4^6 



NATURE 



[Mar. 28, 1872 



We might expect, if there really is a behaviour of sun- 

 spots depending upon the position of Venus, and of the 

 nature herein stated, that the average area of a spot as it 

 passes the central longitude of the disc ought to be 



greatest when Venus is iSo^ from the earth, and least 

 when Venus and the earth are together, and the same 

 ought to hold for Mercury and for Jupiter, if these planets 

 have any influence. Taking the mean of the four central 



areas a? giving the best value of the araea of a spot its 

 passes the centre, we have for Venus the following 

 results : — 



Mean of 4 central areas, 



(A) (B) (C) (D) 

 44741 57426 46068 3309s 



and the number of groups for these are as follows : — 

 329 265 150 i8r 



hence the mcaa area of one group will be, — 

 195 217 307 183 



from which we get (A.)= 195 ; mean of (B) and (D) = 200 ; 



(C) =: 307 ; that is to say, A is least, and C is greatest. 



Doing the same in the case of Mercury, we get 



(A) = 204 ; mean of (B) and (D) = 217 ; (C) = 246 ; 



and finally, doing the same in the case of Jupiter, we get 

 (A) = 185 ; mean of (B) and (D) = 207 ; (C) = 2S2 ; 



it thus appears that in all these cases the same order is 



preserved. 



13. We leave it to others to remark upon the nature 

 and strength of the evidence now deduced as to a con- 

 nection of some sort between the behaviour of sun-spots 

 and the positions of the planets Venus and Mercury. We 

 think, however, it must be allowed, that the investigation 

 is one of interest and importance, and we trust that 

 arrangements may be made for the systematic continuance 

 of solar observations in such localities as will ensure to us 

 a daily picture of the sun's disc. 



The influence of blank days in diminishing the value of 

 a series of sun-observations is very manifest. We have 

 been able to record the behaviour across the sun's disc of 

 421 groups of Carrington's series for a total number of 

 885 groups, and we have been able to record the same 

 behaviour for 373 out of 544 groups observed at Kew. 

 Thus, out of a total of 1,429 groups, we have only been 

 able to record the behaviour of 794. Nor are the records 

 which we have obtained so perfect as we could wish, on 

 account of blank days, which make interpolations 

 necessary. It is therefore of much importance for the 

 future of such researches as the present that there should 

 be several obscrving-stations so placed that we may reckon 

 on having at least a daily picture of the sun's disc. 



It will be easily seen that such observations are very 

 different from experiments which may be multiplied ««? 

 libitum ; for in this case Nature gives us in a year or in 

 ten years a certain amount of information, and no more ; 

 while it depends upon ourselves to make a good use of the 

 information which she aflords. 



It is already universally acknowledged that we ought to 

 make the best possible use of the few precious moments 

 of a total eclipse ; but such observations must necessarily 

 be incomplete unless they are followed up by the equally 

 important if more laborious task of recording the sun's 

 surface from day to day. 



RHINOCEROSES 



'HP HE few species of Rhinoceros which now exist on the 

 -'- world's surface are divisible into two distinct groups, 

 one of which inhabits Africa, the other certain portions of 

 Asia. The Asiatic rhinoceroses are readily distinguishable 

 from their v4ithiopian brethren by the presence of incisor 

 teeth throughout life, and by the remarkable folds of the 

 skin. In the African rhinoceroses the incisor teeth are 

 absent, or rather never cut the gums, and the skin is 

 smooth, or, at all events presents scarcely any appearance 

 of the peculiar folds which distinguish the Asiatic species. 



Commencing with the Asiatic group, the great Indian 

 rhinoceros {Rhinoceros uniconiis) is the largest, oldest, 

 and best known species. Of this animal the Zoological 

 .Society's Collection contains two adult specimens — a 

 female, purchased in 1S50, and a male, presented by Mr. 

 Grote in 1S64. But long before the arrival of these 

 animals the large Indian rhinoceros was represented in 

 the Society's Collection by a specimen which died in 1S49, 

 and which formed one of the subjects of Prof. Owen's 

 elaborate memoir upon the anatomy of this animal, pub- 

 lished in the Society's "Transactions," vol. iv., p. 31. 



The habitat of the large Indian rhinoceros is the 

 wooded distiict called the Terai, which lies along the foot 

 of the Himalayas from Nepaul to Bhotan, and thence ex- 

 tends into Assam. 



The Sondaic rhinoceros {Rhinoceros soiidaicus) appears 

 to be very like its larger brother in general conformation, 

 having hni one horn on its nose, and the same compli- 

 cated folds of the skin. It is, however, much smaller in 

 size, and, according to the best authorities, presents cer- 

 tain well-marked cranial characters, which render it easily 

 distinguishable. This rhinoceros was, until recently, sup- 

 posed to be confined to Java, Sumatra, and Borneo, in 

 which latter island, however, its existence in the present 

 epoch is somewhat problematical.* 



Mr. Blyth, however, has recently shown that the one- 

 horned rhinoceros of the Malay peninsula is in all proba- 

 bility referable to this species, and that the rhinoceros 

 which occurs in the Sunderbunds of Bengal is most likely 

 the same animal. 



Of the Sondaic rhinoceros, the Zoological Society has 



« Sec BiHk in Proc. Z03I. Soc. i85q, p. 419, nnl Fra5-?r, /«•/., p. 20. 



