4/2 



NA TURE 



[March 19, 1903 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during 

 the past week include two Magellanic Foxes (Canis 

 magellanicus) from South America, presented by Baron 

 Adolp Ott ; a European Pond Tortoise (Emys orbicularis), 

 European, presented by Mr. E. A. Hambro ; two Smooth- 

 headed Capuchins (Cebus monachus) from South-east Brazil, 

 a Negro Tamarin (Midas ursulus) from Guiana, two Grant's 

 Zebras (Equus granti) from North-east Africa, four Hutchin's 

 Geese (Bernicla hutchinsi) from Arctic America, six Dark- 

 green Snakes (Zamenis gemonensis), two Lacertine Snakes 

 (Coelpeltis mouspessulana), a Vivacious Snake (Tarbophis 

 fallax), European, deposited. 



OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. 



New Spectroscopic Binaries. — In a paper communicated 

 to the Astronomical and Astrophysical Society of America 

 Profs. Frost and Adams announce the discovery of six stars 

 of the Orion type having variable radial velocities, and two 

 or three stars of the same type which are supposed to be 

 spectroscopic binaries. 



Of the former, 5 Ceti shows a range of velocity from 

 + 6 to +16 km. per second, and its period is short; the 

 velocity of f Tauri has a range of + 7 to +34 km. per 

 second, and a probable period of about fourteen days ; the 

 spectrum of this star is rather peculiar, in that the hydrogen 

 lines & and 7 are sharp and strong, whilst the other lines 

 (some of them metallic) are faint. In the case of v Eridani 

 a variation in the velocity of + 3 to +26 km. per second is 

 indicated. 



Two or three other stars of the Orion type are suspected 

 of having variable radial velocities, but the facts are not 

 yet fully established. The proportion of spectroscopic 

 binaries found amongst the stars of this type which have 

 hitherto been examined is 1 : 5 (Science, n.s., vol. xvii. No. 

 426). 



The Spectrum of Comet 1902 b. — In a communication to 

 the March Bulletin de la Societi de France, ivi. de la Baume 

 Pluvinel discusses the spectra of comet 1902 b, which he has 

 obtained, using a prism of 20 18', mounted in front of an 

 objective the focal length of which was four times its 

 aperture. 



In a spectrum obtained on October 24, with one hour's 

 exposure, the positions of fifteen condensations (i.e. images 

 of the comet) were found to be measurable ; the spectrum of 

 Vega was photographed on both sides of the cometary spec- 

 trum as a comparison. 



Two condensations at A 472 and A 389 respectively were 

 found to be by far the strongest, these radiations evidently 

 accounting for almost all the actinic light emitted by the 

 comet, and, therefore, in photographing such objects it 

 would be advisable to use an objective which brings these 

 two radiations to the focus simultaneously. 



Of the other condensations measured, the most important 

 one extends from A 409'2 to A 400*0, and was far more 

 intense on a negative obtained on October 13, when the 

 comet was at a greater distance from the sun, than on the 

 one obtained on October 24. 



The conclusion arrived at from the detailed examination 

 and discussion of the spectrum is that in the light emitted 

 by this comet occur (1) the chief radiations emitted by 

 carbon in the electric arc, viz. A 564, A 518 and A 472 belong- 

 ing to the spectrum of hydrocarbons, and A 389 belonging to 

 the cyanogen (?) spectrum; (2) the radiation A 43i'2, which 

 appears in the flame spectra of the hydrocarbons ; and (3) 

 a group of radiations, A 4092 to A 4000, which corresponds 

 to no carbon group. 



Missing Asteroids. — In Circular No. 69 of the Harvard 

 College Observatory Prof. E. C Pickering directs attention 

 to the fact that of the five hundred minor planets already 

 discovered, sixty-eight have not been observed for the last 

 five years, and the last observations of about twenty-five of 

 them were made from ten to thirty years ago. He then 

 proceeds to point out the danger that may arise from allow- 



ing these objects to remain unobserved, and their elements, 

 and ephemerides uncomputed, for an observer can never be 

 certain whether the object he is observing is a new discovery 

 or not, and so might pass over such an object as Eros, sup- 

 posing it to be one which had been recorded previously. 



Prof. Pickering concludes that it is a much more im- 

 portant work to rediscover all those minor planets previously 

 recorded and determine their elements than to go on adding 

 to the list by the discovery of new ones. Acting on this- 

 conclusion the Harvard observers prepared a list of all the 

 asteroids, brighter than the eleventh magnitude, which have 

 not been observed during the last five years, and have already 

 photographed (21) Lutetia and (22) Kalliope (on plates 

 obtained on January 21 and 22), which were last observed 

 in 1897 and 1896 respectively, and they find that the error 

 of the ephemeris given for the latter is large enough to 

 render the finding of this object a difficult matter. 



A Rich Nebulous Region in the Constellation Lynx. 

 — Whilst pursuing a photographic search for the minor 

 planet (475) Occlo with the Bruce telescope, Prof. Max Wolf 

 has discovered from his plates a region situated on the 

 borders of Ursa Major and the Lynx which is especially 

 rich in small nebulous patches. One particularly dense 

 region is about the point a = 8h. 2m., 8 = +4t)°"5 (1855), the 

 centre lying between the two stars B.D. + 48°.i366 (8'5m.)> 

 and B. 0.4-48°. 1368 (84m.), where, in a circle having a 

 radius of thirty minutes of arc, he was able to count at 

 least forty small faint nebulae. 



Two of the nebulae, having the positions a = 8h. 3'om.. 

 8 = 4-46° 25' and a = 8h. 37m., 5 = 4-46° 9' respectively, are 

 worthy of particular notice. The first was observed by W. 

 Herschel, and appears in his catalogue as iv.,55. It is 

 bright, apparently round, has a diameter of about 1' and 

 several condensations, and should appear as a beautiful 

 object in a large reflector. 



So far as Prof. Wolf is aware, the second has hitherto not 

 been recorded. It has a length of about 3*5 minutes of arc, 

 is rectilineal and very narrow, and is moderately bright. It 

 includes in its northern boundary a faint star the position 

 angle of which is 350°, andlies about 1' west of the star 

 B.D.4-46°.i37t (9'3m.) (Astronomische Nachrichten, No. 

 3847)- 



THE BIRDS OF BEMPTOX CLIFFS. 



A VERY interesting and beautifully illustrated account of 

 "^ the birds frequenting the chalk cliffs of Bempton„ 

 Yorkshire, and of the eggyig industry carried on by the 

 natives, appears in part i. of the Transactions of the HulR 



NO. 1742, VOL. 67] 



Fig. 1.— Newly. hatched Puffin. (From the " Birds of B< mptoi; ( lift's.'" 



Scientific and Field Naturalists' Club. The author, Mr. 

 E. W. Wade, commences by waxing enthusiastic over the 

 wonderful sight presented by these precipilous cliffs when 

 they are visited, in spring and summer, by swarms of sea- 

 birds, among which guillemots are now predominant. Ip. 



