May 2, 1 901] 



NA TURE 



special notice. Of the cheap stands, the American type micro- 

 scope (F.) is undoubtedly of good design. The horse-shoe foot 

 is replaced by one of a much more stable tripod form, and the 

 arm carrying the tubes and adjustments is particularly well made, 

 givmg freedom all round the stage while securing a firm support 

 for the body-tube. All the usual microscope accessories are 

 listed, but there is nothing of such special design as to call for 

 particular notice. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during 

 the past week include two Wild Swine {Siis sirofa, t5 9 ), 

 European, presented by H.M. the King ; a Leopard (Felis 

 paidtts) from West Africa, presented by Captain Guy Burrows ; 

 an Eland (Orias canna, i) from South Africa, presented by 

 the Duke of Bedford ; two Grey-breasted Parrakeets (Myopsit- 

 tacus moiiachus) from Monte \'ideo, presented by Mrs. Brown- 

 rigg ; two Ground Snakes ( Typhlops exocoeti) from Christmas 

 Island, presented by Sir John Murray, K.C.B., F.R.S. ; a 

 Grey-cheeked Mangabey (Cercocebus albigena) from W'est 

 Africa, a Brazilian Tree Porcupine {Sphingunis prehensi/is) 

 from South America, two Black Tortoises ( Testtido nigra) from 

 the Galapagos Islands, three Dark Green Snakes {Zanienis 

 gemonensis), two Smooth Snakes [Coronella austriaca), Euro- 

 pean, deposited; a Sambur Deer (Cervus arislolelis,S) from 

 India, two Javan Peafowls (Pavo spicifer, <J 9 ) from Java, two 

 Peacock Pheasants [Polyplectron chimjiiis, $ 9 ) from British 

 Burmah, two Australian Sacred Ibises {Hits strictipennii) from 

 Australia, two Summer Ducks (.-Ex sponsa i 9 ) from North 

 America, two Blood-breasted Pigeons (Phlogaeiias hizoniia) 

 from the Philippine Islands, four Ruffs (Machetes piigimx, £ $ , 

 9 9), twelve Green Lizards (Lacerta viridis), European, 

 purchased. 



OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. 



Comet a (1901). — The Sydney correspondent of the Times 

 reports that a brilliant comet was seen early on Tuesday 

 morning (April 23) at various stations throughout the Austra- 

 lian continent. It was stated to have been near the star 

 Aldebaran (o Tauri). 



On Friday, the 26th ult., a telegram received from Dr. Gill 

 announced that the new comet had been observed from the 

 Cape Observatory. It was very brilliant, having a compound 

 triple tail about 10" long. The comet was observed on the 

 eastern horizon some two hours before sunrise and was rapidly 

 approaching the sun, so that it may be expected to become 

 more brilliant as perihelion is passed. It was seen by the ob- 

 servers at the Yerkes Observatory at Wisconsin early on Saturday 

 morning last, about 15° north of the sun. This indicated that 

 it had made a very rapid north-westerly movement in relation 

 to its position when seen at the Cape. It was visible for fully 

 twenty minutes before sunrise and about fifteen minutes after, 

 and is considered the brightest comet seen for the last nineteen 

 years. No account has yet been received of the comet having 

 been seen in this country. 



THE APRIL METEORS OF \()o\. 



A SERIES of very clear nights enabled these objects to be 

 ■^ looked for in favourable circumstances this year. More- 

 over, the m.oon was absent, so that the smaller class of meteors 

 could be well seen projected on the dark blue of the cloudless 

 sky. Meteors are usually very rare in April, and it is only the 

 shower of Lyrids, occurring in past years on about the 20th, 

 that has made the month interesting to meteoric observers. The 

 display apparently returns annually, but it is often inconspicuous 

 and rarely proves as rich as the August Perseids. 



On April 13, 17, 18 and 19 I maintaineda watch of the north- 

 east region of sky, but found meteors scarce and there were very 

 few Lyrids. The minor showers of the epoch gave little sign of 

 their presence ; in fact, meteoric apparitions were so few and 

 far between that observers found their patience sorely tested. 

 Prof. Herschel watched perseveringly at Slough on the nights 



NO. 1644, VOL. 64] 



uf April 10, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17, and, in the aggregate, only 

 recorded twenty meteors in S.J hours. 



On April 20 at Bristol the sky was brilliantly clear, and I 

 kept a look-out during about five hours of the period from 

 9h. 50m. to I5h. 30m, but observed only twenty-nine meteors. 

 Not a single Lyrid was included amongst them, though several 

 bright, swift-moving meteors fell from a bordering radiant at 

 261' -I- 36° in Hercules. 



On April 21 the firmament was less favourable, but soon after 

 commencing to watch at gh. 45m. X found meteors extremely 

 numerous. Several of the minor showers were very active, 

 and the Lyrids formed a pretty rich display. During 3^,- hours' 

 watching, up to I4h. (allowing for occasional interruptions by 

 clouds), I counted fifty-two meteors, and of these there were 

 twenty-five Lyrids from a radiant about 5 degrees in diameter 

 with 270° -I- 33° as a centre. But while registering the ob- 

 served paths of the meteors seen, many others must have eluded 

 detection. The horary rate of meteoric apparitions for a con- 

 tinuous watch of the firmament by one observer would have been 

 about 25 and the proportion of Lyrids 12. The figures repre- 

 sent rather an unusual display, though falling far short of the 

 strength of the Perseids and some other periodical showers. It 

 must be remembered, however, that at the epoch of the Lyrids 

 meteors are generally very rare, and that the principal shower is 

 itself sometimes very feeble, if not quite invisible. 



The fact of the maximum being so definitely marked on 

 April 21, while there was a comparative absence of Lyrids on 

 April 19 and 20, shows that for some time in future we must 

 expect these meteors on the former date. This is, no doubt, 

 owing to 1900 not having been a leap year. And the shoiver 

 appears to be a very fugitive, short-lived one, or it must have 

 exhibited more decided traces on April 19 and 20. Though I 

 saw no Lyrids whatever at Bristol on April 20, Prof Herschel 

 informs me that he observed 5 during the night. 



Nearly all the Lyrids seen this year were accompanied with 

 streaks ; this feature was, indeed, as well shown as it usually 

 is in the case of the Perseids, Orionids and Leonids. When the 

 radiant was rather low on April 21, the apparent motions were 

 estimated as slow and slowish ; but in the later hours of the 

 night, with increasing altitude of the radiant, the velocity 

 appeared much swifter. 



Some of the meteors from Lyra and other constellations were 

 very interesting, and in the following list I have made a few 

 selections in the hope that the objects may have been observed 

 elsewhere, and that the requisite data may be obtained for com- 

 puting their real paths in the air. 



.\pril 21 ... 10 9 l ... 2784-1-52 ... 304 -^70 Lyrid 



10 41 3 ... 202 -1-40 ... 213.^-1- 7 a-;8 Perseid 



10 50 2 ... 210 -1-50 ... 171 4-40 Lyrid 



10 59 2 ... 218 -1-52 ... 255 -t-75 Virginid 



11 23 1 ... 70 -f57 ... 88 -t-5o Cassiopeid 



12 47 2 ... 269 4-46 ... 305 -(-49 \'irginid 



13 7 :i ... 242 -1-74 ... 130 -f74 Lyrid 



On April 20, at loh. 35m., I noticed a brilliant double flash, 

 caused probably by a large meteor at a low altitude, and hidden 

 from my view by houses m this locality. 



Two meteors appearing on April 18 were mutually observed 

 at Slough and Bristol. The first was seen at I3h. 19m., and it 

 fell from an altitude of 83 to 55 miles over Oxfordshire. The 

 radiant was at 266° -I- 33°, so the meteor was an early Lyrid, and 

 it having been well seen at both stations, the direction of its 

 flight was recorded with considerable accuracy. The position 

 of its radiant at 266° -I- 33°, as compared with the general Lyrid 

 centre at 270° -1-33° three nights later, on April 21, proves that 

 this shower, like that of the August Perseids, exhibits a radiant 

 moving eastwards at the rate of about one degree per day. The 

 second meteor doubly observed was registered at I4h. 47m., and 

 it descended from 58 to 44 miles over the borders of Gloucester- 

 shire and Oxfordshire. The radiant was at 247°± 0°, so the 

 meteor belonged to one of the minor shosvers of the epoch. 



Since writing the above I have learnt that two bright meteors, 

 the 1st and 5th in the above list, were observed by Mr. C. L. 

 Brook at Meltham, near Huddersfield, as well as at Bristol. 

 The first was a Lyrid with radiant at 268° -f 30°, and it fell from 

 79 to 54 miles in height over the Midlands. Its length of path 

 was 60 miles and velocity 40 miles per second. The other 

 meteor was a Cassiopeid belonging to a radiant at 21° -1-59', 



