42 



NATURE 



[May 14, 1903 



might be employed in powder magazines, or for attracting 

 fish, as the flask might be sealed up and lowered into the 

 water. Under suitable conditions the phosphorescent 

 properties of the cultures last for two to three weeks. It 

 is to be noted that Mr. J. E. Barnard, of the Jenner Insti- 

 tute, some time ago similarly photographed cultures of 

 phosphorescent bacteria, and that at a soiree of the Royal 

 Society two years ago. Prof. Macfadyen and Mr. Barnard 

 exhibited a fine series of cultures of phosphorescent micro- 

 organisms. 



The new issue of the " Psychological Index, a Biblio- 

 graphy of the Literature of Psychology and Cognate Sub- 

 jects for 1902," published in connection with the Psycho- 

 logical Review, has been compiled by Prof. H. C. Warren, 

 of Princeton University, with the cooperation of M. J. 

 Philippe and Dr. W, H. R. Rivers. It includes the titles 

 of original publications in all languages, together with 

 translations and new editions in English, French, and 

 German. 



The third separate issue of the Annuaire meteor ologique 

 is that for 1903, published by the Royal Observatory of 

 Belgium under the supervision of M. A. Lancaster, the 

 director of the Belgian meteorological service. Previous 

 to 1900 there was a single annual publication devoted to 

 astronomy and meteorology. M. Lancaster contributes to 

 the present volume an elaborate article running to 130 

 pages on the force of the wind in Belgium ; it contains an 

 array of useful statistics and several interesting curves. 



The Geologists' Association has arranged an excursion 

 to North Staffordshire for the Whitsuntide holidays. Stoke 

 is to be made the centre from which geological excursions 

 will take place. The members from London will leave 

 Euston on Friday evening. May 29, and return on the follow- 

 ing Wednesday evening. Notice should be sent to Mr. 

 E. P. Ridley, Burwood, Ipswich, the excursion secretary, 

 before May 15 by all who intend joining the excursion. An 

 interesting programme of geological work has been 

 arranged, and the daily visits should be enjoyable and 

 instructive. 



The April number of the Essex Naturalist, the journal 

 of the Essex Field Club, contains several sensible proposals 

 for a photographic and pictorial survey of Essex, by Mr. 

 A. E. Briscoe ; an article on work in the field amongst the 

 fungi, with additions to the flora of Epping Forest made 

 at the fungus foray, 1902, by Dr. M. C. Cooke; and a 

 paper by Messrs. A. S. Kennard and B. B. Woodward on 

 the non-marine Mollusca of the River Lea alluvium at 

 Walthamstow. The joif-nal contains much other interest- 

 ing material and a number of good illustrations. 



Mr. John Murray has published a third edition of Mr. 

 W. Robinson's " Alpine Flowers for Gardens. Rock, Wall, 

 Marsh Plants, and Mountain Shrubs," which appeared first 

 in 1870. The book has been revised, and should interest 

 all lovers of horticulture in those plants which grow 

 naturally on all high mountain-chains. Since the author 

 states, in the prefatory note to this edition, that " there is 

 not a garden, even in the suburbs of our great cities, in 

 which the flowers of alpine lands might not be enjoyed," 

 the addition of these mountain species to the garden plants 

 usually cultivated in this country should greatly add to the 

 interest of the amateur gardener's work. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during 



the past week include a Black-eared Marmoset (Hapale 



penicillata) from South-east Brazil, presented by Miss Ruby 



Ray ; a Lesser Black-backed Gull {Larus fuscus) from Port 



NO. 1750, VOL. 68] 



Said, presented by Dixon Bey ; a Capybara {Hydrochoerus 

 capybara), a Brazilian Cariama {Cariama cristata), a 

 Ypecaha Rail (Aramides ypecaha) from South America, pre- 

 sented by Colonel Sir T. H. Holdich, C.B. ; a Yellow 

 Baboon {Papio cynocephalus) from Africa, two Maholi 

 Galagos (Galago maholi), a Leopard Tortoise {Testudo 

 pardalis) from South Africa, an Indian Rat Snake {Zamenis 

 mucosus), two Indian River Snakes {Tropidonotus piscator) 

 from India, an Alligator Terrapin (Chelydra serpentina), 

 two Alaska Geese {Bernicla minima) from North America, 

 two Ross's Snow Geese (Chen rossi) from Antarctic America, 

 three Lesueur's Water Lizards {Physignathus lesueuri), a 

 Cunningham's Skink {Egernia cunninghami), a Gould's 

 Monitor {Varanus gouldi), two Limbless Lizards {Pygopus 

 lepidopus) from Australia, a Slender Loris {Loris gracilis) 

 from Ceylon, two Large Greaved Tortoises {Podocnemis 

 expansa) from the Amazons, three Starred Lizards {Agama 

 stellio), a Spiny-tailed Uromastix {Uromastix acanthinurus) 

 from North Africa, a Mailed Uromastix {Uromastix lori- 

 catus) from Persia, deposited. 



OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. 



Comet 1903 b. — From observations made at Windsor, 

 N.S.W., on April 26, 29, and May i, and communicated 

 by telegraph to the Kiel Centralstelle, Herren M. Ebell 

 and H. Kreutz have calculated the following elements and 

 ephemeris for the comet discovered by Mr. Grigg on 

 April 17 : — 



Elements. 

 T= 1903 March 25-5486 Berlin M. T. 



a)=l86 407 "I 

 a =213 14-5 [igos-o. 

 i= 66 29 6 J 

 log^= 971054. 



Ephemeris for i2h. M.T. Berlin. 



190^^. a. 5 log A Brightness, 



h. m. s. o / 



May 13 ... 5 36 33 ... -22 2-8 ... o-i668 ... 0-51 



17 •■• 5 57 S9 •■• -22 53-9 ... o 1779 ... 0-43 



21 ... 6 18 40 ... -23 34-9 ... o"i905 ... o"37 



25 ... 6 38 34 ... -24 7-2 .. 0-2042 ... 0-31 



29 ... 6 57 34 ... -24 32-2 ... 0-2190 ... 0-27 



June 2 ... 7 15 40 ... -24 51-2 ... 0-2345 ... 0-23 



The brightness at time of discovery is taken as unity 

 {Kiel Circular, No. 59). 



A Remarkable Algol Variable. — Prof. E. C. Pickering, 

 writing to the Astronomische Nachrichten, No. 3866, states 

 that the new Algol variable, 4.1903 Draconis, discovered 

 by Madame Ceraski, is of unusual interest on account of 

 its short period and great range of variability. 



An examination of the plates obtained with the Draper 

 telescopes shows that the period is id. 8h. 347m., and the 

 range' of variability 24 magnitudes. About half an hour 

 before minimum the brightness decreases at the rate of 

 between 2 and 3 magnitudes per hour, a rate probably 

 greater than any other hitherto discovered. A minimum 

 was predicted and observed at Harvard on March 19 at 

 i6h. 24m. G.M.T. 



New Value for the Solar Parallax. — In \iq\v of the 

 probable publication, in the near future, of the results 

 obtained from observations of Eros, Herr B. Weinberg, of 

 the University of Odessa, has collected about 130 of the 

 more trustworthy values for the solar parallax as obtained 

 by different observers, using various methods, since 1825, 

 and has discussed them in a paper communicated to No. 

 3806 of the Astronomische Nachrichten. From the dis- 

 cussion he has obtained 



8"-8oo4±o"oo243 

 as his final value for this constant. 



