iS& 



NATURE 



[yune 14, 1883. 



matite veins in another paper, but he meanwhile points out that 

 these veins are subsequent to the formation of the granitite and 

 gneiss, and that, like the quartz veins, they are of aqueous 

 origin. 



In connection with the celebration of the centenary of 

 ballooning, some foolhardy aeronauts have been attempting to 

 cross the Channel through the fickle air. One, named L'Hoste, 

 who started on Friday night from Boulogne, was missing till 

 yesterday, when news reached Paris from Antwerp that he had 

 been rescued in the North Sea by a French lugger bound for 

 that town. 



The Swedish Academy of Agriculture has proposed to the 

 Government that a sum of 50/. be granted to Dr. R. Lund- 

 berg for a visit to the International Fisheries Exhibition. The 

 proposal will most likely be granted. 



On May 28, between 6 and 7.30 p.m., a magnificent mirage 

 was seen at Finsbo, in Norra Ryrs parish, Sweden. During 

 nearly two hours, with intervals of three to four minutes, a 

 panoramic landscape was seen, with mountains, lakes, forests, 

 and farms. To the eye the view appeared as if only three- 

 quarters to one (English) mile distant. 



Last year several Swedish merchants contributed a sum of 

 100/. to enable the Swedish Doctor of Zoology, C. Bovallius, 

 who has been travelling in Central America, to forward rare 

 zoological specimens to the Upsala University. Herr Bovallius 

 has from time to time sent some valuable collections of insects 

 and birds to this institution. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include an Ourang-outang (Simia salyrus 9 ) from 

 Sumatra, presented by Mr. J. M. Vermont ; two Duyker Boks 

 (Cephalophus mcrgem £ 9 ) from South Africa, presented by 

 Mr. H. H. Trevor; a Philippine Paradoxure (Paradoxurus 

 pre/iensilis) from the Philippine Islands, presented by Mr. A. 

 Burgess ; a King Parrakeet (Aprosmictits scapulatus) from 

 Australia, presented by Mrs. Lewin ; a Lesser Sulphur-crested 

 Cockatoo (Caca/ua iulphurea) from Moluccas, presented by J. 

 Snowdon Henry, F.Z.S. ; two Viperine Snakes (Tropidonotus 

 viperinus), a Dark Green Snake (Zamenis atrovirens) from 

 North Africa, presented by Mr. J. C. J. Church ; two Aye-ayes 

 (Chiromys madagascarieusis) from Madagascar, a Carpet Snake 

 (Morelia variegata) from Australia, received on approval ; a 

 Hybrid Luhdorf's Deer (between Cervus leuhdorfi £ and C. 

 canadensis 9 ), ten Australian Wild Ducks (Anas superciliosa) 

 bred in the Gardens. 



OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN 

 Cometary Refraction. — M. W. Meyer, of the Observa- 

 tory of Geneva, has published a discussion of three series of 

 micrometrical observations, made during as many near ap- 

 proaches of the great comet of 1881 (i88t III.) to stars, when 

 the latter were seen through the denser parts of the head of the 

 comet, the immediate object of the micrometrical measures of 

 distance between the nucleus and the star being the detection of 

 any deflection or refraction of the light of the star in passing 

 through the cojretic nebulosity. This comet offered a great 

 advantage in an invesligatijn of the kind, inasmuch as its 

 nucleus had perfectly the appearance of a fixed star. M. 

 Gustave Cellerier had treated the question from a theoretical 

 point of view in a memoir published in Archives des Sciences 

 Physiques el Naturelles, of Geneva, of October 15, 1882; the 

 conclusions are reproduced in abstract by M. Meyer, who has 

 applied the resulting formula; to the case in question. The first 

 series of observations was made on June 29, 1S81, when the 

 comet passed close to the star 519 of Durchmusterung + 65°, 

 which is No. 6594 in Oeltzen's Catalogue, of 7-8 mag. The | 



second series, on July 13, when the comet appronched the star 

 1 Draconis (Hev.) within about 38", and the third series on 

 August I, when it passed about 24" fram a star of 910 mig. 

 For details of the methud of treating the observations we mu-t 

 refer to M. Meyer's paper, which appears in Memoires de la 

 SocUli dt Physique et a" Histoirt Naturtlle dc Geneve, t. xxviii. ; 

 he sums up his conclusions as follows : — " La substance dont la 

 chevelure de la grande comete de 1S81 a ete co.nposee s'est 

 optiquement comportee conime un ga/, et sa puissance refractive 

 a une distance de 10,200 kil. du noyau a ete pendant l'epoque 

 des observations de 0-0000093. La pression de ce gaz diminuait 

 dans les regions etudiees proporiio.inell.-ment au carre de la 

 distance au noyau." lie does nit venture to say, however, that 

 this value exactly represents the refractive power of the comet, 

 though he believes in a measurable force. 



M. Meyer remarks that previous attempts to detect a deflection 

 of light in traversing the substance of a comet had led only to 

 negative results, lies-el availed himself of the conjunction of" 

 Halley's Comet with a star of the tenth magnitude on September 

 29, 1835, to discover by heliometric measures an effect of this 

 kind, but without success. His measures have been subjected 

 to a new reduction, in accordance with M. Cellerier 's theory, by 

 M. Meyer, though with similar negative result. 



KEPLER'S Nova ok 1604. — The position of this famous star 

 is now favourably situated for observation. It is most readily 

 fou id by reference to a star of 89 mag., which occurs in Arge- 

 lander's southern zones, and which is No. 16872 of Oeltzen's 

 Catalogue. The place of this star for lS83'ois in right ascension. 

 17b. 24111. 29s., declination - 21° 23' 34". By Prof. Schon- 

 feld's reduction of the observati ins of Kabricius in 1604, Kepler's 

 star would precede 25-35. in R.A. o' - S to the north. There is a 

 star Il'i2m. preceding 179s. and i''6 south of Argelander's, 

 and another 12111. preceding 33'2s. and z''J north ; it is to the 

 latter object, which was observed by Prof. Winnecke in 1875, 

 though nut previously glimpsed with a refractor of 7 inches aper- 

 ture, that attention may be chiefly directed. It is to be re- 

 marked that the position of Kepler's star is liable to greater 

 uncertainty than that of Tycho's star in 1572. It is very desir- 

 able that whatever may be the result of examination of the 

 vicinity, it should be put upon record (of course with the corre- 

 sponding date) from time to time. The Chinese annals have 

 references 10 more than one of their stellar class Ke-sing or 

 "extraordinary stars,'' in earlier times, which must have been, 

 situate in the neighbourhood of Kepler's Nova. 



The Binary Star, 7 Coron.e Australis. — Several years 

 since an orbit was calculated for this object by Prof. Schiaparelli, 

 who made use of measures up to 1S75, whence it appeared that 

 the periastron passage would fake pi ice about the end of 18S2. 

 Mr. Downing, availing himself of measures to 18S0, has applied 

 small corrections to the elements found by the Milan astronomer, 

 and fixes the periastron passage to i883'203, the period of revo- 

 lution being 549^5 years. The binary is therefore describing 

 at present a critical portion of the orbit, and, it may be hoped, 

 will not be neglected by those observers of double stars who can 

 well command its position. The following are angles and 

 distances calculated from the two orbits : — 



1883-50 



8375 



8425 



Downing 



POS. 



•■ I34'2 - 



.. 103-S . 



.. 74-6 . 



Dist 



027 

 032 



°-55 



Schiaparelli 



Pos. Dist. 



93"3 

 80-4 



59'5 



0-38 

 0-50 

 o"73 



The Saturnian Satellite, Mimas.— M. Meyer, observing 

 with the 10 inch refractor presented to the Ob ervatory of 

 Geneva by the late director. Prof. Plantamour, succeeded in ob- 

 taining, near the opposition of Saturn in 1881, several sets of 

 measures of the faint satellite, Mimas, ab ait the time of greatest 

 elongation. Considering the small number of measures of this 

 object « hich have been obtained even with the largest instru- 

 ments, M. Meyei's success is worthy of attention. On two 

 nights he secured complete series of measures, and on other 

 occasions pariial ones. We find, on adjusting the circular ele- 

 ments adopted in this column for prediction of the positions of 

 Mimas (which were founded upon Washington observations and 

 required but small correction) by Prof. Frisby's observation of 

 the conjunction of the satellite with the minor axis of the ring 

 southwards, on November 8, 1882, that M. Meyer's measures 

 are closely represented. 



