October 2, 1899.] 



KNOWLEDGE 



233 



better approximation to the geographical distribution of 

 pressure at a time the forecasts are being framed." 



An examination of the relationship of the differences 

 between the temperature at the summit and at the Low- 

 Level Observatory, and the differences of the reduced 

 pressures at the two stations, shows that a relatively 

 greater pressure exists on the summit as the temperature 

 on the summit becomes as high or higher than that at 

 the base. Keeently this problem has been further worked 

 at by having a third intermediate station half-way up 

 the mountain. Observations of the rainband carried on 

 since 1885 have given very valuable forecasting results. 

 A decreasing rainband from hour to hour " appears to 

 be the earliest indication we at present have that an anti- 

 cyclone is beginning to form and settle over North-Western 

 Europe." Mr. H. N. Dickson, and Mr. A. J. Herbertson 

 more recently, have both carried on important hygrometric 

 examinations of the atmosphere. The observations taken 

 with Mr. John Aitken's dust-counting apparatus have added 

 to our knowledge of the diurnal movements of the 

 atmosphere and of existing cyclones or anti-cyclones. 



To fully appreciate the very valuable work that has been 

 and is being carried on at Ben Nevis Observatory, it is 

 necessary to refer to the many reports that have appeared 

 in the Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and 

 of the Scottish Meteorological Society. Under the Secre- 

 taryship of Dr. Alexander Buchan and the Superintendent- 

 ship of Mr. R. T. Omond, and more recently Mr. Angus 

 Rankin, the Ben Nevis Observatories, both High and Low 

 Level Stations, have added much to our knowledge of the 

 general laws of meteorology. The institution, under the 

 auspices of the Scottish Meteorological Society so far has 

 been supported almost entirely by private contributions, 

 and by many volunteer workers, and it is hoped that 

 further support both in coin and kind will be forthcoming 

 in order to enable the Scottish Meteorological Society to 

 carry on the good work it has been doing for the last 

 seventeen years. To us as the greatest seafaring nation 

 in the world it is of the utmost importance that we should 

 know all we can about our atmosphere, so as to be able to 

 predict more certainly than we can at present many of the 

 disastrous storms that sweep cur coasts before we have 

 time to give our seamen sufficient warning. We cannot 

 but admire the excellent work that has been done by 

 private efforts at the Ben Nevis Observatories, but surely 

 our Government ought to take interest in a piece of work 

 which is of such national importance ! 



SOME SUSPECTED VARIABLE STARS.-III. 



By J. E. Gore, f.r.a.s. 



THE stars included in the following paper look 

 very suspicious, and seem deserving of further 

 examination. 

 In his well-known Bedford Catalorjue, Admiral 

 Smyth says (p. 25), " Just 18' south of jn Cassio- 

 peiffi is a star which, though of the 6th magnitude, is not 

 in Piazzi. It is followed nearly on the parallel, about 

 lis. off, by a 9th magnitude, and both are remarkable 

 for being red, of a decided but not deep tint." There seems 

 to be no star at present in Smyth's position, at least nothing 

 approaching in brightness a star of the (Jth magnitude. 

 In Nature, October 2l3t, 1875, the following remarks 

 occur with reference to Smyth's stars : " There is no star 

 of the 0th magnitude near this position at the present 

 time, nor, so far as we know, is there any record of such 

 an object having been seen since the epoch of Smyth's 

 observations, 1832-71. It may, however, prove to be a 



variable of a long period. . . . There is now a star 

 of the 9th magnitude following ^ Cassiopeiie 17-2s. and 

 15' 38" south ; this is clearly Argelander's star + 53", 

 No. 228 of the Durchmusteruwj, there estimated 9'5, a 

 considerably fainter object tlian an average 9th magnitude 

 in Bessel's scale ; its place would appear to correspond 

 better with that of Smyth's star, following his (ith 

 magnitude nearly on the parallel, than with that of the 

 missing star. Probably this small star may be variable 

 also." The Gth magnitude star seen by Smyth may 

 possibly have been a Noca or " temporary star." As 

 several of these curious objects have been discovered in 

 the past few years their occurrence may perhaps be more 

 frequent than is generally supposed. A "new star "of 

 the 6th or 7tli magnitude might easily escape detection. 



Birmingham II. 16 Leporis. — This red star was rated 

 7th magnitude by Piazzi, and 6| by Lalande (9785). It 

 is not given by Argelander or Heis, but was rated 6'0 at 

 Cordoba. It was estimated 5th magnitude by Morton in 

 1856 ; 6 by Sadler in February, 1875 ; 6-5 by Winnecke, 

 December, 1875; 6'0 by the present writer in January, 

 1877 ; 7'5 and 7-2 by Espin, in December, 1877, and 

 January, 1878; 6'0 by Espin, December 17th, 1878, 6-7 

 January 5th, 1H79, and 6-5 in December, 1879. Cornish 

 found it 5-6 magnitude in January, 1880, and "fairly 

 bright to naked eye." Espin rated it 5-8 in October, 

 1880 ; and Pickering made it 5-86 in December of the 

 same year. Ward gave it 5-5 in January, 1883, and it 

 was rated 6'0 by the present writer in February, 1885, and 

 February, 1886. In Stone's Southern Catalogue it is 5-6 

 magnitude (1878-76). Flammarion says, " Elle est 

 certainment variable." It precedes i Leporis 55'24 seconds, 

 and is 53'25" to the north of it, and may easily be found 

 with a binocular field glass. 



a Orionis. — The 11th magnitude star preceding the 

 principal star of this group may possibly be variable. It 

 escaped the keen eye of Sir William Herschel, but it was 

 seen by Ward with a telescope of 2J inches aperture ; 

 and the present writer found it plain enough with four 

 inches in the Punjab in 1871. In March, 1883, the late 

 Mr. Baxendell found it of unusual brightness. 



Bayer shows a star of 6th magnitude 1' south of 

 g Virginis. This was suspected to be variable by Pigott, 

 who says : " This star is not in any of the nine catalogues. 

 Maraldi looked for it in vain, and in May, 1785, I could 

 not see the least appearance of it. It certainly was not of 

 the 8th magnitude." The star may possibly be identical 

 with either Lalande 24,283-4 (71, 9j ma,L,'nitude), or 

 Lalande 24,393 (7j magnitude). The latter answers 

 better to Bayer's description, but the position of the former 

 agrees more closely with the place given by Pigott (R.A. 

 12h. 53m.. S. 10" 0' for 1786). 



A star about 40' south following 53 Virginis was 

 suspected by Gibers in 1797 to be a remarkable variable. 

 He found it the brightest star in the immediate vicinity of 

 53 Virginis. In July and August, 1876, Tebbutt, at 

 Windsor, N.S.W., estimated it 8j magnitude. On May 

 10th and 11th, 1876, it was rated 9 magnitude by the 

 present writer, equal to Olber's star c, but brighter than 

 Olber's star d (see Nature, April 13th, 1876). 



In Heis' Catalogue of Stars visible to the naked eye 

 in the Northern Hemisphere, his No. 67 of the constella- 

 tion Draco is rated 6-7 magnitude, and identified with 

 No. 1801 of Argelander's Catatogiw of Stars between 

 - 2° and + 90° declination. The present writer found 

 this star only 85 magnitude on November 24th, 1878, and 

 April 8th, 1883. It lies a few minutes followini/ B.A.C. 

 5248. If it was ever visible to the naked eye it must 

 certainly be variable. It is not in Argelander's Uranometria, 



