53% 
NATURE 
[JANUARY 31, 1907 
to the values in the annual volumes. These corrections 
are again three in number :—one required by the Chandler 
change in latitude; a correction depending, apparently, on 
some function of zenith distance, and which embraces 
flexure of the telescope and circle, and removes small un- 
certainties in the refraction tables. The necessity for the 
third correction is a little obscure. It is asserted to be 
necessary on account of small possible errors in the deter- 
mination of the nadir, or to remove errors arising from 
abnormal refraction or irregular heating or flexure of the 
instrument. More details as to the manner in which the 
last correction has been derived would be welcome. It is 
contended that the application is justified, since the amount 
of the probable error of observation is reduced. 
A feature of great interest is the comparison between 
the final places of the catalogue and those given in the 
earlier Cape catalogues or by other authorities. The main 
object is, of course, to derive the proper motion, but the 
real interest centres in the systematic deviations from other 
catalogues, mainly in the discrepancies shown by those of 
Cordova. It is impossible within narrow limits to do 
justice to this discussion, but the points raised are of the 
highest importance in observational astronomy, and 
exercise considerable influence on some questions of 
cosmical interest. 
The second work on our list contains four catalogues. 
Two of these are quite small, and can be dismissed forth- 
with. One contains nearly a thousand stars culminating 
south of the zenith of the Cape Observatory. This list 
includes all stars brighter than 85 magnitude which 
are in the Cape Photographic Durchmusterung, but not 
in any catalogue of precision; also stars observed with 
comets or used in survey operations. The main portion, 
consisting of 3365 stars, culminating north of the Cape 
zenith, is of more interest and importance. The greater 
number of the stars is due to the prosecution of a scheme 
submitted by Sir David Gill to the Comité international 
des Etoiles fondamentales with the view of forming a 
zodiacal catalogue sufficiently wide to permit the determin- 
ation of the moon’s place at any observatory and in any 
part of its orbit by heliometer measures of the distance 
and position angle of a lunar crater from suitably surround- 
ing stars, or of determining in a similar way the position 
of any of the larger planets. Of course, it is not possible 
to determine with the highest accuracy all stars which 
may be employed for such purposes, but it is hoped that 
by concentrating the attention of meridian observers on a 
select number of stars, suitably situated, and by adopting 
processes likely to eliminate systematic errors, a very 
considerable improvement in accuracy may result. Several 
observatories have shown their approval of the scheme by 
taking part in the observations, and it is hoped that an 
adequate determination of star places for 1900 will be the 
outcome, while observations repeated at intervals of 
twenty-five years would provide all the data required for 
the most rigorous determination of the places of moon and 
planets. 
The third work is different in its design and more com- 
prehensive in its plan. The star positions for which the 
means of reduction are supplied number no less than 
65,750, and when it is remembered that these stars are 
situated in a narrow zone, two degrees in width, on the 
small circle of 31° dec., we are able to learn something 
of the magnificence of the scheme which proposes to treat 
the whole sky on a uniform plan. What strikes one with 
the most force is the fact that a small observatory, the 
funds of which are necessarily strictly limited by the 
many demands that are made on the university chest, has 
been able to carry to a successful issue a scheme of such 
magnitude: has competed with the resources of great 
national observatories, and has found itself second to none. 
Prof. Turner has exhibited qualities of administration of 
the highest order. He has known how to impart to a 
comparatively untrained staff the enthusiasm which he 
himself experienced, and to secure in every part of the 
work that uniformity of excellence and rigorous accuracy 
which are essential for the maintenance of its international 
repute. To him and to the little band which has nobly 
seconded his efforts we can only offer our heartiest 
congratulations. 
NO. 1944, VOL. 75 | 
Since Prof. Turner has recalled in the most prominent 
manner to what extent the scheme has benefited by those 
who were responsible for the conduct of the observatory in 
the past, it is not out of place to record here that it was 
the well-placed generosity of Warren de la Rue that 
enabled the University of Oxford to play a worthy part 
in the plan which has been brought to so happy a com- 
pletion. It is encouraging to remember that the energy of 
the late Prof. Pritchard was not exhausted, and that, at 
the age of seventy-nine, he could contemplate embarking 
upon a new and arduous enterprise. This is the first 
volume of eight that will appear, and there can be no 
hesitation in saying that the completion of such a work 
amply justifies the existence of the University Observatory. 
Twenty years have passed since de la Rue made his gift, 
and practically for twenty years the staff of the observ- 
atory has been devoted to the completion of this task. 
Some slight conception of its extent can be inferred from 
the fact that the titles of the papers immediately con- 
nected with this subject fill more than three quarto pages. 
At the end of a long article it is impossible to do justice 
to the many technical points that are necessarily raised 
in the introduction. It must suffice to illustrate the general 
policy that Prof. Turner has pursued. This will enable 
us better to appreciate the exercise of those qualities of 
administration which have proved so effective. The star 
images have been measured to the thousandth part of the 
distance between the réseau lines, subtending an angle 
of 300 seconds in the focal plane of the telescope, or the 
limit of accuracy has been set at o”.3. This may or may 
not be the greatest accuracy to which it is desirable to 
aim, but to have attempted another place of decimals 
would, says Prof. Turner, have delayed the completion of 
the work, with the limited staff at Oxford, for several 
years, and perhaps imperilled its completion altogether. 
This recognition of his limitations has been amply justified. 
Again, it no doubt required considerable self-restraint to 
confine the measures to one series of images, since greater 
accuracy would probably have been obtained if the measures 
had been distributed over more images rather than confined 
to repeated bisections of the same; but such a process 
would involve the additional labour of taking means 
between quantities which were not similar, and so give 
additional risk of numerical errors. Prof. Turner is no 
doubt warranted in asserting that a just relation has been 
maintained between the labour expended and the accuracy 
attained. W.. 3B PE 
UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 
INTELLIGENCE. 
CampBripGE.—In accordance with the regulations for the 
administration of the Gordon Wigan fund, the special 
board for physics and chemistry reports that the first award 
of the prize of 5ol.-from the Gordon Wigan income for 
physics and chemistry for a research in chemistry has 
been made to F. E. E, Lamplough, scholar (now fellow) 
of Trinity College, for his research on the determination 
of the rate of chemical change by measurement of gases 
evolved. 
Dr. Hobson, of Christ’s College, has been appointed 
chairman for the mathematical tripos, part ii., for the 
year 1907. 
A course of lectures on special zoological subjects is 
being given at the zoological laboratory during the Lent 
term. The course includes lectures by the following :— 
Mr. Forster Cooper, on living and extinct elephants; Mr. 
Stanley Gardiner, (1) marine rock formations, (2) the dis- 
tribution of marine animals; Mr. Imms, some recent dis- 
coveries in the morphology of insects; Mr. Perrin, 
trypanosomes and spirochaetes; Mr. Potts, parasitism in 
the Crustacea; Mr. Punnett, (1) metamerism, (2) sex; 
Mr. Gadow is lecturing on ‘‘ Environment and Geo- 
graphical Distribution of Animals’’ during the Lent and 
Easter terms. : 
Pror. GeorG Kteps, director of the botanical institute 
of Halle University, has been elected to succeed Prof. 
Pfitzer at the University of Heidelberg. 
oe 
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