May 



1901] 



NA TURE 



79 



T. Comber and T. Paterson ; (6) Marine Algas, by Mrs. 

 Robertson, Messrs. E. M. Holmes and L. Batters ; (7) 

 Characea:, by Mr. P. Evving ; (8) Lichens, by Mr. G. F. 

 Scott-Elliott ; (9) Fungi (microscopic), by Mr. D. A. 

 Boyd ; (10) Fungi (hymenctnycetas), by Mr. W. Stewart ; 



(11) Fungi (gastromycetas), by Mr. R. B. Johnstone; 



(12) Hepaticffi (Liverworts), by Mr. P. Ewing ; (13) 

 Musci, by Mr. J. Murray ; (14) Filices (Ferns), by Mr. 

 W. Stewart ; (15) Phanerogams, by Mr. P. Ewing. 



The geological part of the handbook which is edited 

 by Dr. Malcolm Laurie has, among others, the following 

 contributions : — Introduction, by Mr. John Home, F.R.S. ; 

 Metamorphic Rocks, by Mr. Peter IVIachair ; Silurian 

 formation, by Mr. John Home, F.R.S. ; Graptolites, by 

 Prof, l.apworth, F.R.S. ; Coals, by Mr. James Thomson ; 

 Old Red Sandstone, by Mr. J. G. Goodchild ; Carboni- 

 ferous Formation, by Mr. J. B. Murdoch ; Plants, by Mr. 

 R. Kidston ; Corals, by Mr. James Thomson ; Ostracoda, 

 by Prof R. Jones and Mr. T. Kirby ; Brachiopoda and 

 Gastropoda, by Mr. James Neilson ; Fishes, by Dr. R. H. 

 Traquair ; Permian Rocks and Glacial Clays, by Mr. 

 John Smith ; Drift Beds and Raised Beaches, by Mr. 

 James Steele and Mr. Thomas Scott ; Rocks and 

 Minerals, by Messrs. J. Sommerville, G. R. Thompson 

 and J. G. Goodchild. Mr. Wm. Armour, C.E., is pre- 

 paring a special geological map of the Clyde Valley for 

 this part of the handbook. 



The tliird handbook is to deal with (a) archaeology of 

 Glasgow, (/') educational institutions of Glasgow, and (c) 

 the medical and charitable institutions of Glasgow. The 

 contributors to part (a) are Mr. Robert Renwick, Town 

 Clerk Depute of Glasgow ; Mr. J. N'eilson, procurator 

 fiscal ; and Mr. P. MacGregor Chalmers, who is 

 contributmg an article on the Glasgow Cathedral. Dr. 

 J. G.' Kerr is editing part (^), and some of tlie more 

 important articles will deal with The University, by 

 Mr. W. Innes-Addison ; The Technical College, by 

 Mr. H. F. Stockdale ; The Training Colleges, by 

 Mr. G. W. Ale.xander ; Agricultural College, by 

 Prof Wright ; Libraries, by Mr. Barrett ; Secondary 

 Education, by Dr. J. G. Kerr ; and Primary Education, by 

 Mr. G. \V. Alexander. Part {c) is edited by Dr. Dickson ; 

 and contributions on the different medical institutions 

 are given by e.xperts such as Dr. Dalzell, Dr. Lindsay 

 Steven, Dr. Alex. Napier, Dr. F. Fergus, Dr. Finlayson, 

 Dr. Chalmers, and others. Prof. Magnus Maclean is the 

 editor of this volume. 



Messrs. Bartholomew are getting ready a specially pre- 

 pared map. This map, along with one of the hand- 

 books, will be presented to each member who attends 

 the meeting, and copies of the other two handbooks may 

 be purchased by members at a reduced price. 



A large number of members from different parts of the 

 United Kingdom have already indicated their intention of 

 being present, and a number of foreigners have also sent in 

 their names, including representative mathematicians, 

 engineers, physicists, botanists and zoologists from 

 Europe and America. 



It has been agreed between the different railway com- 

 panies that return tickets at single fare and a quarter will 

 be issued, from all the principal stations in the kingdom 

 to Glasgow, to members of the British Association, on 

 surrender of a certificate signed by the secretary of the 

 Association to be obtained in the beginning of Sep- 

 tember from the hon. local secretaries, 30, George 

 Square, Glasgow. The tickets will be valid from the day 

 before the first meeting until the day after the last meet- 

 ing. 



The following are the presidents of sections : — Section 

 A (Mathematical and Physical Science), Major P. A. 

 MacMahon, F.R.S. ; B (Chemistry), Prof P. Frankland, 

 F.R.S. ; C (Geology), John Hornei F.R.S.; D (Zoologv), 

 Prof J. CossarEwart, F.R.S. ; E (Geography), Dr. H. R. 

 Mill ; F (Economic Science and Statistics), Sir Robert 



NO. 1647, VOL. 64] 



Giffen, F.R S. ; G (Engineering), Col. R. E. Crompton 

 H (Anthropology), Prof. D. J. Cunningham, F.R.S. 

 I (Physiology), Prof J. G. McKendnck, F.R.S. 

 K (Botany), Prof J. B. Balfour, F.R.S. ; L (Educational 

 Science), Rt. Hon. Sir John E Gorst, F.R.S. 



It is not anticipated that there will be any difficulty in 

 accommodating the members at Glasgow. There are a 

 large number of comfortable hotels and the committee 

 is preparing a list of such hotels, as well as of suitable 

 lodgings and furnished apartments. Many Glasgow 

 citizens have also indicated their desire to ofter private 

 hospitality to members. The Secretarium will probably 

 be in Queen .Margaret Hall, which is situated within five 

 minutes walk of the University. 



M.\GNUS M.\CLE.;^N. 



THE RECENT TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE. 



"T^HE several parties of observers who journeyed so far 

 -'- to see the eclipse on Saturday last were not, it 

 appears, favoured with such good weather conditions as 

 obtained during the previous two eclipses in India and 

 Spain. No detailed accounts of the results are yet to 

 hand, but from several brief telegrams in the daily Press 

 we may gather a summary of the general observations 

 made. 



Mauritius. — The observers at the Government Royal 

 Alfred Observatory at Mauritius appear to have had the 

 greatest success. Even here the partial phases were 

 only incompletely determined owing to clouds, the first 

 contact being quite lost ; the last three contacts were, 

 however, determined fairly well. The party at this 

 station consisted of twenty-two observers. With respect 

 to the total eclipse itself, fifty-two photographs of the 

 corona were obtained with the Mauritius photohelio- 

 graph, the Greenwich coronograph, the Newbegin tele- 

 scope and several smaller cameras. In addition, 

 forty-one photographs of the partial phase were taken 

 for determining the diameter and place of the moon as 

 a control over the ephemeris data, and eighteen photo- 

 graphs of the spectrum of the eclipsed sun's surroundings. 



Drawings were made with a 6-inch telescope, and a 

 kinematographic record of the eclipse also obtained. 



Mr. Cla.xton had organised a comprehensive scheme 

 of meteorological observations. The general report from 

 this station is that the corona was of the expected 

 minimum type, but fainter, more yellow and diffused 

 than that observed in Spain last year. 



Sumatra. — The expeditions to the Eastern .\rchipelago 

 did not have a clear sky durmg totality. The instru- 

 ments from Greenwich, in charge of Messrs. Dyson and 

 Atkinson, were set up on the volcanic island of Auer 

 Gedang, about six miles from the coast of Sumatra, on 

 the central line of totality. Here the sky was covered 

 with heavy rainclouds during the morning, rendering the 

 prospect anything but hopeful. A slight improvement 

 took place as the time of eclipse drew near, but un- 

 fortunately the sky never quite cleared. The form of 

 the corona was observed, and the planets Mercury and 

 \'enus seen. Totality lasted 6 min. 21 sec. 



The Dutch party in the same neighbourhood — at 

 Karang Sago — were somewhat more successful, although 

 there the sky was throughout covered with thin clouds. 



Successful photographs are reported to have been 

 obtained of the corona with different telescopes, and 

 photographs of the spectra of the corona and chromo- 

 sphere with two spectrographs. Several other branches 

 of investigation, including photographs with the prismatic 

 camera, measurements of polarisation of coronal light 

 and determination of heat radiation of the corona, were 

 unsuccessful. 



The observations at the inland station of Solok were 

 an almost total failure. 



