Marcu 10, 1904] 
NAT ORL 
449 
only to give a rough idea of the prominence variations 
based on a repetition of the observations of 1872-1885. The 
last curves, namely, those marked D, represent the vari- 
ation from year to year of the total spotted area on each 
hemisphere of the sun. The vertical broken and continuous 
lines indicate the epochs of sun-spot minima and maxima 
as determined by combining the amount of spotted area 
on both hemispheres of the sun. 
Considering now the curves marked A, the following 
general deductions may be made :— 
From sun-spot minimum to minimum there are three, but 
generally four, distinct ‘* spot-activity tracks,’’ or loci of 
movements of the centres of action of spot disturbance. 
The first appearance of each of these “‘ spot-activity 
tracks ’’ occurs generally between a sun-spot minimum and 
the following maximum. After about the epoch of maxi- 
mum no new “ spot-activity tracks’’ of large magnitude 
are generally commenced. 
Their first appearance is mostly in higher latitudes than 
20° in each hemisphere. 
They are faintly indicated at first, become more prominent 
and distinct, and finally thin out and fade away. 
They all fade away in regions close to the equator. 
There seems to be a tendency for each successive ‘‘ spot- 
activity track’? to make its appearance in latitudes higher 
than the one preceding it. 
At, or a little after, the time of sun-spot maximum there 
is also a tendency for each ‘‘ spot-activity track ”’ to retain | 
its latitude for a short time. 
It is interesting now to examine these curves (A) in 
relation to those marked B, which, as previously pointed 
out, represent the drift from year to year of the mean 
heliographic spot latitude and _ illustrate Sporer’s ‘‘ law 
of zones.’’ These latter (curves B) are individually really 
nothing more than the integration of the corresponding 
curves A. Every change of curvature in curves B is due 
to either the outburst of spots in another ‘‘ spot-activity 
track ’’ or to one ‘‘ spot-activity track ”’ becoming more 
intensified in relation to another, or, lastly, to the extinc- 
tion of a “‘ spot-activity track’? as the equator has been 
reached, as shown in the curves A. 
To illustrate this, let the curve for the mean heliographic 
spot latitude in the southern hemisphere (curves B) be- 
ginning in the year 1879 be considered. This is practically 
the period referred to above by Dr. Braun. 
At this time there is only one ‘“‘ spot-activity track ”’ 
(latitude 22°) in existence, as shown in curve A, so curve 
B consequently commences in the same latitude. By the 
next year the “‘ spot-activity track ’’ (curves A) has reached 
latitude 17°, and a new one has made its appearance in 
latitude 25°. Curve B, therefore, takes the mean position 
of about 20° when allowance has been made for the differ- 
ence of intensity of these two tracks. 
In the following year, 1881, both these “* spot-activity 
tracks ’’ have approached nearer the equator, but another 
has appeared in latitude 25°, so that the mean latitude for 
the whole hemisphere has only slightly changed. 
By the year 1882 still another “‘ spot-activity track”? has 
come into existence in latitude 28°, while the first ‘‘ spot- 
activity track ’’ mentioned above has vanished. The mean 
latitude for the whole hemisphere, as is indicated in curve 
B for this epoch, is increased to latitude 20°. After this 
all three “* spot-activity tracks’? approach the equator, and 
curve B does the same, but owing to the relative changes 
in the amount of the spotted area in each of these ‘ spot- 
activity tracks,’’ as indicated by their thickness, the mean 
heliographic latitude curve suffers another change of curva- 
ture in 1885. In a similar way the various changes of 
curvature in all the other curves (curves B) can be accounted 
for. 
Particular attention has been directed above to the fact 
that about the times of sun-spot maxima there is consider- 
able spot-activity in the highest spot latitudes, which 
according to Sporer’s law would not be expected. If refer- 
ence be made to the sun-spot observations of Messrs. 
De La Rue, Stewart, Loewy, and also to those by the Wilna 
observers, it will be seen that as early as 1872 it was pointed 
out, as an unlooked for fact, that at the sun-spot maximum 
of 1871 numerous spots appeared in high (spot) latitudes. 
Finally, if a comparison be made between the curves A 
NO. 1793, VOL. 69] 
and C it will be seen that from the time of a sun-spot 
minimum, when the ‘“‘ prominence-activity tracks ’’ are 
approaching more rapidly high latitudes, up to about a sun- 
spot maximum, when they reach their highest positions, 
nearly all the ‘* spot-activity tracks ’’ come into existence. 
Further, the nearer the ‘‘ prominence-activity tracks ”’ 
approach the poles the higher in latitude do these ‘‘ spot- 
activity tracks’’ make their appearance, and this is the 
case for each hemisphere of the sun separately. 
What the actual connection between these two different 
systems of currents is, it is not possible yet to say, but these 
facts s1zgest a close relationship. 
The result of the present investigation thus leads to the 
following conclusions :— 
(1) Sporer’s law of spot zones is only approximately true, 
and gives only a very general idea of sun-spot circulation. 
(2) Sp6rer’s curves are the integrated result of two, three, 
and sometimes four ‘‘ spot-activity track ’”’ curves, each of 
the latter falling nearly continuously in latitude. 
(3) Sporer’s and many other previous reductions have 
indicated the peculiar *‘ wavy’’ nature of the integrated 
curve, which peculiarity is here shown to be for the most 
part real and not due to errors of observation, &c. 
(4) Outbursts of spots in high latitudes are not restricted 
simply to the epochs at or about a sun-spot minimum, but 
occur even up to the time of sun-spot maximum. 
(5) The successive commencement of the ‘‘ spot-activity 
tracks ’’ in higher latitudes between a sun-spot minimum 
and maximum seems to be closely related to the ‘* promin- 
ence-activity tracks’’ at these periods. 
Witiiam J. S. Lockyer. 
THE DUNEDIN MEETING OF THE 
AUSTRALASIAN ASSOCIATION. 
“THE tenth session of the Australasian Association for the 
Advancement of Science was opened at Dunedin, New 
Zealand, on January 6, under the patronage of His 
Excellency the Earl of Ranfurly, the Governor of New 
Zealand, who took the chair at the inaugural meeting in 
the absence of the past president, Captain F. W. Hutton, 
F.R.S., whom ill-health prevented from attending. 
The president, Prof. T. W. E. David, F.R.S., of Sydney, 
took as the subject of his address, ‘‘ The Aims and Ideals 
of Australasian Science.’’ Although this was wholly local 
in immediate interest, it was an extremely valuable epitome 
of the work already done by Australasian men of science. 
He dwelt upon the value of organisation in scientific re- 
search, and of the investigations carried out by research 
committees appointed at the meetings of the Australasian 
Association for the Advancement of Science. He applauded 
the good work done by the New Zealand Government in the 
preservation of the fauna and flora of New Zealand by the 
establishment of reserves, as well as in the establishment 
of a magnetic observatory at Christchurch, and urged the 
Commonwealth and State Governments of Australia to 
follow this lead. 
In discussing the ‘‘ Aims and Ideals,’’ Prof. David, 
amongst other matters, referred to the proposed establish- 
ment in New South Wales of a branch of the Lick Observ- 
atory, to the importance of investigating the nature of the 
aurora australis, of carrying out a geodetic survey of 
Australia, and of continuing to support the high-level 
meteorological stations on Mt. Koscuisko. He insisted on 
the crying need for a systematic geological survey of New 
Zealand, and for the identification by competent palzonto- 
logists of the numerous fossils now stored in the Colonial 
Museum at Wellington, where there are ‘* 30,000 specimens 
in the museum cases, most of which are unnamed, and in 
the cellars about 500 unopened boxes full of undescribed 
fossils.”’ 
The president is of opinion that nowhere the 
southern hemisphere is there such a thorough and complete 
record of the succession of animal and plant life from the 
close of the Palaeozoic time up to the present as in New 
Zealand, and nowhere else is there evidence of such a 
wonderful range of the Spiriferide high up in the Mesozoic 
rocks.”’ : ict 
That important line of work in modern geology, viz. “‘ the 
“ce in 
