326 



NA TURE 



[July 3 i, 1884 



If we similarly reduce the Greenwich position of 6S Virgini 

 to Ptolemy's epoch, we find — 



Longitude ... 178° 53' Latitude ... --3° 14' 

 and Baily's identification of the 19th of Virgo would thus appear 

 the more satisfactory, at least if the reading he has adopted for 

 the latitude is admitted ; still there is the difficulty pointed out 

 in his note which is given above ; 68 Virginis is estimated a 

 sixth magnitude both by Argelander and Heis. 



In 1879 Mr. S. W. Burnham discovered that this star is a 

 very close double, the mean of his measures giving — 

 l879'39 Position Si°'2. Distance o""47. Magnitude 6'i and 6 - 6. 



He remarks that hitherto close double-stars have not been 

 found among the variables. It remains to be ascertained whether, 

 if the variability of Schmidt's star be established, both or only 

 one of the components vary. 



A New Comet. — A telegram notifies the discovery of a comet 

 by Mr. E. Barnard, on the 16th inst., though, probably from 

 interruption from unfavourable weather in verifying it, the an- 

 nouncement appears not to have been made for several days 

 subsequently. The position given is as follows : — 



h. m. s. , „ 



July i6at 15 21 2 G.M.T. ... R.A. 237 40 o ... N.P.D. 127 9 52 



It would be well within reach of the observatories of Southern 

 Europe. From a telegram received at Dun Edit, Dr. Copeland 

 conjectures that the comet has been seen at Melbourne, Madras, 



' C pe Town; Prof. Krliger has no allusion to this in his 

 note in the Astranomische Nachrichlen. The comet's motion is 

 stated to be 



SCOTTISH METEOROLOGICAL SOCIETY 

 'T'HE half-yearly general meeting of the Society was held on 

 Monday, July 21, in Edinburgh, Mr. Milne Home in the 

 chair. 



Mr. Buchan read the report from the Council. As regards 

 the Society's stations, one has been added since la I 

 meeting at Glencarron, in Ross-shire. It has been 

 by Lord M'Laren, and from its position it is one of the most im- 

 portant additions recently made to the Society's stations. The 

 effort made to increase the membership has been already at- 

 tended with marked success. The membership now numbers 

 601. The first number of the new series of the Society's 

 Journal is now mostly in type, and will shortly be in the 

 hands. It has been arranged that in future the pro- 

 ceedings will appear annually in March. The Council referred 

 with much satisfaction to the successful manner in which Mr. 

 Omond and his assistants carry on the observations on Ben 

 Nevis. The discussion of the past observations shows that para- 

 mount importance must be assigned to a continuous record, not 

 only of the barometer, but also of the temperature, humidity, 

 wind, cloud, and precipitation, on account of their intimate rela- 

 tions to the barometric fluctuations and to coming changes of 

 weather. Every effort will therefore be made to secure to 

 science a continuous hourly record of the weather phenomena of 

 Ben Nevis. Arrangement; have been made for the completion 

 of the Observatory buildings during the course of this summer. 

 A beginning ol the work is made to-day (July 21), and it is ex- 

 pected that the whole will be finished some time before October. 

 The new buildings include a tower, on the top of which will be 

 placed anemometers, specially designed by Prof. Chrystal and 

 Prof. Crum Brown, for registering the direction, velocity, and 

 pressure of the wind, a correct knowledge of which is of supn me 

 importance in carrying on the scientific and practical inquiries 

 aimed at in the establishment of the Observatory. To the ex- 

 penses connected with the erection of the anemometers a grain 

 of 50/. has been made by the Committee of the Government Re- 

 search Fund. An exit from the building has been made in the 

 upper part of the tower, which will enable the observers to make 

 outside observations during the winter months, on many occa- 

 sions when they could not otherwise be attempted. The Council 

 regret to intimate that their application to the Treasury for a 

 grant in aid of the establishment of the Marine Station at 

 Grantor was not successful. Notwithstanding the refusal of the 

 Government to give assistance, the Marine Station, to which the 

 Society contributes 300/. a year from the Fishery Fund, was 

 established in April. There is every probability that the sub- 

 scriptions from the general public will shortly permit of very de- 

 sirable extensions being made to the further equipment of the 



station. In response to an offer by the Scottish Sea-Fishing 

 and Curing Company, Mr. Pearcey, of the Challenger Office, 

 made observations on a cruise in the ship Energy in the North 

 Sea, between Shetland and Norway. The specimens obtained 

 during the cruise, and the observations made, are now under 

 consideration. 



A paper was read by Mr. Buchan on the meteorology of Ben 

 Nevis, which we hope to give in an early number. ^ 



Dr. Arthur Mitchell described a new instrument for collecting 

 continuously any cosmic dust, volcanic dust, or other impurities 

 mechanically suspended in the atmosphere, the essential part ot 

 the instrument being a series of filters of fine platinum wires, 

 through which the air is continuously drawn by an aspirator. 



A report of the work done at the Scottish Marine Station at 

 Granton was submitted by Mr. J. T. Cunningham, naturalist in 

 charge. He detailed the nature of the work since the opening 

 of the Station in April. The method of working in the yacht 

 Medusa was then described. The position of the yacht is ascer- 

 tained by means of bearings at the time when the dredge or 

 other apparatus is put down or taken up. At these points the 

 depth of the water and the nature of the bottom are ascertained, 

 and various physical observations taken, including the tempera- 

 ture of the air, and that of the sea at the bottom, at the surface, 

 and at intermediate depths ; samples of sea water are also 

 secured from different depths. When the dredge or trawl is 

 hauled on deck, the contents are examined and the relative abun- 

 dance of the animals and Algae noted down. Some of the 

 specimens are preserved on the spot, and a number of them are 

 brought alive to the Station, and placed in the floating cages or 

 in aquaria in the laboratory, so that they may be more minutely 

 examined in the living state, and form a stock which may be 

 drawn upon for purposes of special research. The products of 

 the fine tow-nets are treated in the same way ; a microscope is 

 always on board, and in calm weather the minute specimens 

 can be examined in the cabin. Samples of the contents of the 

 tow-nets are preserved and labelled on board, and the remainder 

 are brought back to the Station alive and examined in the labor- 

 atory. The results of one day's work at sea usually provide 

 material for two or three days' work on shore. The work of 

 dealing with the preserved collections, identifying and separating 

 the animals, goes on continuously at the Station. The materials 

 for faunological and systematic zoological work soon became 

 abundant, and in the inquiries continuously carried on special 

 attention is given to identify the numeral- kir Is oi fish spawn, 

 both floating and attached, which occur in the Firth of Forth 

 and neighbouring parts of the sea. In order that the systematic 

 and general work of the Station might not be neglected, the 

 services of Mr. John Henderson as zoologist have been secured. 

 The study of the Algre has been energetically carried on by Mr. 

 Rattray. The work carried on by Mr. Mill has been chiefly 

 1. A regular system of meterological observations, both 

 on land and in the "ark," has been set on foot. Up to the 

 present time three biologists have availed themselves of the 

 opportunities afforded by the Station for research — Prof. W. A. 

 Herdman, University College, Liverpool ; Prof. Haycraft, 

 Mason's College, Birmingham ; and Mr. J. R. Davis, Univer- 

 sity College, Aberystwith. 



Mr. Hugh Robert Mill read a paper on the tidal variation of 

 temperature at the Marine Station. He detailed the nature of 

 the experiments, these including hourly and half-hourly observa- 

 tions, by night and by day on three occasions, extending in all to 

 ninety-seven hours. The results show interesting relations be- 

 1 wet n the temperature, the time of day, and the state of the tide. 

 Without attempting to generalise, the following facts observed in 

 each series of observations may be stated : — The surface tempera- 

 ture rose when the air temperature rose, and fell when it fell, 

 with no very apparent reference to the tides. The curve for bottom 

 temperature also followed that of air temperature, though to a 

 slight extent ; but the crest of the heat wave was retarded for 

 I hours, and the tide produced great modifications in the 

 temperature. When the tide flowed early in the morning it 

 cooled the bottom temperature ; when it entered at a later hour- 

 it raised it. By day the bottom temperature was lower than that 

 of the surface ; by night it was equal to it or slightly higher. The 

 causes which produced these various effects must be very com- 

 plex. The contour of the bottom of the quarry, the rates of 

 influx of the tide, the direction of the currents it originates, the 

 duration and period of the sunshine, the direction of the wind, 

 the heating of the sand by the sun and its cooling by radiation, 

 the heating and cooling of the surface water by radiation, and 



