256 



NA TURE 



\Julyxi, 1883 



circle of 5 in diameter. A photograph taken in this way 

 of a portion of the constellation of Orion, besides show- 

 ing the three stars of the Belt and the Sword- Handle, 

 gives an interesting picture of the nebula. 



With reference to the question of the colours of stars it 

 is interesting to note the faintness of a Orionis in the 

 photographs. To the eye its brilliancy is almost as great 

 as that of /3, whilst in the photograph it is not more 

 prominent than X. The reason is to be found in the 

 colour of a. It is a red star, and consequently makes but 

 little impression on the photographic plate. 



Again, in the constellation Cetus the three stars which 

 are brightest to the eye are a, y, and 5. A, which is the 

 brightest of the three, has close to it a very faint companion, 

 scarcely visible to the naked eye, its magnitude being 

 given as 63, whilst that of a is 27. This is the appear- 

 ance of this part of that constellation as seen by the eye. 

 A photograph of this region was taken at Harvard with 

 the result that the small star is seen in the photograph 

 nearly as bright as a, it being only three-tenths of a mag- 

 nitude less. The colour of these stars again explains 

 this, a being of a reddish tint, whilst the small star is of a 

 deep blue colour, and being so the rays which flow from 

 it have a greater influence on the photographic plate. A 

 comparison of the number of stars seen in the photograph 

 of Orion with the number in the photometric catalogue, 

 further illustrates this effect of colour. In that part of 

 this constellation included between 5 north and 5 south 

 declination, and 75 to 90 of right ascension, sixteen stars 

 were common to photograph and catalogue ; a like number, 

 being either too small in magnitude or too red in colour, 

 although catalogued, remain unrecorded on the photo- 

 graphic plate ; whilst five others seen in the photograph 

 are not given in the catalogue. A reduction has been 

 made of the results given by the plates of different makers, 

 with the view of ascertaining the value of the deviation. 

 In two of such plates the average deviation was o'2i of a 

 magnitude, and in two measurements of the same plate 

 it was found to be 0-07 of a magnitude. 



It is obvious from this account of the work at Harvard 

 that star photography is entering into a new phase, and 

 one which will entirely replace the present system of eye 

 observations, for the reason that, whilst the eye is so 

 variable, photographic plates may now be obtained, doing 

 their work with almost definite wave-lengths of light. The 

 constant record of the plate, must in time therefore be 

 preferred to observation by the variable eye. At the 

 same time as photography advances, if it be considered 

 necessary to obtain photographic star maps to record 

 the observations of the average eye, there will be no diffi- 

 culty in this being done. 



NOTES 

 In accordance with the provisions of the Statutes, the Council 

 of the Royal Society met last Thursday to elect one from among 

 themselves to fill the office of president until the annual election 

 on November 30. The choice, as had been anticipated, fell upon 

 Prof. Huxley. We believe that this ad interim election has 

 given the greatest satisfaction to all the Fellows of the Society. 



We have received from tLe Johns Hopkins University, Balti- 

 more, the circular giving the programme for the next academic 

 year and a report on the work of the year that is past. Not 

 only are a great number of subjects included in the programme 

 of this University, but provision is made that the work in each 

 section shall be thoroughly done, and we think the Trustees are 

 to be entirely congratulated upon the progress that is being made. 

 Among the scientific subjects we find physics, chemistry, geology, 

 mineralogy, and biology in all its branches. With the other 

 subjects which the programme sets forth we have here of course 

 little to do, but we must add that we are glad to note under the 

 heading " Philosophy " that the study of psychology is well pro 



vided for. Not only are there courses of lectures, but a limited 

 number of the students are provided with seats in the physio- 

 logical laboratory, where they may prosecute original research. 

 It is so in all the scientific subjects. The work of the advanced 

 student is arranged with a view of initiating him into the methods 

 of original investigation, which, when he has finished his course 

 of instruction, he is encouraged to carry on. Thus in the physi- 

 cal laboratory, which is under the direction of Prof. Rowland 

 and Dr. Hastings, during the past year original investigations 

 have been carried on in many parts of the subject ; for instance, 

 to name one or two, the concave grating has been used in an 

 attempt to photograph the spectrum, and with it an endeavour 

 has also been made to ascertain the wave-lengths of the lines. 

 The unit of electrical resistance has also been investigated during 

 the past year, and during the coming session an attempt will be 

 made to establish an international -unit for such resistance. 

 We notice too, as a feature of the advanced course in phy- 

 sics conducted by Prof. Rowland, that besides the lectures 

 and laboratory work there are weekly meetings for the 

 discussion of the current literature of the subject. The 

 courses in chemistry, which are under the sole control of 

 Prof. Remsen, are likewise excellent. Besides the ordinary 

 courses in general and analytical chemistry, the programme states 

 that arrangements will soon be made by which the study of 

 applied chemistry — for example, metallurgy, the chemistry of 

 iron and steel, of dye stuffs, of soils and fertilisers — may be 

 taken up by the students. Original research has been a prominent 

 feature in this laboratory also, the results appearing in the 

 American Chemical Journal. With regard to mineralogy and 

 geology we notice that they are included in the courses on 

 chemistiy. The courses on biology are most excellent, general 

 biology, embryology, osteology, and plant analysis being 

 included in the first year's work. In the second year the 

 student takes up mammalian anatomy, animal physiology and 

 histology, and animal morphology. Then when the student 

 desires to take up the study of marine animals, the University 

 provides him with a laboratory by the sea itself. This labora- 

 tory was open last year from May I until September 29, and 

 during that time the development of Thallassema was investi- 

 gated, studies were made with regard to the origin of the oyster- 

 shell, the parthenogenesis of the Echini, the development of 

 Tubularia, and other subjects, which want of space alone pre- 

 vents our mentioning. The results of these investigations are 

 published in " Studies from the Biological Laboratory"; ab- 

 stracts of two of these researches have also been printed in the 

 Proceedings of the Royal Society, and Dr. E. B. Wilson's paper 

 on the Development of Renilla will appear in the Philosophical 

 Transactions. We might add much more to what we have said 

 concerning the excellent character of the work done at this Uni- 

 versity, as we do not doubt that the other courses are as well 

 provided for as the more purely scientific subjects to which alone 

 we have referred. The Johns Hopkins University, in fact, al- 

 though but a new institution, has been founded on a broad basi% 

 giving to the student those opportunities for original work which 

 it is so difficult to obtain elsewhere. We should much like 

 to see such an account of original research done and to be 

 done issuing each year from the laboratories of Oxford and 

 Cambridge. 



The Berlin Academy of Sciences has elected Prof. Simon 

 Newcomb (Washington) and Prof. B. Apthorp Gould (director 

 of Cordova Observatory) as corresponding members. 



In our review of the life of Sir Edward Sabine, which 

 appeared in our issue of last week (p. 219), we stated that he 

 accompanied the expedition which under the command of Capt. 

 James Ross was sent to make a magnctical survey of the Antarctic 

 regions. This was an error, as although all the observations 



