January i i, 1906] 



NA TURE 



255 



measurements of fifty pairs of twins from nine to fifteen 

 years old in six mental traits, and their bearing upon the 

 comparative importance of heredity and environment as 

 causi - of human differences in intellectual achievement. 



Five new volumes — Nos. 14b to 150 inclusivi — of 

 Ostwald's " Klassiker der exakten Wissenschaften " have 

 been received from the publisher — Mr. \Y. Engelmann, 

 Leipzig. No. 146 is a paper by Lagrange (1768), trans- 

 lated from the French and edited by Herr E. Netto, the 

 title being" " Uber die Lbsung der unbestimmten Probleme 

 zweiten Grades." J. B. Listing's " Beitrag zur physio- 

 logischen Optik," edited by Prof. O. Schwarz, forms 

 No. 147 of the series; and a lecture delivered at Vienna 

 by F.. Hering in 1870, " Uber das Gedachtnis als eine 

 allgemeine Funktion der organisierten Materie," consti- 

 tutes No. 148. Under the title " Tastsinn und Gemeinge- 

 fiihl," an article contributed by Dr. E. H. Weber in 184(1 

 in K. Wagner's " Handworterbuch der Physiologic " is re- 

 printed with notes by Herr E. Hering. Of particular 

 interest is the reprint (No. 150), edited by Herr A. von 

 Oettingen, of Fraunhofer's paper entitled " Bestimmung des 

 Brechungs- und Farbenzerstreuungs-Vermogens verschied- 

 ener Glasarten, in bezug auf die Vervollkommnung 

 achromatischer Fernrohre. " This volume contains a plate 

 showing Fraunhofer lines in the solar spectrum, and a 

 picture of the statue of Fraunhofer at Munich. 



OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. 



Comet 1905c (GlACOEINl). — Observing at Sunderland on 

 December 22, 1905, Mr. Backhouse estimated that the 

 magnitude of comet 1905c was approximately 8-3, at 

 t8h. 40m. G.M.T., the observation being made in faint 

 twilight; its diameter he found to be 5J'. 



As this comet now rises but about an hour before sun- 

 rise, and the apparent distance from the sun is decreasing, 

 it will be scarcely possible for further observations to be 

 made before February, when the comet should again be- 

 come visible, possibly to the naked eye, in the evening sky. 



Ephemeris for Holmes's Comet (1892 HI., 1899 Mi. 

 The following search-ephemeris for Holmes's comet is pub- 

 lished by Herr H. J. Zwiers in No. 4063 of the Astrono- 

 mische N achrichten : — 



oh. G.M.T. 

 igo6 a(app.) & (npp.) 



January 11 21 5 39 - 18 59 53 



... - 18 30 19 

 ... -18 o 25 



... - 17 30 13 

 ... -162855 



- 15 26 26 



- I4 22 49 



In referring to the ephemeris for comet 1892 V. in these 

 columns last week, that object was designated, by mistake, 

 Holmes's comet. Both bodies were discovered at about 

 the same time, and their periods are very similar, but 

 cornel 1892 V. is the faint one discovered by Prof. Barnard, 

 fay photography, on October 12, 1892, and was not seen 

 on iis return in 1S99. A report that it has been detei ted 

 at the La Plata Observatory is as yet not confirmed. 



On the other hand, Holmes's comet was bright enough 

 in 1S92 to be observed with the naked eye, and, owing to 

 lis eccentric fluctuations in brightness, was described by 

 Prof. Barnard as certainly the most remarkable comet he 

 had ever seen, taking everything into consideration. 

 During an interval of fourteen minutes its diameter, as 

 observed with the 36-inch refractor, increased from 4;" 4 

 to 47" <i, and the comet became perceptibly brighter whilst 

 under observation. This comet was first seen on its re- 

 turn in [899 by Prof. Perrine on June 10 of that year. 

 According to the above ephemeris, the comet should set 

 about ninety minutes after sunset on Januarv 11, but 

 probably its low declination will make it a difficult object 

 to find. 



NO. 1889, VOL. 73] 



Photographs 01 1111: Solar Granulations. — Using the 

 astrographic telescope of the Pulkowa Observatory, Prof. 

 Hansky has obtained some exceedingly interesting photo- 

 graphs of the solar granulations and spot, on a large scale. 

 The solar image at the focus of the instrument has a 

 diameter of 3 cm., and bi the use ol an achromatic double 

 concave lens was enlarged up to 54 cm. (about 21 inches). 



The negatives thus obtained were photographically 

 intensified by repealed copying, and details of the granu- 

 lations became visible. Portions of the strengthened 

 images were then enlarged to such a scale that the solar 

 diameter would be equal to o metres (i.e. nearly 20 feet). 



Copies of the sections thus enlarged ate reproduced in 

 the bulletin issued by Prof. Hansky, and on comparing 

 two which were taken with an interval of twenty-five 

 seconds it is seen that the granulations have undergone 

 but little change, although relative movement and changes 

 in brightness are discernible. Photographs taken with an 

 interval of one minute show great changes, and after three 

 minutes only one or two of the granules are recognisable. 



The dimensions of the granules vary considerably ; the 

 smallest measured had a diamelei ol aboul 670 km., the 

 largest about 2000 km. 



Prof. Hansky intends to prosecute this research further, 

 and hopes thereby to solve several questions regarding the 

 periodic appearance of granules, the effects of their move- 

 ments on spots and facuke, &c. 



The Orbit of | Urs.t; Majoris. — On many grounds 

 the determination of the correct orbit ol the double star 

 £ I rs.-e Majoris is of great interest and importance, and 

 for this reason M. X. E. Norlund, of Copenhagen, has 

 made a very careful re-investigation ol the available data 

 and measurements. About eighteen orbits have hern com- 

 puted previously. 



The results of this investigation are given in No. 401,4 

 of the Astronomische N achrichten, and the places com- 

 puted from the elements obtained are compared with those 

 obtained by many different observers. 



For the period M. Norlund obtains 59-8096 + 0-06 years, 

 foi the time of periastron 1815-957, '"'' tne distance 

 n 2"-5i_>X, and for the eccentricit) of the orbit £ = 0-4108. 



THE INTERNATIONAL FISHERY 

 INVESTIG [TIONS. 1 



T"HE first of the reports referred to below is the first re- 

 port of the British North Sea Investigations Committee 

 on the International Fisheries Investigations. From time to 

 time during the last three years in which the investigations 

 have been in progress, the International Council litis issued 

 the " Bulletin des Resultais," in which .u-e contained the 

 results of the hydrographical and plankton investigations 

 carried out on the periodic imi-es; and also the series of 

 " Publications de Circonstance, " containing the results of 

 incidental investigations carried out by the various 

 naturalists on the staffs of the different committees. Quite 

 hi ently, too, the council has issued the third volume of 

 "Rapports et Proces-Yerbaux," containing a resume of 

 the results obtained up to the present time. The present 

 volume is, however, the first report which deals exclusively 

 with the results obtained by the British vessels. It is a 

 report to the Fishery Board for Scotland on part of the 

 investigations made by the Scottish stall. 



The first three papers in the report, written by Messrs. 

 I Ic lland-Hansen and Robertson, deal with the hydrography 

 ol the Faerde-Shetland channel and the- adjacent sea 

 regions — the area investigated b) the Scottish vessels, 

 II. M.S. Jackal and the Goldseeker. The principal Scottish 

 line of hydrographical stations extends from the Shetlands 

 to the Faeroe Islands, and it is along this line that the 

 changes taking place in the constitution of the sea-water 

 can most easily be observed. It has long been known that 

 the water in this region may he derived from various 



" Report on Fishery and Hydrographical Investigations in (he North 

 Sea and Adjacent Waters, 1002-^. Edited by D'Arcv W. Thompson. 

 Pp. vii-t-618. [Cd. 2612.] (London : H.M. Stationery Office, 1005.) Price 

 8s. qd. net. 



"Report on Fishery and Hydrographical Investigations in the North 

 Sea and Adjacent Waters, 1902-3." Report No. "2 (Southern Area). 

 Edited by Dr. E. J. Allen. Pp. ix+377. (Cd. 2670.] (London; H.M. 

 Stationery Office, 1905.) Price 8v. qd. net. 



