February 22, 1894] 



NA TURE 



397 



(C2H40)3. They further show that metaldehyde is by no means | 

 so scable as has been supposed ; it decomposes completely in a j 

 few days' time, the products of decomposition being paralde- 

 hyde and a new polymer, tetraldehyde (CoH40)4. The latter 

 substance, whose composition has been definitely established by 

 vapour density and cryoscopic determinations, is a solid of I 

 similar appearance and properties to metaldehyde. It is finally 

 shown that paraldehyde and metaldehyde are in all probability 

 stereo-isomers, like maleic and fumaric acids, the more stable 

 paraldehyde corresponding to the fumaroid or so-called " cis- 

 trans" form, and the less stable metaldehyde to the maleinoid 

 or "cis" form. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during 

 the past week include a Macaque Monkey {Macaciis cynomol- 

 g»s, $ ) from India, presented by Mr. James Carter ; two 

 Vulpine Phalangers {Phalangista vnlpixa, $ 9 ) from Australia, 

 presented respectively by Mrs. Percy Morton and Mr. \V. 

 Hughes ; two Garden Dormice (Myoxiis quercimis) Euro- 

 pean, presented by Dr. R. B. Sbarpe ; a Goshawk {Astur 

 palumbaritis) European, presented by Mr. Duncan Parker ; a 

 Jackdaw {Corvtts fiiout-dula) British, presented by Mrs. Dixon 

 Brown ; two Striped Hyaenas {Hyirna striata) from North 

 Africa, a Mitred Guinea Fowl [Numida mitrata) from Mada- 

 gascar, deposited. 



OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. 



Sun-spots and Magnetic Disturbances. — The Memoirs 

 of the Societa degli Spettroscopisti Italian! (vol. xxii. p. 189) 

 contains a paper by Dr. L. Palazzo on the magnetic disturbances 

 of August 1893, considered in relation to the extent of solar 

 spots. When the very large spot, or rather group of spots, was 

 passing the central meridian on August 6 and 7 of last year, the 

 bifilar magnetometer of the Roman College Onsetvatory was 

 considerably disturbed. On August 18, that is, when the spots 

 were again near the plane of the central meridian, but on the 

 other side of the sun, all three magnetic elements suffered a dis- 

 turbance. Another magnetic storm was recorded at the Marine 

 Observatory of Pola on August 12 and 13. Dr. Palazzo has 

 collected all the facts connected with these three disturbances, 

 and discusses them with the idei of determining the relation, if 

 any, between them and sun-spots. From the paper it appears 

 that the magnetic perturbation of August 6 commenced at 4*7 

 hours, when the double spot was about I5°'4 from the central 

 meridian. The middle point of the pair passed the central 

 meridian at 8 '5 hours on the following day. It would be 

 interesting to know whether the sun was under observation at 

 any place east of Rome at a time corresponding to that given 

 for the commencement of the brusque magnetic disturbance 

 described by Dr. Palazzo, and if so, whether any strange 

 phenomenon was observed. The disturbances of August 12 

 preceded by about twelve hours the transit of the largest spot 

 visible upon the sun at the time. On August iS, however, no 

 spot could be seen near the central meridian when the magnetic 

 needles were recording a perturbation, while neither when the 

 double-spot again appeared on the sun's limb, n.ir when it 

 passed the central mer'dian on September 2, did the magnetic 

 needles flutter. We have, therefore, spots without disturbances, 

 and disturbances without spots, thus indicating that there is no 

 connection between the phenomena. Prof. Ricco's discussion 

 of the relation between solar spots and disturbances of terrestrial 

 magnetism {Mem. degli Spettrosc. vol. xxi. p. 153, 1892) led him 

 to believe that magnetic disturbances occur, on the average, 

 about 45'4 hours after the transit of spots over the central 

 meridian of the sun. M. Marchand {Comptes Rendtts, 1887, 

 p. 133) showed that such disturbances occurred when groups of 

 spots or faculse were near the centre of the sun's disc, and Dr. 

 Veederhas given evidence to prove that the appearance of spots 

 on the sun's eastern edge is the signal for magnetic fluctuations. 

 Dr. Palazzo, however, believes that the position with respect 

 to the earth of the solar region disturbed is really unimportant. 



Stonyhurst College Observatory. — Father Sidgreaves' 

 report on the meteorological, magnetic, and solar observations 



NO. 1269, VOL. 49] 



made at Stonyhurst College Observatory during 1893 lias been 

 issued. We extract from it the chief points of astronomical 

 interest. 



The ordinary work of the solar chromosphere was practically 

 suspended during the year on account of the anticipated dis- 

 mounting of the telescope for the erection of the Father Perry 

 Memorial. But the sun-spot drawings have been continued, 

 and wt-re carried on with the six inch objective which was 

 mounted on the equatorial during the absence of parts of the 

 eight-inch telescope. The new objective, with its mountings, 

 was erected on November 6. It has a clear aperture of 14I 

 inches, and was worked by Sir Howard Grubb, of Dublin. It 

 is valued at ;^650, and constitutes the substantial tribute to the 

 memory of the late Father Perry, raised by the generosity of his 

 many friends. 



The large grating spectrograph has been employed upon the 

 solar spots and faculK with the result that 175 photographs were 

 obtained of spot-spectra in the green-yellow region, and ninety- 

 two plates of facuise-reversals of the H and K lines. 



The night-work with the equatorial has been confined to 

 stellar photographic fpectra. In May, it was decided to make 

 use of every opportunity upon the variable star & Lyrse ; and as 

 the exposures upon this were necessarily long, and there were 

 many failures, other stars were let alone. Out of the whole 

 number of exposures forty-five plates of )3 Lyrae proved to be 

 available for careful measurements, and the results are pub- 

 lished in the December number of the Monthly Notices of the 

 Royal Astronomical Society. 



The " Annuaire " OF the Bureau des Longitudes. — 

 A copy of the Annuaire of the Bureau des Longitudes, for the 

 present year, has been received. Every year sees an increase 

 in the quantity of matter compressed into that veritable vade 

 mectiin. To the present volume has been added notes by Prof. 

 Cornu on the physical aspect of the sun. solar spectroscopy, and 

 the spectra of comets and nebulze. The descriptive note on 

 stellar spectra, began in the 1893 issue, is completed, and an 

 account is given of recent observations of )3 Lyrae, and the 

 spectrum of Nova Aurigae. The articles include one by Prof. 

 Poincare, on light and electricity, according to Maxwell and 

 Hertz ; another, on the origin and u^e of the compass, by Contre- 

 Amiral Fleuriais ; and a third, in which Dr. Janssen describes 

 four days of observation on the summit of Mont Blanc. Alto- 

 gether, the 1894 Annuaire adds to the reputation gained by its 

 predecessors ; it is a volume which no astronomer can afford to 

 be without, and which every student of physical science will find 

 useful. 



The Spectrum of Nova Norm.e. — A telegram received at 

 Kiel on February 15 announces that Nova Normae was observed 

 by Prof. Campbell at the Lick Observatory on February 13, 

 and found to have fallen to magnitude 95 {Astr. Nachr. 321 1). 

 The spectrum was seen to consist of four bright lines of the 

 same relative intensity and position as those shown by Nova 

 Aurigse in August, 1892 (see Nature, vol. xlviii. p. 524). Like 

 this new star, therefore, Nova Normae has descended to the 

 condition of a planetary nebula. 



THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION REPORT. 



'T'HE report of Prof. S. P. Langley, Secretary of the Smith- 

 ■^ sonian Institution, for the year ending June 30, 1893, has 

 just been published. Its contents refer, not only to the Smith- 

 sonian Institution, but also to the work of the U.S. National 

 Museum, the Bureau of Ethnology, the Bureau of International 

 Exchange, the Zoological Park, and the Astro-Physical Ob- 

 servatory. To do justice to the many and various operations of 

 all these sections is impossible within the limits of space at our 

 disposal, but some idea of the woik may be obtained from the 

 following abstract : — • 



Research. 



It appears to be an essential portion of the original scheme of 

 the government of the Smithsonian Institution ihat the secre- 

 tary should be expected to advance knowledge, in letters, or in 

 science, by personal research. Prof. Langley has continued the 

 traditions of the Institution and the usage of former secretaries 

 by contributing to the objects stated, as far as his increasing 

 administrative duties would permit. During 1893 he continue d 

 the researches, of which a portion was published in 189 1, in a 



