424 
NATURE 
[Marcu 3, 1904 
include an exhaustive meteorological record for each day 
of 1903, and particulars of the field work in which the 
members of the society engaged during the session under 
review. 
Tue first two volumes of Mr. Herbert Paul’s ‘‘ History 
of Modern England ’’—which is to be completed in five 
volumes—have been published by Messrs. Macmillan and 
Co., Ltd., at 8s. 6d. net each. The first volume deals with 
the events of the years 1846-1855, and the second carries 
the history as far as 1865. We propose to review Mr. 
Paul’s work when the third volume has been published, but 
we take this early opportunity of expressing our satisfaction 
that—following the example of John Richard Green—Mr. 
Paul records the work done in science in this country during 
the years with which he is concerned. 
A SECOND edition of a ‘‘ Manual and Dictionary of the 
Flowering Plants and Ferns,’’ by Mr. J. C. Willis, has 
been published at the Cambridge University Press. In 
this edition the two parts of the original work are com- 
bined into one volume, while part i. is shortened by the 
omission of controversial matter, and by the use of smaller 
type for paragraphs of descriptive terms and other articles 
not intended for consecutive reading. 
In the Paris Comptes rendus for February 1 Messrs. 
Sabatier and Mailhe describe a method for the reduction 
of aromatic halogen derivatives by subjecting the vapours 
mixed with excess of hydrogen to the action of finely divided 
nickel at a temperature of about 270° C. In these circum- 
stances considerable yields of benzene are obtainable from 
monochloro- and dichloro-benzene. Similarly toluene is easily 
obtained from the chlorinated toluenes, and trichlorophenol 
gives considerable quantities of carbolic acid. With 
bromine derivatives the reaction proceeds similarly, but not 
quite so readily as in the case of the chlorine substitution 
products. 
Ir is well known that the requirements of the funda- 
mental law of mass action when applied to the electrolytic 
dissociation of salts, strong acids and bases are not satisfied, 
and in recent years many attempts have been made to 
account for this fact. In the Jubelband of the Zeitschrift 
fur physikalische Chemie, Prof. Rothmund attributes this 
to the incorrectness of the values for the degree of dissoci- 
ation obtained by the usual conductivity and eryoscopic 
methods. A new method of obtaining the extent of dis- 
sociation is developed, and the author shows that in the 
case of the fairly strong picric acid the values so obtained 
are in agreement with the mass action law. 
Tue additions to the Zoological Society’s Gardens during 
the past week include two Two-spotted Paradoxures 
(Nandinia binotata) from West Africa, presented by Mr. 
A. W. V. Crawley; a Common Paradoxure (Paradoxurus 
niger) from India, presented by Captain Robin; two Asiatic 
Deer (Cervus asiaticus) from Central Asia, presented by 
H.G. the Duke of Bedford, K.G.; three Hedgehogs 
(Erinaceus europoea), British, presented by Mr. M. 
Yearsley; a Hairy-footed Jerboa (Dipus hirtipes) from 
North-east Africa, presented by Mr. G. C. Kennedy; a 
Greater Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita) from 
Australia, presented by Mrs. Payne; a Ring-necked Parra- 
keet (Palaeornis torquatus) from India, a Rose-crested 
Cockatoo (Cacatua moluccensis) from Moluccas, a Chil- 
dron’s Snake (Lialis childyoni) from Madagascar, de- 
posited ; a Kiang (Equus hemionus) from Tibet, purchased ; 
a Sonnerat’s Jungle Fowl (Gallus sonnerati) from Southern 
India; a Golden-bellied Grosbeak (Pheucticus aurieventris) 
from Argentina, received in exchange. 
NO. 1792, VOL. 69] 
OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. 
ASTRONOMICAL OCCURRENCES IN MARCH :— 
Mar. 7, 16h. Venus in conjunction with Saturn. Venus of 
20'N. 
8. 12h. Ceres in conjunction with the moon. Ceres 
oO 29’ S. ‘ 
16. 17h. 45m. Annular eclipse of the sun invisible at 
Greenwich. 
18. 8h. 56m. Minimum of Algol (8 Persei). 
20. 13h. Sun enters the sign Aries. Spring commences.. 
21. 5h. 45m. Minimum of Algol (8 Persei). 
22. 10h. om. to 10h. 41m. Moon occults & Tauré 
(Mag. 379). : 
25. 9h. 2m. to 10h. 1¥m. Moon occults A Geminorum 
(Mage 3'6)) ee 
26. 22h. Jupiter in conjunction with Sun. 
VartaBILity OF Minor Pxianets.—In Circular No. 75 of 
the Harvard College Observatory Prof. Pickering publishes 
and discusses the results of Prof. Wendell’s observations of 
the minor planet Iris (7): The planet’s magnitude was com- 
pared with several B.D. stars, and a variation, having a 
period of about 6h. 13m. and a range of about two- or 
three-tenths of a magnitude, was established. This vari- 
ation closely resembles that of Eros, and the conditions for 
that planet, as discussed in Circular No. 58, are also applic- 
able in the present case. 
Prof. Pickering suggests that both Eros, which is now 
approaching its second stationary point, and Iris should be 
carefully watched. 
Circular No. 64 from the Kiel Centralstelle announces 
that on February 16 Prof. Paliser discovered a decided 
variation in the magnitude of the minor planet Hertha (135),. 
having a range of 0-5 mag., from 10-0 to 105. The follow- 
ing ephemeris is abstracted from one calculated by Dr. 
Neugebauer for 12h. Berlin M.T. :— 
1904 a 5 log a 
h. m. s 5 A 
Feb. 29 9 29 30 +15 58°73 0°2948 
Mar. 2 9 27.48 +16 4°9 
5 a4) 9 26 9 +16 11-2 
» 6 9 24 34 +16 17°1 
Ay ete) Qu23) idee +16 22°5 0°3047 
R.A. +1m. Dec. =+5/'2 
OBSERVATIONS OF VENUS DURING 1903.—In Bulletin No. & 
of the Lowell Observatory, Mr. Percival Lowell describes- 
and discusses the objective reality of the markings seen 
by him on the surface of Venus during 1903. In the first 
place he discusses the possibilities of illusion on the part 
of the observer in seeing such faint details, but he has 
arrived at the conclusion that there are two kinds of real 
markings on this planet’s surface. The first class includes 
the nicks running in from the terminator, the collar round 
the South Pole, and the two spots, Astoreth and Ashera, 
upon it. Of these Mr. Lowell has no doubts as to their 
reality, and from his observations of them he is assured 
that the period of rotation of the planet is 225 days. The 
second class of markings includes the long shades, such as. 
Anchises regio and Hero regio, which, commencing at the 
terminator, run towards the centre of the disc. It is more 
difficult to confirm the objective reality of these markings, 
although from the permanence of their observed positions- 
Mr. Lowell concludes that they are real features of the 
planet’s surface. Measurements of the position angle, from 
the cusp, of the tip of Paris regio on the limb, when the 
longitude of the centre of the disc was between 79° and 
86°, gave as a mean of sixteen measures on eight nights. 
19° 6’. The position angle of the tip of a marking to the 
left of this was determined as 27° 1/. 
Mr. Lowell strongly insists upon the fact that the appear— 
ance of these markings is in no sense ‘* canaliform ’’; they 
are not regular, not of even width, not dark or sharply 
defined, are never doubled, and they do not form a system 
of interlacing lines as do the ‘‘ canals’’ of Mars. Four 
drawings of the planet’s disc at different times are repro- 
duced in the Bulletin, and a comparison of two of these — 
made on April 14, 1903, with an interval of nearly six 
hours between the two observations, shows no change in’ 
the positions of the markings, thus indicating that in that 
interval the effects of the planet’s rotation were im-— 
perceptible. 
