May i, 1884] 



NA 7 URE 



those who labour under the disorder. "It includes all persons 

 of a peculiarly nervous organisation, ranging from those who, 

 from their mental constitution, seem absolutely subservient to 

 another's will, down to those who appear merely of a markedly 

 excitable temperament." Numerous examples of the effect of 

 this mysterious mental affection are added by the writer, Mr. H. 

 A. O'Brien. 



We gladly notice the issue of three new numbers of the 

 Encyclopedia of Natural Sciences, from the publishing house of 

 Eduard Trewendt, in Breslau. The tenth number is now out of 

 the Alphabetical Manual of Zoology, Anthropology, ami Ethno- 

 logy (part i. 1. 36), which with this new instalment has com- 

 pleted its "F," and entered on its "G." The number referred 

 to contains very valuable articles contributed by Gustav Jager, 

 Reichenow, von Mojsisowics, Roeckl, von Hellwald, Sussdorf, 

 and others. Nos. 19 and 20 of the second part of the collec- 

 tive work have also appeared, both belonging to the Dictionary 

 of Chemistry, edited by Ladenberg. Among other valuable 

 articles in No. 19, by Ladenburg, Biedermann, Weddige, and 

 Jacobsen, " Azoverbindungen," by Heumann, and " Benzces'aure " 

 by Weddige, are treated with special completeness. In No. 20 

 are articles by Engler, Drechsel, Biedermann, and others. 

 These two numbers bring the Dictionary of Chemistry to the 

 end of "B." We again wish all success to this comprehensive 

 collective work on the natural sciences. 



MM. Henry are experimenting with a system of photo- 

 graphy for double-stars, in order to determine their dis- 

 tance and position angle. They have already obtained good 

 results on about twenty stars in various constellations. 



M. Leveau has been appointed Astronome Titulaire at the 

 Paris Observatory, in place of the late M. Yvon Villarceau. 



I\ a small pamphlet published at Saigon (" Memoire sur les 

 Poissons de la Riviere de Hue," C. Guilland et Martinon), M. 

 Tirant, the Administrator of Native Affairs, has given a cata- 

 logue of the fish to be found in the river of Hue, the capital of 

 Annam, and in the adjacent lagoons. These latter are exceed- 

 ingly numerous, running parallel to the sea for miles, and are 

 filled during the rainy season by the overflow from the rivers. 

 They are employed as reservoirs for the fish supply of the capital. 

 In them, and in the river itself, Dr. Tirant states he procured 

 seventy new species of fish. 



Information has recently been received in Paris of the death 

 of M. Bruel, one of the most enterprising of French explorers 

 in Cochin China. He was murdered by pirates on January 18 

 in Cambodia, on the frontier of the Laos country. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include a Rhesus Monkey (Macacus rhesus <J ) from 

 Continental India, presented by Mr. A. MacDonnett Green ; a 

 Common Fox (Canis vulpes), British, presented by Miss Bertha 

 Haig ; a Herring Gull (Larus argentatus), European, presented 

 by Mr. R. Morton Middleton, jun. ; a Green Lizard (Laecrti 

 viridis), European, presented by Mr. J. H. Leech ; three 

 Russell's Vipers ( Vipera russelii) from Ceylon, two Indian Rat 

 Snakes (Pytas mucosa), an Indian Python (Python molurus), an 

 Indian River Snake (Tropidonolus quincunciatus), two Indian 

 Cobras (Naia trifudians) from India, presented by Mr. Gerald 

 Waller ; a Gray Ichneumon (Herpcstes griseus) from India, a 

 Short-headed Phalanger (Belideus breviceps) from Australia, 

 three Lesser Birds of Paradise (Paradisea minor), two Red-sided 

 Eclectus (Eclectus pectoralis) from New Guinea, a Chattering 

 Lory (Lorius garrulus), a Three-coloured Lory (Lorius tricolor) 

 from Moluccas, deposited ; a Dusky Parrot (Pionus violaceus) 

 from Guiana, received in exchange ; a Smooth-headed Capuchin 

 (Cebits monachus) from South-East Brazil, a Severe Macaw (Ara 

 severa) from Brazil, two Schlegel's Doves (Chalcopelia puella), a 



Buffon's Touracou (Corythaix buffoni) from West Africa, a 

 Diademed Amazon (Chrysolis diademata), a Yellow-shouldered 

 Amazon (Chrysolis ochroptera) from South America, a Banded 

 Aracari (Pteroglossus torquatus) from Central America, received 

 on approval ; a Mediterranean Seal (Monachus albiventer) from 

 the Mediterranean, two Chinchillas (Chinchilla lanigera) from 

 Chili, an Anaconda (Euuectes murinus) from South America, 

 purchased. 



OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN 



The Southern Comet (Ross, January 7).— Adopting Mr. 



Tebbutt's elements copied into this column last week, we have 



the following positions of the comet observed at Melbourne and 



Windsor, N.S.W., for 6h. Greenwich mean time : — 



RA N.P.D. Log. distance from 



l88 3 h. m. ' s. Earth Sun 



Dec. 16 ... 17 4 3° ••■ 93 5 6 '9 •■• 0-0561 ... 9-6151 



18 ... 17 12 4 ... 94 3-2 ... 0-0232 ... 9-5758 



20 ... 17 21 35 ... 94 34'4 •■■ 9'9§64 ••• 9"S393 



22 ... 17 33 53 ••■ 95 447 - 9'946 3 ... 9-5102 



24 ... 17 49 54 ■■ 97 5°'S ••• 9'9°46 ••■ 9'4934 

 26 ... iS 10 31 ... 101 6-2 ... 9-8651 ... 9'493° 



25 ... 18 36 2 ... 105 29-2 ... 9-8332 ... 9-5090 

 30 ... 19 5 47 ■■• "° 35'5 — 9'8i44 •■• 9'5376 



This ephemeris, founded upon an orbit which is certainly not 

 open to material correction, enables us to decide that the sup- 

 posed comet which was seen in Tasmania on the mornings of 

 December 25 and 27, rising a few minutes before the sun, could 

 not have been the comet detected by Mr. Ross on January 7, 

 which on those mornings would not rise (at New Norfolk, for 

 instance) till upwards of forty minutes after the sun ; on Decem- 

 ber 25 the sun rose there at 4I1. 21m., the comet at 5I1. 2m. 



It is not easy to reconcile the estimate of brightness at Mel- 

 bourne on January 11 with that of Mr. Tebbutt on January 19. 

 Mr. Ellery writes to the Observatory that on the former evening 

 the comet disappeared in a faintly illuminated field, simul- 

 taneously with a tenth-magnitude star, while Mr. Tebbutt con- 

 sidered it on January 19 to be just beyond unassisted vision ; yet 

 the ratio of the theoretical intensity of light on the former date 

 would be to that on the latter as 2-9 to 1. 



The comet appears to have been well above the horizon in 

 European latitudes before daylight, previous to the perihelion 

 passage. Between December 17 and 21 it rose at Greenwich 

 about 5I1. 40m. a.m., but the presence of the moon would have 

 rendered its discovery difficult. It was neatest to the earth on 

 the morning of January 1, the distance being then 0-646 (the 

 earth's mean distance from the sun = 1). 



The Aspect of Uranus. — At the sitting of the Academy 

 of Sciences of Paris on April 21, M. Perrotin presented a note 

 on the aspect of Uranus, from observations made with the 15- 

 inch equatorial at the Observatory of Nice. On March 18 he had 

 remarked, in company with Mr. Lockyer, a bright spot near the 

 lower limb of the planet, as seen in the inverting telescope. Further 

 observations showed that it was near the equator of Uranus. 

 It was a very difficult object, and much uncertainty existed as to 

 its exact position ; it was better seen as it approached the limb. 

 It was observed on April I about nh., at the northern extn rrity 

 of the equatorial diameter, and on the next night about ion. .om., 

 at the southern extremity : it occupied the same p tion on 

 April 7 at ioh. 30m., and April 12 at lih. These obs- ivations, 

 M. Perrotin adds, made at the limits of visibility, requ'red very 

 favourable conditions, and being aware of the possibility of illu- 

 sion in such a case, he invites the attention of observers posse sol 

 of powerful optical means, in order to control his own imp- es- 

 sions. The appearance and the indeterminateness in the dura- 

 tion of the phenomenon on April I, when the images were best, 

 rather point to a luminous belt than to a single spot, which in- 

 troduces uncertainty in the times of the observations ; with due 

 regard to this, M. Perrotin finds a fair agreement with the 

 assumption of a rotation not differing much from ten hours. On 

 April 12 Mr. Trepied was present, and confirmed the impres- 

 sions received by the Nice astronomer ; he also remarked in 

 the bright part a condensation which had previously escaped 

 notice. 



By "diametre equatorial " we presume M. Perrotin refers to 

 the diameter in the plane of the orbits of the satellites. 



