APRIL 2, 1914] 
porary together form a handsome book which makes 
a special appeal to readers interested in nature know- 
ledge. Attention may be directed to the excellent 
illustrations, the plates particularly being well pro- 
duced. The price of the volume is 15s. net. 
Soon after the death of Prof. Henri Poincaré, four 
appreciative notices of his work in various depart- 
ments of knowledge were contributed to the Revue du 
Mois by Profs. Vito Volterra, Jacques Hadamard, 
Paul Langevin, and Pierre Boutroux. These studies 
have now been published together in a volume entitled 
* Henri Poincaré: L’ceuvre scientifique, l’ceuvre philo- 
sophique”’ (Paris: Félix Alcan; price 3.50 francs). 
THE annual report of the Board of Scien- 
tific Advice for India for the year  tIg12-13 
has been received from Calcutta. The report 
is divided into sections dealing respectively 
with applied chemistry, astronomy, and meteorology, 
geology, geodesy, botany, forestry, zoology, veterinary 
science, and medical research work. An appendix by 
Dr. W. R. Dunstan contains the report on the scien- 
tific and technical investigations conducted for India 
at the Imperial Institute during the year ended June 
30, 1913. 
Dr. W. LEIGHTON JORDAN writes, with reference to 
a paragraph on the origin of planetary surface features 
and the ‘heart-shaped’ figure of the earth, which 
appeared in our issue of March ig (p. 69), that in 
1866 he applied the term ‘‘cardioid’’ to the earth’s 
shape, and pointed out that the motion of the earth 
through space tends to create high land in the Ant- 
arctic and deep water in the Arctic region. A 
description of Dr. Jordan’s views upon this subject 
will be found in his work entitled ‘“‘The Sling” 
(London: Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent and 
Sos, Ltd.)- 
OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. 
ASTRONOMICAL OCCURRENCES FOR APRIL :— 
April 3. 15h. 6m. Mars in conjunction with the 
Moon (Mars 2° o’ S.). 
4. 4h. 28m. Neptune in conjunction with the 
Moon (Neptune 4° 30’ S.). 
23h. om. Neptune stationary. 
19h. om. Mercury at greatest elongation 
W. of the Sun (27° 46’ W.). 
10. 15h. om. Mars at quadrature to the Sun. 
15. Igh. om. Neptune at quadrature to the 
Sun. 
17. 22h. 50m. Uranus in conjunction with 
Moon (Uranus 2° 20’ N.). 
18. 12h. 13m. Jupiter in conjunction with the 
Moon (Jupiter 1° 50’ N.). 
20. 22h. 24m. Mars in conjunction with Nep- 
tune (Mars 2° 34’ N.). 
paws, shy. Mercury in conjunction with 
the Moon (Mercury 5° 30’ S.). 
26. 18h. 20m. Venus in conjunction with the 
Moon (Venus 4° 52’ S.). 
28. 1th. 11m. Saturn in conjunction with the 
Moon (Saturn 6° 22’ S.). 
A New Comer.—A telegram from Prof. Kobold at 
Kiel reports the discovery of a new comet by Dr. 
NO. 2318, VOL. 93| 
NUN 
33m. 
NATURE 
| disc carefully and note the chief features. 
I2I 
Kritzinger at Bothkamp. The comet is of magnitude 
9-5, and was picked up on March 29 at 15h. 29-1m. 
Bothkamp mean time. Its position is given as R.A. 
16h. 11m. 4os., and declination 9° 31’ S., and the 
daily motion as +3m. 8s. in R.A., and — 32’ in declina- 
tion. It is described as having a tail. 
JUPITER VISIBLE BEFORE SUNRISE.—The planet 
| Jupiter can now be well seen in the mornings, and 
it is important that telescopic observers examine his 
Last year 
the equatorial current had increased its rate of move- 
ment, its rotation being gh. 50m. 11s. from a number 
| of spots on the sotith edge of the northern equatorial 
belt. Are these markings still visible, and what is 
| their velocity as compared with that determined during 
the previous opposition ? 
The -great red spot also exhibited a quickening of 
speed in 1914, the rotation period being gh. 55m. 35s. 
It is probable that at the present time the red spot 
precedes the zero meridian of System II. (see 
ephemeris for physical observations of Jupiter in 
Nautical Almanac) about 3h. 4om. It is impossible to 
tell exactly, however, because the planet has been too 
near the sun during the past winter for corrective 
observations to be made. Transits of the red spot 
and hollow in the southern belt may, however, be 
looked for at the following times :— 
hm. hes ot: 
April 14 Et 27 May 3 To 6 
16 Tas 5 8 14 14 
21 TE 12 15 14 59 
26 14 20 
28 Th who 
Some estimated transits would be valuable in order 
to determine what the rate of rotation has been during 
the last six months. 
The great south temperate spot now precedes the 
red spot. The former was no less than about 135° in 
length during last opposition, and it may ultimately 
extend all round Jupiter and darken the previously 
brilliant south tropical zone. 
A PRroposEeD TOWER TELESCOPE.—From Modena we 
have received a pamphlet describing a tower telescope 
to be erected to the memory of Secchi. It is proposed 
to build at Reggio-Emilia in reinforced concrete a 
pyramidal structure 35 m. high. Its memorial char- 
acter is to be expressed by making the work, deco- 
rated in what is described as the Chaldeo-Babylonian 
style, serve as a canopy to a_ seated effigy 
of Secchi, whilst at the four corners of the 
base will be placed gigantic statues of Copernicus, 
Galileo, Kepler, and Newton. The scientific purpose 
is to make the tower carry the heliostat and objective 
of a vertical telescope of the type so successfully em- 
ploved at Mount Wilson. A sum of 500,000 lire 
(20,000l.) is required, of which about 150,000 lire had 
already been collected by a permanent committee. 
This is not the only project now on foot to per- 
petuate the memory of an astronomer. An influential 
international comité d’honneur is inviting subscriptions 
for the erection of a monument to the memory of 
Laplace, at his birthplace, Beaumont en Auge (Cal- 
vados), Normandy. 
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE HamMBURG OBSERVATORY IN 
BERGEDORF.—The report for 1912 of the Hamburg 
Observatory in Bergedorf has just come to hand. It 
shows that great strides have been taken since this 
site was occupied, in spite of various hindrances re- 
garding the larger instruments. Thus the large 
reflecting telescope had to undergo a change in the 
method of mounting the mirror, that used by Common 
