4IO 



NA TURE 



[August 22, 1901 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include a Patas Monkey (Cercopithecus patas) from 

 West Africa, presented by Mr. U. R. Noble ; two Bonnet 

 Monkeys (Macactis siin'iiis) from India, presented respectively 

 by Mrs. Noble and Miss Weil ; two Ring-tailed Coatis [Nasua 

 rufa) from South America, presented respectively by Mr. 

 Charles North and Mr. E. F. Johnston ; two White-tailed 

 Gr\\xi{Connoiiiaetes gnu) from South Africa, presented by Mr. 

 C. D. Rudd ; an Osprey [Pandion haliaetus) captured at sea, 

 presented by Commander H. Strong; a Toco Toucan (Kam- 

 phastos toco) from Guiana, a Red-billed Toucan (Rainphastos 

 erythrorhymchus) from Cayenne, a Hutchin's Goose (Benncia 

 hukhinsi) from Arctic America, presented by H.E. Sir W. J. 

 Sendall, G.C.M.G. ; two Infernal Snakes [Boodon infernalis), 

 six Rufescent Snakes (Leptodira hotamhaeia), six Rhomb- 

 marked Snakes [Trinierorhimis rhonibeatiis), five Crossed 

 Snakes {Piammophis crucifey), two Rough-keeled Snakes 

 {Dasypeltis scabra) from South Africa, presented by Mr. A. W. 

 Guthrie : a Horned Lizard [Pluynosonia cornutwn) from Texas, 

 presented by Miss Wilson ; an Eyed Lizard (Lacerta ocellata), 

 a Tessellated Snake { Tropidonottts tessellatus). South European, 

 pre.sented by the Rev. F. J. Jervis-Smith, F.R.S. ; a Brindled 

 Gnu (Connochaetes taurina) from East Africa, purchased. 



OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. 



Nov.A Persei. — A telegram from Kiel announces that photo- 

 graphs of Nova Persei, taken on August 19 and 20 by MM. 

 Flammation and Antoniadi, show a nebulous aureola having a 

 definite sharp outline. 



Period of Mira Ceti. — Prof. A. A. Nijland finds from a 

 series of thirty-nine observations of this long-period variable 

 during the interval July 1 7 to September 1 1 , 1 900, that the maxi- 

 mum occurred last year on August 3. As will be seen from the 

 table below, this brings the period back to the short value of 

 1897. {Astronomische Nachrichten, Bd. 156, No. 3733.) 



The Cape Observatory. — The annual report to the 

 Admiralty has recently been issued by Sir David Gill, and 

 summarises the work done at the institution during the year 

 1900. 



The new transit observatory is now satisfactorily erected. It 

 is of sheet steel, having triple sides, thus forming a double series 

 of ventilating shafts, arranged so as to carry off all heated air by 

 convection and deliver it by funnels 13 feet distant from the 

 observing shutter ; this latter is 6 feet wide, formed by the two 

 halves of the building sliding apart. 



The upper part of the structure is semicylindrical, its axis 

 coinciding with that of the transit circle. It is hoped that 

 this symmetry between building and instrument will eliminate 

 abnormal refractions. The double-chambered walls have made 

 it possible to attain practical equality between the external and 

 internal temperatures. 



Transit Citcle. — Much of the transit circle work has consisted 

 of a thorough investigation of the influence of " star magnitude " 

 on the observers' personal equations. The results are given in 

 detail, and indicate that, while there is considerable range in 

 magnitude personality for different observers, every observer 

 records the time of transit of a faint star later than that of a 

 bright one, and also, as a rule, this personality is greater " per 

 magnitude " for faint than for bright stars. Another somewhat 



NO. 1660, VOL. 64] 



unexpected fact brought out by the investigation is that the 

 diherence of personality remains nearly the same (or stars uf 

 very diflerent declination. 



Heliometer. — Regular observations of all oppositions of major 

 planets have been continued — of these fifty-three related to 

 Jupiter, forty to Saturn, forty-four to Uranus and sixty-six to 

 Neptune. Observations were also made of the conjunction of 

 Jupiter and /3 Scorpii, and of the distances of the cusps of the 

 partially eclipsed sun on November 22, 1900. 



AlcClcan Equatorial. — The 24-inch photographic objective 

 has been refigured and forwarded to the Cape from Dublin. 

 The 18-inch visual telescope has been employed in the observa- 

 tion of double stars, thirty-one previously unrecorded pairs being 

 found, nine of which are naked-eye stars. 



In consequence of the absorption of the three heavy flint 

 prisms belonging to the " line of sight," spectrograph they have 

 been replaced by four of lighter glass giving the same total 

 deviation. Mr. McClean, who is providing these, has also 

 generously given an order to Messrs. Zeiss for a second objective 

 prism of 24 inches aperture and 10" refracting angle. 



Physical Laboratory. — Investigations have been in progress 

 by Mr. Lunt dealing with the spectra of oxygen, silicon, 

 aluminium, boron and sulphur, and provision is being made for 

 a further study of the spectra of various gases. 



Astrographic Charts and Catalogue. — One hundred and three 

 triple image chart plates have been passed, bringing up the 

 total to 362. For the revision catalogue, 172 plates have lieen 

 taken. During the year, 124 catalogue plates, containing 71,655 

 stars, have been completely measured in both coordinates in 

 reversed positions of plate. 



South African Surrey. — This has been pushed rapidly forward 

 in Rhodesia, the party reaching latitude 16° 30' S., and they 

 expected to reach the Zambesi by the end of July. The opera- 

 tions for the Anglo-Clerman Boundary Survey are also in steady 

 progress. It is hoped that arrangements will soon be possible 

 for the extension of the survey through the international terri- 

 tories north of Rhodesia, thus bringing the long-wished-for 

 African arc of meridian nearer to practical realisation. 



Observation of Comet a (igoi). — Mr. J. Cresswell, writing 

 from a mining camp near the centre of Borneo, sends a drawing 

 of this comet, which was visible there on May 7-12. He 

 says : — " It was very bright, and had two tails which on May 10 

 were 29A'' apart and on May 12 35° apart. The lower tail was 

 less bright than the upper. I looked for it during the solar 

 eclipse, but did not see it." Further observations were pre- 

 vented by cloud. 



THE AUGUST METEORS OF 1901. 

 "T^HE weather was tolerably clear near the time of the 

 maximum and enabled the shower to be pretty well 

 observed. On August 10, 11 and 12, or on one or two of those 

 nights, a considerable number of meteors were recorded at 

 various places where the clearness of the sky permitted observ- 

 ation. The maximum appears to have occurred rather later 

 than usual, for the greatest number of meteors displayed them- 

 selves on Tuesday morning, August 13, but the state of the sky 

 did not allow the progress of the display to be fully observed 

 during its rise, culmination and fall. 



The first marked indication of the Perseids as a definite 

 shower became apparent on July 21, when the writer at Bristol 

 recorded five swift streak- leaving meteors from a radiant at 

 23+52°, but two of them were imperfectly seen and their 

 directions could be only roughly noted, so that the resulting 

 radiant was not very satisfactory, though there could be no 

 doubt of its actual existence either at or very near to the 

 position assigned. 



Between July 21 and August 10 the development of the 

 shower could not be fully traced, owing to moonlight or cloudy 

 weather. On August 10 the display was moderately rich. 

 There was no special activity on the part of the Perseids, but 

 the minor showers of the period were in prominent evidence 

 and provided meteors as fast as the observer found it convenient 

 to record them. Between about 9h. 30m. and I5h. the total 

 number of meteors seen by the writer at Bristol was 102, but 

 nearly half of the time mentioned was consumed in registering 

 paths. While the observer's attention was, in this manner, 

 diverted from the sky, a large number of meteors must have 

 eluded notice ; of the 102 seen 55 were Perseids. 



On August II the sky was clear until after midnight, and 



