I02 



NATURE 



[December 5, 1895 



highest part of our downs in hot summer days, which always 

 amuses me much, without giving me any satisfaction with respect 

 to the cause of it ; and that is a loud audible humming as of 

 ■tees in the air, though not one insect is to be seen. This sound 

 is to be heard distinctly the whole common through, from the 

 Moneydells to my avenue gate." (Vol. ii. p. 94, Macmillan's 

 edition.) W. Tucknell. 



November 30. 



Fireball of Novemb:r 22. 



On November 22, at about 6h. 51m. I observed, in 

 ..a sky quite overcast, a brilliant prolonged flash quite different 

 to lightning. The whole firmament was illuminated for more 

 than a second with an intensity greater than that which the 

 full moon could have occasioned, and the glow seemed 

 strongest in the south-east. Not a star was visible, but though 

 the origin of the outburst could not be observed, no doubt 

 existed that a fireball of the most brilliant type had fallen. 



Mr. R. Sheward's letter from Eastbourne (Nature, Novem- 

 ber 28, p. 78) affirms this conclusion, and it would be well if he 

 •or others who witnessed this striking object would give par- 

 ticulars as to the path it traversed. Appearing, as it did, at a 

 convenient time in the evening, it must have had many ob- 

 servers, though unfortunately in the west of England the sky 

 was veiled in cloud. For purposes of calculation it is not 

 sufficient to have descriptions which merely indicate the general 

 direction of the meteor's flight, as, for example, from east-north- 

 east to west-south-west. We require to know the altitudes as 

 well as the azimuths of the initial and terminal points, or the co- 

 ordinates read from a celestial globe or star chart. A particular 

 acc> >unt of the path relatively to the stars near would be equally 

 useful. 



It is to be hoped that srich information will be forthcoming in 

 regard to thii splendid meteor, which, from the manner in which 

 it illuminated the clouded sky, must have been a very excep- 

 tional object of its class. 



At this period in November many large fireballs are directed 

 from the region of Taurus ; but it is impossible to say, in the 

 absence of necessary details, whether or not the fine meteor of 

 November 22 last belonged to the Taurid stream. 



Bristol, November 29. W. F, Denning. 



In reference to the letter of Mr. Sheward in last week's 

 Nature, it may be of interest to mention that whilst talking to 

 a friend in a dark road in this locality on the evening of 

 November 22, the sky at the time being entirely overcast, we 

 were startled by the sudden illumination of the clouds as*if by 

 the outburst of a bright light above them. The effect was 

 similar to that which might have been produced by the explosion 

 of a large magnesium shell sufficiently brilliant to illuminate the 

 entire sky. The light appeared suddenly, but faded out 

 gradually, its estimated duration being three seconds. It ap- 

 peared to me to emanate from a point in the north-east, at an 

 altitude of about 6o\ My friend, whose face was turned in the 

 opposite direction, could not localise the outburst, though he re- 

 marked that the light suffused the clouds almost equally in the 

 west and south-west. I noted the time as 6 48 p.m., which so 

 nearly coincides with that mentioned by Mr. Sheward, that 

 •although so far apart it seams probable that we were witnesses 

 of the same phenomenon, R. T. Lewis. 



Ealing, W., December 2. 



A Joint Meeting of Associations for the Advancement 

 of Science. 



My suggestion for a joint meeting of the British, Australasian, 

 -and American Associations for the Advancement of Science at 

 San Francisco in 1897, at some time conveniently near to that 

 of the Toronto meeting of the British Association, published in 

 your issue of October 24, meets favourable reception in the 

 United States and Canada. I have recently received a letter 

 from Sir Wm. C. Van Home, President of the Canadian Pacific 

 Railroad, and a member of the British Association, in which he 

 says that he will instruct his superintendent to reopen negotiations 

 with other transcontinental roads to secure favourable rates of 

 transportation. Prof. Joseph Le Conte, who has for years given 

 earnest effort to secure a meeting of the Association on the 

 Pacific coast, writes from Berkeley, California : "I will cer- 

 tainly interest myself in your scheme ... I am glad you are 

 moving the affair so early, and I^Tank you for drawing^ my atten- 

 ition to it." 



NO. 1362, VOL. 53] 



The following is a copy of a letter just received from the 

 Mayor of San Francisco : — 

 My Dear Sir, — 



Your communication of October 9, 1895, was received and 

 thereafter forwarded to the Board of Supervisors. 



That body, on October 28, 1895, passed a resolution, and it is 

 herein inserted in print. 



" Resoltitio7t No. 13, \ 20 {Third Series). 



" Resolved— That his Honour the Mayor be, and is hereby 

 empowered and requested to invite the American and Australian 

 Associations for the Advancement of Science to meet in this 

 city in 1897 ; also, to invite the British Association of the same 

 character to meet said Associations in this city as invited guests, 

 and to that end to take such action as may be proper to arrange 

 for their comfort and accommodation on that occasion. 



' ' And the clerk is hereby directed to advertise this resolution 

 as required by law. 



" Board of Supervisors, San Francisco, October 28, 1895." 



Pursuant thereto, an invitation is thereby sent to your 

 Society — the American Association for the Advancement of 

 Science. 



It is my sincere hope that San Francisco may have the good 

 and rare fortune to receive the visit of all three of these dis- 

 tinguished bodies. 



The gathering of the world's chosen scientists is at once 

 recognised as of high importance to our Municipality. 



Its citizens will feel honoured in extending a generous 

 welcome to men eminent in the cause of truth, and representing 

 the three great branches of the Anglo-Saxon races. 



Should this invitation be accepted, an early notification 

 thereof is requested. 



Invitations have been sent to the Briti.sh and Australian 

 Associations. (L. S.) Adolph Sutro. 



Application will be made to Congress at its session, which 

 begins on the first week of December, for an appropriation to 

 as.sist the American Association for the Advancement of Science 

 towards defraying the necessary expenses of holding a meeting so 

 distant from the homes of most of our members. It is, of course, 

 impossible to foretell what Congress may hQ willing to do in the 

 matter ; but as it has never before been asked to subsidise the 

 Association, we may hope that some appropriation may be 

 secured. Wm. H. Hale. 



Brooklyn, November 18. 



The Metric System of Weights and Measures. 



The adoption of the metric ' system in this country can be 

 best effected by first familiarising the people with it for some 

 years. I would suggest that the following would form a good 

 beginning : — 



(1) Its adoption by the Post Office. At present the weight of 

 a foreign letter that will go at the minimum rate, must not 

 exceed \ oz. if posted in England, while 15 grammes are 

 allowed "on the continent, which is rather more. The 15 

 grammes limit should be adopted in England for foreign post- 

 age, and 30 grammes for inland postage. Parcels and newspapers 

 should also be charged according to the metric system. 



(2) The metric system should be employed by the Meteoro- 

 logical Society and Meteorological Office. At present our 

 weather statistics cannot be compared directly with those pub- 

 lished on the continent. The same course should be also followed 

 by other sciences (£.^. geology, astronomy, &c.) that still use 

 miles, yards, feet, &c. 



(3) Government topographical and geological maps should all 

 bear a scale of metres and kilometres. 



There are, of course, many other ways in which the metric 

 system could be brought before the public. 



December 2. John W. Evans. 



"Dendrexetastes capitoides." 

 Dr. Forbes has been kind enough to send me for examin- 

 ation the typical specimen of Demirexetastes capitoides of 

 Eyton, now in the Derby Museum, Liverpool, to which he has 

 called attention in a letter in Nature of October 24 last 

 (Nature, vol. lii. p. 619). I have compared it with specimen 

 a oi Dendrexetastes temniincki m i\\e British Museum, and do 

 not hesitate for a moment to say that they are referable to the 

 same species. Both are from Cayenne, and of the ordinary 

 unmistakable " Cayenne make." But it is-quite true that, as 

 pointed out by Dr. Forbes, the cross-bands on the belly, which 



