334 



iVA TURE 



[August 4, 1 892 



{Gan-ulus glandarins), an Ortolan Bunting {Emberiza hortu- 

 lana), a Blackbird {Turdus vierida), a Nightingale [Daulias 

 luscinia), British, presented by Mr. E. Cossavella ; a Common 

 Jay {Garrulus glandarins), a Natterjack Toad {Bufo calamila), 

 six Crested Newts (Molge cristata), three Palmated Newts 

 {Molge palmala), British; three Sand Lizards (Za^^r/a agilis), 

 five Yellow-bellied Toads {Boinbinator bombinus), an Edible 

 Frog {Rana esatlenta), European, presented by Mr. G. B. 

 Coleman ; four Common 'imkts {Tropidonotus natrix), British, 

 presented by Count Pavoleri, F.Z.S. ; a Malbrouck Monkey 

 (Cercopithectts cynosurtts) from West Africa, a Barbary Wild 

 Shtt'p {Ovis tragelaphtis S) ixoxa North Africa, two Common 

 Squirrels (Scmrtts vulgaris), British, deposited ; two black 

 Apes {Cynopithecus niger) from Celebes, purchased. 



OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. 



Solar Observations at the R. Osservatorio del 

 COLLEGIO Romano. — Prof. Tacchini, in the Memorie ddla 

 Sociela degli Spettroscopisti Italiani, gives a tabular statement 

 of the prominences, faculns, and spots visible on the sun's surface 

 during the first three months of the present year. Taking the 

 case of the number of prominences, no less than 300 were 

 observed during this period, 161 appearng in northern and 139 

 in southern latitudes. During the first two months promi- 

 nences were more numerable in the south hemisphere, amount- 

 ing to an excess of 7 and 5 respectively, but in March as many 

 as 78 were recorded for the northern as against 44 for the 

 southern. The latitudes for the regions of greatest frequency 

 were + 40° + 30° and - 20° - 30°. 



For the faculas 28, 24, and 18 (total 70) were recorded for the 

 northern latitudes, while very nearly the same number 

 (76 = 20 -I- 18 -f 38) was observed on the southern hemisphere. 

 In both cases the record for latitudes ± 50° db 40° was one, 

 the greatest number appearing in latitudes ± 10° i 30°. 



The total number of groups of spots recorded was 80, of which 

 38 were observed north of the equator. Curiously enough the 

 month of February only contributed 21 out of this number, 34 

 being recorded for January ; the region of greatest frequency 

 occupied the zones ± 10° i 30°. 



Allowing for the very unfavourable season for observations, 

 a considerable increase over the preceding quarter will be at once 

 noticed. The relative amount of spotted area shows an enor- 

 mous increase for February, the numbers for the months com- 

 mencing with January being 79.79, 153.61, and 61-57. 



A Remarkable Prominence.— Mr. J. Feoyi, in the 

 Memorie delta Societh degli iipettroscopisti Italiani, gives an ac- 

 count of an unusually large prominence that was visible at 

 Kalocsa, on May 5 last. At loh. 25m., Kalocsa mean time, the 

 prominence was very small, but later it developed very consider- 

 ably, forming itself into a set of small bands, clearly inclined 

 towards the equator. At iih. 55m. the observed height was 

 139", there being no indication of a rapid ascent. At I2h. iim. 

 a very rapid upward motion had already begun to make itself 

 visibly, and by I2h. 17m. 34s. the height reached was 287", 

 extending to 317" im. lis. later, when the velocity of ascent 

 was 306 km. per second. After a few minutes the lower parts 

 to the height of 360" became invisible, but the smooth portions 

 ascended at I2h. 21m. 4s., with a velocity of 368 km. per second 

 to a height of 531". This latter measurement was made at 

 I2h. 29m. 25s., and soon after the object was no more seen. The 

 actual height attained, then, may be reckoned about 381,800 

 km., or 237,126 miles. At the terminaton of this eruption, it 

 was noticed that the prominences at 127° and 79°, and even the 

 one at 106°, which very nearly coincided with the position of the 

 eruption itself, still retained the same forms, having apparently 

 suffered no change by this enormous disturbance ; no faculse or 

 spots either were recorded which could in any way be connected 

 with this outbreak. 



The Trapezium in the Orion Nebula. — During the first 

 three months of the present and preceding year Dr. L. Ambronn, 

 of the Gottingen Observatory, has undertaken a measurement of 

 the distances and position angles between the four bright stars 

 forming the trapezium in the great nebula of Orion. The results 

 which he has obtained are recorded in the 3103 number of 

 Aitronomische Nachrichten. 



Commencing with the star & Orionis, which is here designated 



NO. I 188, VOL. 46] 



a, and taking the others in cyclic order following the direction 

 opposite to that of the motion of the hands of a watch, we find 

 these designated by b, d, and c respectively. The accompanying 

 table, for the sake of comparison, shows the position angles and 

 distances for the equinox 1870 from the measurements of W. 

 Struve, Dembowski, O. Struve, Hall, and Ambronn. 



New Variable Stars.— A short note communicated by 

 Prof. Pickering to Astronomische Nachrichten, No. 3104, 

 informs us that six new variable stars in the southern sky have 

 been discovered on examination of the photographs of stellar 

 spectra taken at Arequipa in Peru. The following are the 

 constellations, positions, and the dates on which the photographs 

 were taken : — 



stell. 



Horologium 

 Octans ... 

 Bootes ... 

 Octans ... 

 Sagittarius 

 Tucana ... 



a I goo 

 h. m. 

 2 49-5 



6 o 



& 1900 



... - 50 10 ... Sept. 10, 1891 



... - 86 30 ... Sept. II, 1891 



... -f 5 2 ... April 26, 1892 



... - 86 45 ... Aug. 31, 1891 



... - 29 27 ... Oct. 3, 1891 



... - 65 56 .. Aug. 25, 1891 



14 22-1 



17 30 



19 49-8 



23 53-2 



All these stars when at a maximum are as bright or brighter 

 than the 8th magnitude, but only one, that in Sagittarius, is a 

 catalogue star (Cord. G.C. 27271, Mag. 8^). 



THE BRITISH ASSOCIA TION COMMITTEE 

 ON ELECTRICAL STANDARDS. 



TN view of the hoped-for presence of Prof, von Helmholtz 

 and other distinguished foreigners at this year's meeting of 

 the British Association in Edinburgh, it will probably be re- 

 cognized as suitable to take up and continue the discussion on 

 new electromagnetic units for practical purposes, which was 

 begun last year at Cardiff. 



I therefore beg to contribute the following notes and to con- 

 clude by moving some resolutions. 



One great fact brought into prominence by the practical de- 

 velopment of electricity is the analogy or reciprocity between 

 the electric and the magnetic circuit, and this is the fact which 

 it behoves us to emphasize in the naming of fresh units. 



The magnetic circuit has as yet no authorized names applied 

 to it. The electric circuit is well provided, but perhaps one or 

 two improvements can be made. 



(1) The Electric Circuit. 

 The first point on which I consider that practical men would 

 do well to insist is that names shall be given to the complete 

 things dealt with, rather than to mere coefficients. Thus of all 

 units with which they are concerned there can be no doubt but 

 that volt and ampere are the most prominent. These are the 

 active things with which Llectrical Engineers have to deal, and 

 these are the things for which meters exist on every wall in an 

 electric lighting station. The ohm, or unit coefficient of resist- 

 ance, is comparatively academic in character ; it is a constant 

 of a ceil of wire or ol an underground lead, it is nothing vivid 



