July 28, 1892] 



NA TURE 



301 



An interesting paper on Indian types of beauty was read some 

 time ago by Mr. R. W. Shufeldt, before the Philosophical 

 Society of Washington, and has now been issued as a pamphlet. 

 It is admirably illustrated. 



Mr. a. G. Howes, British Consul at Tahiti, in his latest 

 annual report to the Foreign Office, has the following note re- 

 specting pearl-shell diving in Tahiti : — Since the introduction of 

 the diver's dress and apparatus at the pearl fisheries in 1890 a 

 considerable increase in the export of shell has been maintained 

 over the previous years. A strong feeling has, however, been 

 exhibited by the natives, who adhere to their own system of 

 diving, against this means of taking the shell, and has resulted 

 in a communication being made by the Director of the Interior 

 of the colony to the Chamber of Commerce at this place, recom- 

 mending the gradual abolition of the diving dress and appara- 

 tus and the stoppage of further issue of patents for the same, 

 from January i, 1893. The Chamber of Commerce have ex- 

 pressed their approval of the suggestion, but consider that an 

 entire and not gradual abolition of the diving dress and appa- 

 ratus should take place, and they have decided to lay this pro- 

 posal before the Conseil-General when it assembles next 

 August. The reasons set forth by the Chamber of Commerce 

 for adopting this course are that the regulations for the use of 

 the diving dress and apparatus have been abused. They state 

 that French citizens, contrary to rule, have under their name 

 employed diving dress and apparatus owned by foreigners ; 

 that the law prohibiting pearl fishing by this means in a depth 

 of less than ten fathoms had not been adhered to, and they also 

 give as their opinion that the shells found in a greater depth 

 than ten fathoms are those mostly important for reproduction, 

 and to destroy them will ruin the fisheries and bring distress 

 upon the natives who depend upon the pearl-shell diving for 

 their livelihood. 



The additions to the ZoologicaK Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include a Common Marmoset {Hapale Jacchus) 

 from South-east Brazil, presented by Mr. Gerald F. Youll ; an 

 African Civet Cat ( Viverra civetia), a white-tailed Ichneumon 

 {Herpestes albicaudd), two Ostriches {Striithio cainelus ? ? ) 

 from East Africa, presented by Mr. F. Pardage ; a Pine Marten 

 {Musiela marles), British, presented by Mr. Harild Hanauer, 

 F.Z. S. ; three North American Turkeys {Meleagris gallo-pavo) 

 from North America, presented by Col. H. VV. Feilden, 

 C.M.Z.S. ; two Rufous-necked Wood Doves {Haplopelia 

 larvata) from South Africa, presented by Mr. W. H. Wormald ; 

 a Grand Eclectus {Eclectus roratus) from Moluccas, presented by 

 Messrs. Chas. and Walter Seton ; two Red-crested Cardinals 

 {Paroaria ctuullata) from South America, presented by Miss 

 Edith M. Fox ; a Common Chameleon {ChamcEleon vulgaris) 

 from North Africa, presented by Mast. S. E. Thorns ; a Large 

 Brown Flying Squirrel (Pteromys oral) from the Shevaroy 

 Hills, South India, three American Bisons {Bison americanus 

 ^ 'i 'i) from North America, a Barraband's Parrakeet {Polytelis 

 barrabandi) from New South Wales, deposited ; a Mongoose 

 Lemur {Lemttr mongoz) from Madagascar, purchased ; an 

 American Bison (Bison americanus ? ) from North America, 

 received in exchange. 



OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. 

 Madras Observatory.— This year being the centenary of 

 the founding of the Madras Observatory, the officiating astro- 

 nomer, Mr. C. Michie Smith, prefaces his report with a brief 

 historical sketch. It seems that the East India Company were 

 the first to propose the establishment of such an Observatory, 

 but Sir Charles Oakeley, taking time by the forelock, and, as 

 we are informed, anticipating the orders from the India Office, 

 set about constructing it on his own authority. With the aid of 

 Mr. William Petrie, who placed his own observatory at their 

 disposal, the scheme was soon brought to a practical head, and 

 by the time the orders arrived in 1792 the Observatory, besides 

 NO. II 87, VOL. 46] 



being actually built, contained many instruments. The first astro- 

 nomer was Mr. J. Goldingham. Mr. Thomas Glanville Taylor, 

 F.K.S., was Director oif the Observatory from 1830 to 1848. 

 After erecting new instruments, he began his catalogue of 11,000 

 stars, publishing it in the year 1844. Hourly meteorological and 

 magnetic observations were also carried on by him. Hediedin 

 England in May 1848, having never completely recovered from a 

 serious injury caused by a fall. In 1849 Captain W. S. Jacob was 

 appointed astronomer ; he made a new departure in the form of 

 extra-meridional observations. Owing to ill-health Captain 

 Jacob resigned his appointment in 1859, and during the next 

 two years the office was held partly by Major W. K. Worster, 

 R.A., and Major (now General) J. F. Tennant, R.E, About 

 this time the work of the observatory was delayed, as more 

 modern instruments were being erected, and it was not till May 

 1862 that the new transit circle of 5 inches aperture and 42-inch 

 circle was ready for use. The late Mr. N. R. Pogson, who 

 had then arrived in Madras as Government Astronomer, com- 

 menced his catalogue of 5,000 stars, observing each at least 5 

 times. He also used very considerably the 8-inch equatorial. 

 The present astronomer, Mr. C. Michie Smith, in his report, 

 suggests a further increase of the observatory equipment. 



Oxford University Observatory.— During last month 

 the seventeenth annual report of the Savilian Professor of 

 Astronomy was presented to the Board of Visitors of the Uni- 

 versity Observatory. This report showed that the work of the 

 Observatory during the past year has been very considerable. 

 The Grubb equatorial, the transit circle, and the De la Rue 

 equatorial have been severally occupied, while the new micro- 

 meter for the Grubb instrument has worked efficiently, and forms 

 a valuable addition to the resources of the Observatory. The 

 work upon the international chart has formed one of the im- 

 portant features throughout the year, and for the measurement 

 of the photographic plates a new and costly form of micrometer 

 had to be devised ; the reseau-x have not proved to be very 

 enduring, so that in consequence a new one had to be obtained 

 from Messrs. Gautier of Paris. The work connected with stellar 

 parallax has now been completed after a period of four years' 

 hard work, and this fact deserves the highest consideration in 

 face of the magnitude of the staff and the amount of work done. 

 The manuscript consists of (i) the concise but complete history 

 of all efifective researches in stellar parallax up to the present 

 date ; (2) the results of the parallax work completed in this 

 Observatory, extending on the whole to some thirty stars ; (3) a 

 catalogue of all parallactic determinations effected by other 

 astronomers. Among some of the other work commenced or 

 completed during the present year we may mention the photo- 

 metric catalogues of stars of the ninth and eleventh magnitudes 

 within small specified areas for the eighteen Observatories 

 engaged in the international chart, observations of Nova Aurigae, 

 and the investigation of the amount of light " lost by the moon 

 at the commencement and termination of the lunar total eclipse 

 on November 15, 1891. ' The finances of the Observatory at 

 present, owing to previous economy, seem to cover the ex- 

 penditure, but Prof. Pritchard seems to refer to the fact that the 

 quinquennial grant expires at the end of the present year, as if 

 next year the University will be called upon to make a slight 

 additional increase to counterbalance the cost of the instmmental 

 equipment that has been required for the chart work. We are 

 glad to note that at this meeting of the Board Prof. Pritchard 

 was able to attend, having completely recovered from his 

 illness. 



GEOGRAPHICAL NOTES. 



M. DvBowsKi has returned to France in bad health. His 

 last work in the French Congo territory was an expedition up 

 the Ubangi to avenge the murder of M. Crampel. 



The Royal Belgian Society of Geography has of late been 

 devoting special attention to home affairs, and in particular to 

 the publication of more or less exhaustive monographs of the 

 local geography of the communes. The last number of their 

 Bulletin contains an able summary of the geography of the 

 commune of Familleureux, under the main heads of physical, 

 economic, administrative geography and history, with carefully 

 planned subdivisions. By multiplying such studies, the material 

 for a really exhaustive geography of the country will be 

 obtained. Some such scheme might well be applied to the 

 United Kingdom, where a series of county geographies on a 

 definite system and rigorously edited would be peculiarly 



