August 1 6, 1S83] 



iVA TURE 



',77 



rate form a collection of papers and memorials on the protection 

 of wild animals and plants, and on the present condition and 

 future management of Epping Forest. 



At the recent examination for the Licence es Sciences Physiques 

 in Paris, an English student, Mr. P. J. Hartog, B.Sc. Vict. 

 Univ., passed first of the sixty-six candidates, though by three 

 years the youngest of any. 



During the latter part of this and the early part of next 

 month a geographical congress and exhibition will take place in 

 Douai. M. Ferdinand de Lesseps has been elected president. 

 Belgium, Holland, Denmark, and Sweden will be represented. 



The United Steamship Association of Copenhagen has offered 

 a free passage by their vessels to all Danish fishermen desirous 

 of visiting the Fisheries Exhibition. 



On August 2, at about 10 p.m., a brilliant meteor passed from 

 south to north over the town of Linkoping in Sweden. When 

 in the north-west it burst, spreading an intense pale blue light, 

 and leaving a light smoke in the air which could be distinguished 

 for several seconds. On July 23, at 10.15 P- m -> a magnificent 

 meteor was observed at Sodertelje in Sweden. It went in a 

 north-westerly direction, leaving a luminous track on the sky. 



As the representative of Sweden in the International Phyto- 

 pathological Association, recently formed, Dr. J. Eriksson, 

 botanist at the Academy of Agriculture, has been chosen. He 

 is now engaged in collecting statistics and examples of diseases 

 of plants, which it is the object of the Association to study and 

 eradicate. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include a Bonnet Monkey (Maeaeus radiatus 6 ) from 

 India, pre ented by the Hon. Mrs. Pigott Carleton ; two Maholi 

 Galagos (Calago maholi) from South Africa, presented by Dr. 

 Hugh Exton ; a Kude Fox (Cam's rudis) from Demerara, pre- 

 sented by Mr. Clement J. Bateman ; a Suricate (Suricata zenik 9 ) 

 from South Africa, presented by Mr. Chas. H. YVootton ; a 

 Collared Peccary (Dicotyles tajafu) from South America, pre- 

 sented by Mr. Fritz Zurcher; three Peregrine Falcons (Falco 

 peregrinus), European, presented by Mr. J. Snowdon Henry, 

 F.Z S. ; two Javan Adjutants (Leptoptilus javanicus) from Java, 

 two Indian Tantalus ( Tantalus leucocephalus) frooi India, pre- 

 sented by the Hon. W. II. Ravenscroft ; a Sclater's Cura-soiv 

 (Crux selateri 9 ) from South America, presented by Mr. John 

 Ardran ; a Wood Owl (Syrnium aluco), British, presented by 

 Mr. G. Carrick Steet ; two Ring-tailed Lemurs (Lemur catta) 

 from Madagascar, a Black Bear (Ursus amerieanus £ ) from 

 North America, a Greater Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (Cacalua 

 galerita) from Australia, deposited ; three Indian Pythons (Python 

 molurm) from India, purchased ; two Mule Deer (Cariacus 

 mairotis), born in the Gardens. 



OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN 



The Satellites of Saturn. — Dr. W. Meyer has published 

 corrected, or w hat he calls definitive, elements of the satellites 

 Enceladm, Tetkys, Dione, Rhea, Titan, and Japetus, chiefly 

 founded upon his observations at the Observatory of Geneva in 

 1881, the uiem motions however being determined from a com- 

 parison of the Geneva observations with the elements assigned 

 by Jacob from measures of the satellites made at Madras during 

 the years 1856-58. The mean distances and periods resulting 

 from Dr. Meyer's investigations are as follow : — 



Mean dislance in equa- Period, 



torial radii of Saturn. d. h. m. s. 



Enceladus 3'866i 1 8 53 692 



Tethys 4-8116 1 21 18 2562 



Dione 61629 2 17 41 9-29 



Rhea 8'6oS2 4 12 25 11*57 



Titan I9'9UI 15 22 41 2316 



Japetus 57'93°3 79 7 49 2 4'84 



The other elements of the orbit of the outer satellite Japetus a e 

 subjoined; those of Jacob are added for comparison. Meyer's 

 epoch is 1881 Nov. 00 G.M.T. ; Jacob's is 1S58 Jan. rro 

 G.M.T. 



Meyer. Jacob. 



Mean longitude 200 S 53 ... 294 31*1 



Longitude of peri-Saturnium ... 353 5 7 ... 349 20 



,, ascending node ... 142 17 27 ... 143 1-3 



Inclination to ecliptic 18 26 50 ... 18 37-9 



Eccentricity OTJ28916 ... 0-028443 



Semi-axis maior {for mean dis- 1 ,, ... 



tance of Saturn) } SH 7» - 5'4 & 



Mean diurnal motion 4°'538273 ... 4°'53So42 



Tempel's Comet of Short Period (1873 H.). — Prof. 

 Krueger, in transferring to the Astronomische Nachriehten the 

 few positions lately given in this column, mentions that M. 

 Schulhof of Paris, who has undertaken the calculations for the 

 comet, promises an ephemeris in due course fir that periodical. 



The Bischoffsheim Observatory at Nice. — M. Perrotin, 

 Director of the Observatory of Montgros, near Nice, lately 

 founded by the munificence and scientific spirit of M. Bischoffs- 

 heim of Paris, has made an excellent beginning in the proposed 

 work of that es'abl shuient. The Observatory is provided with 

 a refractor of 15 inches aperture, and about 18 feet focal length, 

 the object glass by MM. Henry of the O^ervatory at Paris, the 

 mounting by Eichens and Gamier. This instrument M. Perrotin 

 applied in June last to measures of a number of the more interest- 

 ing double-stars, and amongst them several very difficult objects. 

 The magnifying powers most frequently employed were 750 and 

 1000, with occasional use of 400 and 650. We make a short 

 selection from M. Perrotin's results : — 



Star. Epoch. Angle. Distance. 



With respect to 2 2173 M. Perrotin remarks that his results 

 confirm M. Otto Struve's opinion that the star revolves in about 

 forty-six years. The above measures of the rapid binary £ Pler- 

 culis are do ely represented by Dr. Doberck's last orbit. 



The Late Transit of Venus. — The last number of the 

 Comptes Rendus of the Paris Academy of Sciences is almost 

 wholly occupied by the preliminary Reports from the various 

 expeditions sent by the French Commissi >n for the observation 

 of this phenomenon, and one or two expeditions acting in co- 

 operati >n with the Commission. The observations of contacts, 

 &c, appear in these Reports. The stations included are Petion- 

 ville, Hayti ; Puebla, Mexico; Fort Tarten on, Martinique; 

 St. Augustin, Florida ; Santa Cruz, Patagonia ; Cerro-Negro 

 near San Bernardo, Chdi; Chubut, Patagonia; Rio Negro 

 (4I1. 21111. 20s. W. of Paris and 40° 47' 51" S.) ; Hoste Island, 

 Orange Bay, Tierra del Fuego ; and Bragado, Buenos Ayres. 

 It is gratifying to note the general success which attended these 

 expeditions, even at the most southern station in Orange Bay, 

 the latitude of which was 55 31' 28". 



A CONTRIBUTION TO THE STUDY 01 

 THE TRANSMISSION EASTWARDS ROUND 

 THE GLOBE OF BAROMETRIC ABNORMAL 

 MOVEMENTS* 



II. 



\X7HEN the fact of these simultaneous movements is recognised, 

 the irregularities in the transmission eastwards of the a 1- 

 normal movements can be in great part explained. For instance, 

 taking the movements b" of the Zanzibar curve, it is found to 

 recur at b' and B in the Belgaum and Bombay curves after an 

 interval of six months, that is to say, about one month loigcr 

 than the average, and is moreover of much greater magnitude in 

 these curves than at Zanzibar. But it is noticeable that in the 

 1 Concluded from p. 356. 



