88 
A GLANCE through the new edition of the catalogue of physi- 
ological instruments manufactured by the Cambridge Scientific 
Instrument Company shows the importance of a knowledge of 
physics to physiologists and biologists, for without an acquaint- 
ance with physical principles it would be impossible to design 
or use many of the instruments described. Special attention 
may be called to the completeness of the list as regards record- 
ing drums and motors, apparatus for blood analysis, and 
anthropometric apparatus. 
SEVERAL important papers appear in volume x. of the 
Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, just 
received from New York. Among the subjects dealt with are : 
Mexican birds ; native tribes of Mexico; new mammals from 
Western Mexico and Lower California ; complete skeletons of 
Teleoceras fossiger and Coryphodon radians, with notes upon 
the locomotion of these animals; extinct Camelidze of North 
America and some associated forms ; evolution of the amblypoda, 
revision of the species of Euchloé inhabiting America ; the 
Chickarees, or North American red squirrels ; vertebrate fauna 
of the Hudson Highlands ; and the Bombycine Moths, found 
within fifty miles of New York City. 
A THIRD edition, revised and enlarged, of Prof. J. Arthur 
Thomson’s “ Outlines ot Zoology” has been published by Mr. 
Young J. Pentland, Edinburgh. The volume, which contains 
more than eight hundred pages and 332 illustrations, is an in- 
spiring text-book whichstudents of zoology may use in the lecture- 
room, museum, and laboratory.—The seventh edition of ‘* A 
Treatise on Practical Chemistry and Qualitative Analysis,” by 
Prof. Frank Clowes, has been published by Messrs. J. and A. 
Churchill. The new edition of this successful volume has under- 
gone a thorough revision, and some additions have been made. 
The organic portion of the book will now meet the needs of many 
medical students.—Messrs. A. and C. Black have published a 
second edition of Mr. C. M. Aikman’s instructive little book on 
“Milk : its Nature and Composition.” The volume provides 
students of agricultural science with a capital manual on the 
chemistry and bacteriology of milk, butter, and cheese. 
MEssrs. WILLIAMS AND NorGATe’s latest Book Circular 
(Scientific Series, No. 71, May) contains a number of useful 
descriptive notes on recent and forthcoming scientific books, as 
well as the usual particulars. Among the announcements, we 
notice the following:—A new monthly periodical devoted to 
biological sciences is announced from Italy. The title will be 
“ Revista di Scienze Biologiche,” and it will be edited by 
Enrico Morselli.—The third edition of Beilstein’s ‘‘ Handbuch 
der organischen Chemie” is now fast approaching its comple- 
tion, and the final part of the fourth volume will probably be 
published in the course of the coming summer. The first 
volume, consisting of 1586 pages, was published in 1893 ; the 
second volume, of 2211 pages, in 1896; and the third, of 1020 
pages, in 1897.—The new edition of Richter’s ‘ Lexikon der 
Kohlenstoffverbrudungen,” which is at present in the press, 
will contain over 60,000 formule. The whole of the 56,000 
formulz which appear in Beilstein’s Handbook will be indexed 
in the work, so that reference from it to Beilstein will be easy. 
—‘‘Chimie végétale et agricole” is the title of a work by M. 
Berthelot which is in the press, and will be issued very shortly. 
It will be in four volumes.—The first volume of a fourth revised 
and enlarged edition of Dr. G. Lunge’s ‘‘ Chemisch-Technische 
Untersuchungsmethoden ” is in the press, and will be published 
very shortly. The work will be complete in three volumes.— 
‘‘Die Einrichtungen zur Erzeugung von Rontgenstrahlen und 
ihr Gebrauch” is the title of a work by Dr. B. Donatti which 
is in the press, and will be issued very shortly.—Towards the 
end of this month, the fourth and final volume of Prof. P. 
NO. 1543, VOL. 60] 
NALTORE 
[May 25, 1899 
Duhem’s “ Traité élémentaire de mécanique chimique fondée 
sur la Thermodynamique” will be issued. The following 
is a list of its contents: ‘‘ Les melanges doubles. Statique 
chimique générale des systémes hetérogénes.” The volume 
will also contain a complete index. 
THE additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 
past week include two Green Monkeys (Cercopithecus callé- 
trichus, 8 °) from West Africa, presented respectively by Mr. 
J. B. Robinson and Mr. H. Gifford ; a Yellow-whiskered Lemur 
(Lemur xanthomystax, &) from Madagascar, presented by Mr, 
C. B. Ayerst and Miss Mary F. Ayerst; a Common Ducker 
(Cephalophus grimmz, &),:a Banded Ichneumon (Crossarchus 
JSasctatus) from South Africa, presented by Mr. W. Champion ; 
a Cinereous Vulture ( Vieltur monachus), South European, pre- 
sented by H.G. the Duchess of Marlborough; a Black Kite 
(Milvus migrans), European, presented by Mr. G. H. Walker ; 
a Chilian Sea Eagle (Geranoaetus melanoleucus), captured oft 
Cape Horn, presented by Captain Bate; six Derbian Zonures 
(Zonurus giganteus) from South Africa, presented by Mr. W. L. 
Sclater ; two Common Snakes (7vopzdonotus matrix) British, 
presented by Mr. E. Haig; a Chimpanzee (Anthropopithecus 
troglodytes, 2) from West Africa, deposited. 
OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. 
NEw STAR IN SAGITTARIUS.—The Astrophysical Journal 
for April 1899 (vol. ix.) contains a reproduction of a photograph 
of the spectrum of this star taken at Harvard College Observ- 
atory, together with a picture of a chart plate showing the 
position of the star on April 29, 1898, when its magnitude 
was 8°4. ’ 
The photograph of the spectrum shows the changes in the 
spectrum by a comparison of its appearance on April 19 and 
April 21, 1898. The first shows Hg, Hy, H8, He, H¢, Hn, 
and possibly H@, as bright ‘lines. A broad band at A 4643 Is 
also bright, with several other xavrow bright bands. These 
are probably coincident with corresponding lines in spectrum of 
Nova Aurigee. The plate taken on the later date shows several 
important changes, chiefly the appearance of a narrow bright 
line at A 5005, possibly coinciding with the chief nebular line at 
A 5007. 
Comer 1899 a (SWIFT).— 
Ephemerts for 12h. Berlin Mean Time. 
1899. R.A Decl. Br. 
Wise iol: Gh 8 i 
May 25 20 48 31 +54 41°8 1°77 
26 ... 20 26 33 55 47°5 
270 oa) ZOO MT, 56 38°74 re71 
28 . 19 38 21 57 114 
29 19 12 56 57 2671 1°61 
30 18 47 26 57 20°2 
31 18 22 26 56 55°06 1°49 
June I 17 58 35 +56 13°1 
The comet is now moving very rapidly in R.A., and becoming: 
more favourably situated for observation. During the week it 
passes in a north-westerly direction through Cygnus into Draco. 
On the 25th it will be about 10° due north of a Cygni, and om 
June 1 4° north of y Draconis. It reaches its maximum 
northern declination on the 29th. Although its brightness has 
been steadily declining, it is still easily visible to the unaided 
eye when its position has been ascertained. 
@poERVERS of the undercurrents of scientific progress in 
this country cannot have failed to note during the past 
twelve months a very remarkable movement at work amongst 
the opticians, especially amongst the younger men in the optical 
trades. An intelligent scientific study of the principles of optics 
has hitherto never been required of the optician, who from the 
first day of his apprenticeship might grow up in the business 
entirely untrained in everything save the mere buying and sell- 
