May 31, 1894] 



NATURE 



113 



fircoal, such as the denser varielies of cellulose, yield it in 

 Jtively large quantities. It appears, therefore, to be pro- 

 ced by the action of sulphuric acid upon that portion of the 

 lod charcoal which is least carbonised and retains a larger 

 jjportion of hydrogen and oxygen. Now it is well known 

 lilt pyromellitic acid may be obtained by the action of sul- 

 juric acid upon mellitic acid. M. V'erneuil has recently 

 sjWD, while these experiments of M. Girard were in progress, 

 ll;t when sulphuric acid acts upon wood charcoal a certain 

 I'lount of mellitic acid is produced. It is therefore practically 

 ('tain that by the action of sulphuric acid upon wood charcoal, 

 {.addition to the production of the gaseous dioxides of sulphur 

 jjl carbon, mellitic acid is produced which in turn is converted 

 ll a further quantity of sulphuric acid into ])yromellitic aci I, 

 li the latter is deposited in crystals in the cooler portion of the 

 Isle in which the reaction occurs. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 );t week include two Brown Capuchins (C(f/'H.t/.(/«i'//;«, i <J ) 

 fm Guiana, presented respectively by Mr. Charles Gordon 

 Juer and Miss Florence Marryat ; two Four-horned 

 yitelopes [Tetrawroi quadricornis, i i'), from India, pre- 

 Med by Mr. W. F. Sinclair; four common Swans (Cygiius 

 f), British, presented by Lord Braybrooke ; two Jameson's 

 (.Wi (Lams novi!--hollaiiJi,i), from Australia, presented by 

 i Ferdinand von Mueller, K.C.M. G. ; two Hoary Snakes 

 (tronella carta), a Crossed Snake {Psaiiimophis cnicifer), 

 t Infernal Snake {Boodon infernalis), from South -Africa, 

 j'sented by Mr. J. E. Matcham ; two Natterjack Toads 

 (;v/i> calami/a), Brili-;h, presented by Miss Peckham ; 

 t|ee Stock Doves (Columba unas), British, presented by Mr. 

 Ji)nel A. Williams ; a yellow-cheeked -Amazon {Chrysalis 

 c'umnalis), from Honduras, two Alligator Terrapins (Chelvdra 

 sienlhia), from North America, deposited ; a White-bellied 

 S» Eagle {HaliiCtus liuco^aster), two Wonga-Wonga Pigeons 

 {■ucosarcia pica/a), from Australia, purchased ; a Reindeer 

 {^ngifer tarandus, 9 ), a Japanese Deer (Ccvous siia, 9), 

 l:n io the Gardens. 



OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. 



kuN-SPOTS AND WEATHER.— The first part of vol. vi. of 

 Indian Meteorological Memoirs" (Calcutta, 1S94) coniains 

 ijaper by Mr. W. L. Dallas, -■\ssistant Meteorological Reporter 

 tjthe Government of India, on the relation between sun spots 

 j1 weaiher, as shown by meteorological observations made on 

 hrd ships in the Bay of Bengal during the years 1S56 to 1S79. 

 ]e region selected offered peculiar advantages for such 

 i uiry. The annual periodic changes in it are small, and the 

 .';riodic changes are very slight. There is also comparatively 

 I le horizontal air motion, and, being a sea surface, the area is 

 i; liable to the sudden changes which affect a land observatory, 

 •A result from irregularities in the elevation of the land sur- 

 nnding an observatory. The discussion of the pressure 

 (iervations shows that there are certain points of similarity 

 1 ween barometer readings and the number of spots on the 

 SI. The number of years during which the number of sun- 

 s)ts exceeded the normal average coincides with the number 

 I years during which the pressure was below the average, 

 • 1 vice vcrs'!, while the maximum pressure differences, whether 

 '3ve or below the average, occur one year after the maximum 

 !i-spot variations in both directions. The same general agree- 

 int is discloseil by the discussion of temperature observations, 

 U here again there is the same want of exact relation. In the 

 'e of pressure the curves show that a defect of pressure pre- 

 ' led during the years in which the relative number of spols 



s excessive ; and an excess of pressure during the time they 

 're at or about their minimum. So in temperature, it appears 

 'm Mr. Dallas' investigation, that there exists a general defect 

 ' en the number of spots is low, and a general excess when 

 't number of spols is high. The indications are, therefore, 

 'it years of maxima and minima in a solar cycle are also years 

 ' maximum and minimum solar r.tdiation. 



NO. 1283, VOL. 50] 



Another paper on sun-spots and weather has also recently 

 been received (Bultetin de la Sociclc Irs Amis des Sciences el Arts 

 de Rochechoiiart, 1894), the author being Prof. J. P. O'Reilly. 

 By extracts from the annals of Ireland (Aiiiiala Prog/iacla 

 Eireann) and those of Ulster {Annala Uladk), it is shown that 

 remarkable years of dryness and of cold in Ireland and in 

 Europe are connected with the cycle of solar activity. 



Ephemeris for Tempel's Comet.— The following posi- 

 tions are extracted from the search ephemeris for Tempel's 

 comet, given by M. Schulhof in Aslr. Xack. No. 3219 : — 



Ephemeris for Paris Midnight. 

 1894. R.A. Decl. 



S. o 22-8 



S. o 3-9 



N. o I4'5 



o 32-3 



49'6 



1 6-3 



I 22'4 



I 37'9 



The comet is not in a good position for observation, but it 

 may possibly be picked up in the east shortly before sunrise. 



Jupiter's Satellites in 1664. — Under this head we re- 

 prmted, on February i, a letter from the New York Nalioit 

 upon a supposed observation of five satellites of Jupiter, made 

 by John Winthrop in 1664. The note led Mr. Frank H. Clutz 

 to determine whether there was any " fixt starre with which 

 Jupiler might at that tyme be in neare conjunction " (jfoAiis 

 Hopkins University Circular, May). He finds that the date of 

 observation in our present reckoning was August l6, 1664, and 

 on that dale the star B.A.C. 6448 (R.A. iSh. 46m. 55'6s. 

 Decl. -23° 21' 33"'04) was at a distance from Jupiter of about 

 10' '5, which is approximately the distance that the outer satel- 

 lite may reach. In brightness the star is about the same as the 

 three smaller satellites- -between the sixth and seventh magni- 

 tudes. Mr. Clutz thinks, therefore, that this star was the 

 object which Winthrop took for a fifth satellite. 



ANNIVERSARY MEETING OF THE ROYAL 

 GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY. 



"TPHE report of the Council of the Royal Geographical Society 

 "*■ was presented at the annual meeting on May 28. The total 

 number of Fellows at May I was 3775, a net increase of 29 

 during the year. 



The President and Council for the ensuing year were ballotted 

 for and elected. The principal changes are the retirement of 

 the honorary secretary, Mr. D. W. Freshfield, and the retire- 

 I ment from the Council by rotation of Mr. Francis Gallon, 

 Generals Sir W. D. Jervois, J. T. Walker, and Sir Charles 

 Wilson, and Mr. Delmar Morgan. Mr. Clements R. Markham 

 was reelected .as President, the Hon. G. N. Curzon was added 

 to the list of Vice-Presidents, Sir John Kirk was elected 

 Foreign Secretary, and Major Leonard Darwin to co-operate 

 with Mr. H. Seebohm as Secretary. The following new Coun- 

 cillors were elected: — Dr. Robert Brown, Right Hon. Hugh 

 Childers, General Goodenough, Lord Lamington, Admiral A. 

 II. Markham, Admiral E. H. Seymour, and Colonel J. K. 

 Trotter. 



The Society's medals were presented in the absence of their 

 recipients. Captain Bower and M. Reclus ; the minor awards, 

 already announced in Nature, were also given, and a series of 

 educational prizes to students from the training colleges. 



The President then delivered his annual address, reverting 

 from the recent custom of dealing with the progress of geo- 

 graphy during the year to the earlier practice of devoting special 

 attention to some prominent features of exploration. 



The greater part of the address was devoted to the polar 

 expeditions of the present year, the facts regarding which have 

 already appeared in Nature. Mr. Markham is a high 

 authority on Arctic travel, and his views will carry much 

 weight. He professes a strong preference for large expeditions 

 organised by government, and commanded by naval officers, 

 believing that men combining high scienlific attainments, great 

 experience of ice-navigation, and the rare qualities of a 

 leader of men, all of which are necessary for a great polar 



