16 
Euclid’s ‘‘ Elementa Geometriz ”’ 
(1482); the first edition of de Caus’s “‘ Les Raisons des 
printed edition of 
Forces mouvantes ’’ (1615), to which, according to Arago, 
is due the invention of the steam engine; Daguerre’s de- 
scription of his invention of the Daguerreotype process of 
photography (1839), and the earliest works on ballooning. 
Bibliophiles and librarians looking out for scientific works 
of great rarity and interest, or for volumes of Proceedings 
of scientific standard books on the exact 
sciences, will find it an advantage to consult the interest- 
societies and 
ing catalogue the first part of which Messrs. Sotheran 
have just published. 
Messrs. GEORGE Puitirp AND Son, Lrp., will shortly 
issue a novel perpetual calendar invented by the Rev. J. W. 
Wiles. It is claimed that by a simple arrangement the 
calendar will show the day of the week of any day in any 
year from the beginning of the Christian era to the end 
of time. 
Mr. W. A. Suenstone, F.R.S., has revised, and in some 
instances amplified, the essays he recently contributed to 
the Cornhill Magazine, and they will be published by 
Messrs. Smith, Elder and Co. to-morrow under the title 
of ““ The New Physics and Chemistry : a Series of Popular 
Essays on Physical and Chemical Subjects.”’ 
Messrs. ARCHIBALD CONSTABLE AND Co., L1p., will pub- 
lish very shortly a volume by Prof. E. Ray Lankester, 
F.R.S., entitled “The Kingdom of Man,’’ containing a 
statement of the present position of scientific knowledge 
and the promise of the future. 
Tue second quarterly number of Science Progress in the 
Twentieth Century has now been published by Mr. John 
Murray. The ten articles included in this issue of the 
new scientific quarterly review range over many depart- 
ments of science, and should appeal to a wide circle of 
readers. 
Tue first parts of two works of science which are being 
published serially by Mr. Fritz Lehmann, Stuttgart, have 
been received. ‘‘ The Macrolepidoptera of the World,” by 
Dr. Adalbert Seitz, is to be completed in 100 parts, and 
“Das Mineralreich,’’ by Dr. Reinhard Brauns, in 
seventy-five parts. Both works are illustrated by excel- 
lently produced coloured plates. Messrs. Williams and 
Norgate are the agents of the publishers in this country. 
OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. 
ASTRONOMICAL OCCURRENCES IN NOVEMBER :— 
Nov. 5. 11h. 24m. to 12h. 34m. Moon occults y Geminorum 
(mag. 4°1). 
9. 9h. Mercury at greatest elongation (E. 23° 0’), 
10. 12h. 17m, to 13h. 33m. Transit of Jupiter's Sat. IV. 
(Callisto). 
It. 7h. 15m. to 1oh. 15m. Transit of Jupiter’s Sat. ITI. 
(Ganymede). 
15. Saturn. Major axis of outer ring =41'27 ; minor 
4°64. 
» 9h. 33m. Minimum of Algol (8 Persei). 
15- Venus. Illuminated portion of disc =0'070; of 
Mars =0'959. 
15-16. Epoch of November Leonids (Radiant 151°+23°). 
17-21. Epoch of November Andromedids (Radiant 25° + 43°). 
18. 6h. 21m. Minimum of Algol (8 Persei). 
18. 10h. 45m. to 13h. 46m. Transit of Jupiter’s Sat. IIT. 
(Ganymede). 
19. 5h. 30m. to 6h. 34m. Moon occults o Sagittarii 
(mag. 39). 
25. qh. 11m. to 17h. 12m. Transit of Jupiter’s Sat. III. 
(Ganymede). 
NO: 1931, VOL.) 775i] 
IAT OTE 
| NOVEMBER I, 1906 
GREENWICH OBSERVATORY AND THE Power StaTion.— 
At the meeting of the Astronomische Gesellschaft recently 
held in Jena (September 12-15) Dr. Foerster directed atten- 
tion to the erection of the large generating station near 
to Greenwich Observatory, and the consequent interference 
with the worl of the institution. After Prof. Dyson had 
described the unfavourable position in which the observ- 
atory is situated, a resolution having the following effect 
was passed:—That the convention of the International 
Astronomische Gesellschaft, meeting in Jena, in view of 
the communication made in the latest report of the Green- 
wich Observatory, expresses the hope that the loss which 
would be occasioned if the observatory were removed may 
be averted. The resolution also expressed the hope that, 
as Greenwich has succeeded in establishing itself as the 
standard place, all future proposals to remove it may like- 
wise be averted (Astronomische Nachrichten, No. 4127). 
Lunar Cnancres.—In No. 588 of the Astronomical 
Journal Prof, W. H. Pickering discusses Mr. Stebbins’s 
observations of the lunar crater Linné, made during the 
eclipse of the moon which took place on February 8, 1906, 
and compares them with the similar observations made at 
the same time by Prof. Frost. Although some slight doubt 
exists as to the precision of one or two of Mr. Stebbins’s 
measures, the curve showing the change in diameter of 
the spot surrounding Linné, according to his observations, 
agrees in general with the similar one obtained by Prof. 
Frost. Both show a substantial increase in the diameter 
immediately after the passing of the earth’s shadow. Prof. 
Pickering ascribes this increase of diameter to the deposi- 
tion of hoar-frost, or something analogous to it, caused 
by the drop in temperature consequent upon the screening 
off of the sun’s rays by the opaque body of the earth. 
This phenomenon has now been observed by six observers 
working quite independently, several of whom were 
originally prejudiced against it, therefore Prof. Pickering 
considers that it may be accepted as confirmed. 
The variation of the diameter of the spot during the 
ordinary course of Junation has similarly been confirmed 
by several observers, one of whom, Dr. C. W. Wirtz, dis- 
cusses his observations at some length in No. 4118 of the 
Astronomische Nachrichten. 
EcripsE Opservations.—In No. 9, vol. xxxv., of the 
Memorie della Societa degli Spettroscopisti Italiani, Prof. 
Ricco concludes his account of the eclipse observations 
made by the Italian expedition to Alcala de Chivert in 
August, 1905. Among other matters he discusses ‘* white 
prominences,’’ and describes those seen during the eclipse 
in question as faint and indistinct, especially in the lower 
parts, and appearing as little more than a whitish shadow 
projected on to the background of the corona. He also 
suggests that these objects are in nature somewhat of an 
intermediate stage between the prominences and the true 
coronal streamers. 
Estimating the height of the various layers of the solar 
atmosphere by two independent methods, Prof. Riecd found 
that that which he calls the ‘‘ reversing layer,’’ or the 
stratum producing the so-called ‘‘ flash spectrum,’’ extends 
to some 3” or 2000 km. (1250 miles). That part of the 
chromosphere which emits D, and F especially has a height 
of about 7” to 9”, whilst the calcium vapours of the chromo- 
sphere extend to about 15” from the base. Photographs 
taken on special plates with a prismatic camera show that 
the maximum brightness of the continuous spectrum of the 
corona occurs in the yellow and red regions. 
Tue ZopracaL Licur.—During the past summer Prof. 
Barnard, at the Yerkes Observatory, made a number of 
observations of the zodiacal light, the results of which he 
now publishes in No. 2, vol. xxiv., of the Astrophysical 
Journal. On June 22 he paid special attention to the 
phenomenon, and found it to be much more extensive than 
he had previously supposed. He concludes that the light 
extends at least 65° north and south of the sun (assuming 
the southern extent to be the same as the northern), a 
value considerably larger than that arrived at by Prof. 
Newcomb, observing in Switzerland, in the summer of 
1905. 
