‘promises to relieve the world to a great 
444 Miscellaneous Intelligence. 
4. ne une a Fived Star in Ursa Major, (Comp. Ren., Aug. 3 
and Dec. 7, 1846.)-—A star of the 7th magnitude, No. 1830 of rio 
bridge’s rd or Catalogue, has according to Argelander a proper 
motion of seven seconds of arc per annum, se is greater than: that 
hitherto iieniaed in any other star. M. e, of Paris, by a course 
of careful observations on the positions of this star with reference toa 
star of 9-10th magnitude, (whose R, A. is about 30’ greater, and decli- 
nation about 40! ees g, on good grounds, that the parallax of 
the is nearly or quite insensible-—-has determined in a manner 
i. eee quite satisfactory, that the parallax of the. former (viz. 
1830 meaneices e) is 1/06. The distance of this star from our sun 
is, therefore, about 195000 times the radius of the — s orbit wie 
space which a ee ey three years for light to travers 
5. Planetary Nebulous Musses near the Sun.—lIt is well candin that in 
total eclipses of the sun, af have been often seen conical protuberan- 
ces of a red color, ——- from behind the disc of the moon. This 
phenomenon was very conspicuous in the total solar eclipse of July 8, 
1842,* and M. Arago has collected many cases of the same kind a 
printed them in the Annuaire for 1846. M. Babinet has published a 
memoir on these phenomena,? in which he explains them by the suppo- 
» that there are very near theysun, planetary masses, revolving 
around that body with great rapidity. These incandescent, flame- 
vapory masses, having the form of circular trains more or less elongated, 
with the sun for their centre, cause the different appearances, which are 
moun 
any of these bodies is 5’, which would show that this one must revolve 
uae fey sun in about four hours, 
This hypothesis, Gihough wine eves supported by M. Babinet, is 
open to objection, and many more: observations will be needed before 
it can be considered as any he: more than plausible. ; 
VL MISCELLANEOUS INTELLIGENCE. 
“. Relative. Lonel: of Lake Ontario; by C. Dewry.—In 1845, from 
June Ist.to December Bist, the water of this lake fell two feet and three 
inches Observations on the leve | have been continued through 1846, 
in June, 1 5, while it was about the. same levelasi Aas wit 
Through November, owing to the fall rains, it grad 'y rose, but at the 
end of 1846, it was the same as in December of ie nine year, at 
least two feet lower than in the summer of the year before 
_ The difference in the quantity of water that falls in snow a 
must account for the fall of the lake. The water r isebelow i 
level through all the great lakes to Lake Superior. 
2. Inhalation of Ether in Surgery —This 
pone Sere 
* See Baily and Airy, Trans. Astr. Soc., Vol. 8 ek 
t Comptes Rendus, i eb. 16, 1246, pp. 231-286, dio 
