic sorrow. On the Friday 

 afternoon the excursion was to the shipyard of Samuda Brothers, 

 at Poplar, and to the Thames Ironworks at Blackwall. The 

 P. and O. Company also gave a luncheon, in the Albert Docks, 

 on board the Cartilage. At Samudas' the two second-class 

 cruisers H.M. SS. Sappho and Scylla are in course of construc- 

 tion, and give quite a welcome air of bustle and activity to the 

 Poplar yard, not long since a scene of what many thought to- 

 be permanent stagnation. These ships are 3400 tons each, and 

 9000 indicated horse-power. A large amount of armour-plate 

 bending and machinery is now going on in this yard, and the 

 machine tools were examined with much interest by many of 

 those members to whom such work was new. At the Thames 

 Ironworks there are also two ships in progress for the Royal 

 Navy. These are the cruisers Grafton and Theseus. The 

 latter name brings up stirring memories of another noble ship, 

 built in years past at Blackwall. The new steel Theseus is,^ 



