August 14, 1890] 



NATURE 



Z77 



of population throughout the country. At present there are 

 between 30Cxd and 4000 students enrolled, as against a total of 

 2200 this time last year. A tender has been accepted for the 

 erection of a new technical college in Sydney, to cost £i9,S37> 

 and the building is to be completed by March next. 



The American journal Bradstreet's in a recent article de- 

 scribes a school of manual training at Baltimore, which claims 

 to be the pioneer public manual training school, as well as the 

 only absolutely free school of the sort in the world. The school 

 was opened in 1884 with sixty pupils and four instructors ; now 

 it has 549 pupils and fifteen instructors. It has had manual 

 training for its chief object. The ordinary work of advanced 

 public school grades is here but a department called the literary 

 department. This is an essential difference from the manual 

 training in so many schools, where it is one feature of many, and 

 not the chief. It is not meant to teach trades, but rather the 

 use of the tools used in all common trades, and the rudiments of 

 mechanical industry. The regular course of the school takes 

 three years, but there is a preparatory course of two years for 

 the benefit of those who could not continue the ordinary public 

 school course. All the students have their daily work in the 

 shops, drawing-rooms, physical laboratory, and literary depart- 

 ment. Each class has its own recitation-room, and only leaves 

 il for drawing, shop, and laboratory work. In shop work the 

 classes are limited to twenty-four boys, while in drawing and 

 other studies double that number are instructed at a time. In 

 the first year fifteen weeks are devoted to carpentry, five to wood- 

 turning, and twenty to forging. In the second year fifteen 

 weeks are devoted to pattern-making, five to moulding, fifteen 

 to vise-work, and five to soldering and brazing. In all the shops 

 instruction is given as to the care and use of tools, laying off and 

 designing work, and the composition of the material used. 

 Each class makes some special design for graduation, and the 

 class this year is engaged on a ten horse-power dynamo, thirteen 

 lathes, and a Gordon printing press. The dynamo will be set up, 

 and is expected to furnish electricity enough to light both 

 buildings with incandescent lights. The boys also do all the 

 plating required, and make all repairs on the machinery in use . 

 The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include an Ashy-black Macaque {Macacus ocreattis) 

 from the East Indies, presented by Mr. W. J. Bosworth ; a 

 Two-banded Monitor ( Varanus salvator) from the East Indies, 

 presented by Captain W. J. Rule ; a Wapiti Deer {Cervus 

 canadensis ? ) from North America, an Aard Wolf {Proteles 

 cris(atUs) from South Africa, two Patagonian Conures {Conurus 

 fatagonus) from La Plata, purchased ; two Ariel Toucans 

 {Ramphastos arieV) from Brazil, received in exchange ; a Barbary 

 Wild Sheep {Ovis tragelaphus), born in the Gardens, 



OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. 



Objects for the Spectroscope. 



Sidereal Time at Greenwich at 10 p.m. on August 14 

 I9h. 33m. 5s. 



Name. 



(i) G.C. 4510 



(2) G.C. 4514 



(3) 3 Sagittae.. 

 (4)0 Aquilae.. 

 (s) 4 Aquilae.. 

 (6)483 Birm. 

 (7) S Scorpii 



Mag. 



Colour. 



R.A. 1890.! Decl. X890. 



Pale blue. 



Greenish-blue. 



Yellowish-red. 



Yellow. 



White. 



Very red. 



h. m. s. 1 

 19 37 45 ; 

 19 41 56 I 

 19 42 29 

 »9 49 54 { 

 19 19 54 j 

 18 58 32 I 

 16 II 7 I 



Remarks. 

 (i) This is a small planetary nebula which gives the usual 

 spectrum of three bright lines, in addition to a comparatively 



NO. 1085, VOL. 42] 



distinct continuous spectrum of considerable length. In further 

 observations special attention should be directed to the character 

 of the chief line, and maxima of brightness in the continuous 

 spectrum should be looked for. It is not improbable also that 

 many faint lines may be found with the improved instruments 

 now in use. In the General Catalogue the nebula is thus de- 

 scribed : " A planetary nebula ; bright ; very small ; round." 



(2) This is one of the so-called "nebulous stars" appearing 

 in ordinary instruments as a star out of focus. The central 

 nucleus gives a continuous spectrum, but the surrounding 

 atmosphere gives a spectrum consisting of three bright lines. 

 It would be a considerable advance in our knowledge if the 

 spectrum of the nucleus could be determined. It may be that 

 we are simply in presence of a star like those of the Pleiades, 

 produced by the intersection of streams of meteorites, or it may 

 be an ordinary case of condensation of a nebula. In the former 

 case the spectrum would probably be that of 'a hot star, whilst 

 in the latter case it would be one of an early group, possibly 

 consisting of bright lines. Further observations are obviously 

 required. The General Catalogue description is as follows : 

 "A nebulous star; bright; pretty large ; round; star of nth 

 magnitude in the middle." 



(3) A bright star, with a well-marked spectrum of Group II. 

 The bands 2, 3, 7, and 8 are strong, and i, 4, 5 are well seen 

 (Duner). The usual observations for bright carbon flutings and 

 absorption lines are required. 



(4) and (5) Gothard states that these are stars of the solar 

 type and of Group IV. respectively, the former being confirmed 

 by Vogel. The usual more detailed observations are required 

 in each case. 



(6) This is a comparatively bright star of the rare type of 

 Group VI. , and offers a good opportunity for a detailed study 

 of this kind of spectrum. In addition to the three usual carbon 

 bands, it shows the secondary bands 4 and 5 (Duner). The 

 intensity of band 6 (X 564), as compared with the other carbon 

 bands, is not recorded by Duner. The presence or absence of 

 line absorptions should be particularly noted. 



(7) The spectrum of this variable has not yet been recorded. 

 According to Gore's catalogue, the period is about 177 days, 

 and the magnitude ranges from 9*i-lo'5 at maximum to < I2'5 

 at minimum. There will be a maximum about August 19. 



A. Fowler. 

 Lightning Spectra. — Mr. W. E. Wood, in the current 

 number of The Sidereal Messenger, gives the results of some 

 observations of lightning spectra made on June 22, 1890. The 

 results were obtained with a Browning direct-vision spectroscope 

 of small dispersion, and having no scale, so that the lines 

 mapped in the accompanying diagram are eye estimates. 



With respect to the 25 bright lines shown it is remarked, "two 

 moderately bright lines lie in the violet, one heavy bright line in 

 the blue, and which I estimate to be the familiar F line, one 

 brilliant line in the green (the coronal or auroral line?), one 

 brilliant line on the yellowish-green, a double line in the yellow 

 — very brilliant (the sodium line ?), a fainter but fairly broad 

 line on the edge of the red, and two very bright lines in the 

 centre of the red, one of which I think is a hydrogen line. 

 The fainter bright lines lie approximately as shown in the 

 diagram. The intense flashes, those which usually do the 

 damage during a storm, gave exceptionally faint, continuous 

 spectra, and rarely more than the lines number 3, 4 and 5. 

 Heat-lightning flashes gave the principal bright lines i to 8, 

 and the spaces between were occupied by a multitude of finer 

 bright lines. An absorption band in the violet occurred in all 

 bright flashes of heat-lightning, and in some cases I saw two 



