62 



NATURE 



[May 19, 1904 



of Columbia University; and Mr. C. S. Myers, of the 

 University of Cambridge. 



Messrs. Pastorelu .4ND Rapkin, Ltd., have submitted 

 to us for inspection specimens of their patent " dial " baro- 

 graph and of their student's standard barometer. In the 

 case of the barograph we notice that the action of both 

 dial hand and recording arm is simultaneous, the same 

 movement controlling the two. Should the pen not in- 

 dicate upon the chart a reading coinciding with that shown 

 by the dial hand, this can be rectified by means of a milled 

 head at the side of the dial case. Another milled head 

 moves pen and dial hand simultaneously, and thus makes 

 it possible to set the instrument to agree with a standard 

 barometer, or to adjust for altitude correction. The 

 student's standard barometer is constructed on the Fortin 

 principle, and provides an accurate instrument at a 

 moderate cost. 



The new issue— that for 1904 — of the " Statesman's Year- 

 Book " (Macmillan, los. 6d. net), edited by Dr. Scott Keltie 

 with the assistance of Mr. I. P. A. Renwick, contains 

 several novel and valuable features. The introductory 

 section of the volumo includes statistical tables and 

 diagrams e.xhibiting with admirable clearness the conditions 

 of British trade and shipping from i860 down to last year. 

 A diagram is also included showing the distribution among 

 the various fleets of the Belleville and other boilers. 

 Panama, as an independent State, is accorded a separate 

 section, as are also the See and Church of Rome, which in 

 former issues have appeared together as a section under 

 Italy. The statistics in other parts of the volume (which 

 runs to 1398 pages) have been brought up to date by the 

 aid of official returns. The annual publication of this com- 

 pendium of the most trustworthy information available as 

 to the various States of the world is a convenience to every- 

 one interested in political geography and a necessity to all 

 who have to make use of books of reference. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during 

 the past week include a Black-eared Marmoset {Hapale 

 penicillaia) from South-east Brazil, presented by the Hon. 

 Mrs. Algernon Bourke ; four Smith's Dwarf Lemurs 

 (Microcehus smithi) from Madagascar, a Bosnian's Potto 

 (Perodicticus potto) from West Africa, presented by Mr. 

 Percy H. Stormont; a Mona Monkey (Cercopithecus 

 mona) from West Africa, presented by Mr. W. Hughes; 

 a Common Raccoon (Procyon lotor) from North America, 

 presented by Mr. P. Estcourt Holland ; three Blood-breasted 

 Pigeons (Phlogaenas luzonica) from the Philippine Islands, 

 presented by Dr. L. Wynne Davies ; a Vervet Monkey 

 (Cercopithecus talandii) from South Africa, presented by 

 Mr. J. Smyth; two Lobed Chameleons (Chamacleon parvi- 

 lobiis) from South Africa, presented by Mrs. Cox ; a 

 Tarantula Spider (Avicularia avicularia) from the Lower 

 Amazons, presented by Mr. J. W. A. Watkins ; an Anti- 

 lopine Kangaroo (Wacro/)i(s antilopiiius) from North 

 Australia, a Yellow-handpd Howler {Mycetes beelzebul) 

 from the Lower Amazons, a Senegal Galago (Galago 

 sene galensis) from Senegal, a Common Wolf {Canis lupus), 

 two European Sousliks {Spermophilus citellus), European ; 

 a Dingo {Canis dingo) from Australia, two Grooved 

 Tortoises (Testudo calcarata) from South .Africa, deposited ; 

 two Spoonbills {Platalea leucorodia), two Cayman Island 

 Amazons {Chrysotis caymanensis) from the Grand Cayman, 

 purchased ; a Corean Bull (Bos taiirus, var.), three Crab- 

 eating Raccoons (Procyon lotor), born in the Gardens. 

 NO. 1803, VOL. 70] 



4 OUH A:^I HOJ^OMICAL Cl)I.UMN 



June Meteors. — June does not usually prove itself a very 

 prolific month in furnishing meteors, and a sutTicient reason 

 is found in the strong twilight prevailing in high northern 

 latitudes at this period. But there are a few very interest- 

 ing showers to be observed. Very brilliant meteors are 

 often directed from near Antares (a Scorpii), the radiant 

 being at 252°-2i°. Nearly every year one or several fire- 

 balls from this southern stream appear over England, but 

 the observations are often not sufficiently exact and 

 numerous for their real paths to be determined. 



There is an active radiant in June from 3i3°-|-6o° near 

 a Cephei. These meteors are swift, and they may quite 

 possibly be connected with comet 1850 I., which has a 

 radiant on June 23-24 in same position. 



There is another shower in Cepheus from 335°-|-S7'' near 

 f, which is particularly well defined at midsummer, and 

 seems to be actively continued during July, August and 

 September. 



June is also a good month for Cygnids. There are fairly 

 active showers from $, 0, 5 and a Cygni. In June, 1887, 

 a number of meteors were seen diverging from radiants at 

 252°-)- 11° (near a Herculis), 274°-|-69'' (m Draconis), and 

 28o°-|-43° (a Lyra;). It is probable that all these showers 

 recur annually, though with variable strength. 



A Spectroheliograph for the Catania Observatory. — 

 Prof. Orlando, the Italian Minister of Public Instruction, 

 has granted L3000 (125/.) to the Observatory of Catania for 

 the purchase of a spectroheliograph. The acquisition of 

 such an instrument will enable Profs. Ricco and Tacchini 

 to participate more fully in the proposed international daily 

 study of the solar phenomena, and thereby add to the 

 important solar work which has already been performed 

 at the Observatory of Catania. 



The Parallax of a. Andromed.e. — In a letter to the May 

 issue of the Observatory, Mr. J. E. Gore directs the atten- 

 tion of those astronomers who are engaged in parallax 

 determinations to the spectroscopic binary A Andromedse. 

 From a consideration of the published elements it appears 

 that the mass of the bright component of this system is 

 only about one-tenth that of the sun. In order that a body 

 with this mass and with a surface luminosity equal to that 

 of the sun might appear as bright as \ Andromedae 

 (mag. =4-0), it would have to be comparatively near to the 

 earth. Mr. Gore's theoretical value of the parallax is 

 o"-34, and this is probably too low, for a comparison of their 

 respective spectra leads to the conclusion that the surface 

 luminosity of the sun is the greater. The star has a con- 

 siderable proper motion, equal to 00157 '" R-A. and o"-425 

 in declination, according to the Greenwich ten year cata- 

 logue. 



The Repsold Registering Micrometer. — In No. 3943 

 of the Astronomische Nachricliten, Prof. K. Oertel discusses 

 the results obtained with the Repsold self-registering micro- 

 meter which is attached to the meridian circle of the 

 Munchen Observatory. 



An analysis of these results leads Prof. Oertel to claim 

 many advantages for this instrument as compared with the 

 older form of micrometer. .^mong other advantages he 

 mentions the following ; — The personal equation is either 

 entirely absent or extremely small. Differences of magni- 

 tude in the observed stars do not influence the results. The 

 accuracy of the results is greater than in the older method. 

 The observations take less time, one observer being able 

 to observe between thirty and forty stars, in both co- 

 ordinates, during one hour. 



The Spectroscopic Binary 13 Aurig.*. — In an article pub- 

 lished in No. 3944 of the Astronomische Nacliricliten . Prof. 

 Vogel contests the validity of Herr Tikhoff's conclusions 

 {Astronomische Nachricliten. No. 3916) concerning the 

 system of the spectroscopic binary /3 -Auriga, which stated 

 that the system was probably made up of two separate pairs, 

 and that the period was 3d. 23h. 3o-4m. From the reduc- 

 tion of thirty-nine spectrograms obtained between December 

 22, 1903, and February 9, 1904, Prof. Vogel concludes that 

 the period is 3d. 23h. 2m. i5s.+5s., and that the orbit is 

 nearly circular in form. He also states that the reason for 

 believing the system to be made up of four bodies is, to 

 him, obscure. 



