SEPTEMBER 14, 1899] 
every surgeon should not regard an induction coil and acces- 
sories as an indispensable part of his general outfit. A note- 
worthy feature of Mr. Cox’s catalogue is a section in which the 
principles of construction of induction coils are described, and 
the best m2thods of using the apparatus explained. 
Tue Cambridge University Press have issued the following 
list of additional errata for Lord Kelvin’s ‘‘ Mathematical and 
Physical Papers,” vol. itl. :—Page 33, line 8, for ‘‘ 21,000,000 ” 
read ‘ 2,100,000”; p. 68, in heading of Table II., for ‘‘ 289° ” 
read ‘*288°”; p. 74, line 7, for ‘‘640” read ‘'64”’; p. 173, 
line 6, for ‘“‘the” (before ‘‘ quantity”) read ‘‘a”; p. 226, 
value of diffusivity of wood (col. 4) should be ‘‘ ‘oot3”’ instead 
of ‘*-o13”; p. 228, footnote, after ‘*‘ XCVI.” insert ‘ Part 11.” ; 
p 252, line 17, before ‘‘ being”’ insert ‘‘the whole” ; p. 256, 
line 18, insert parenthesis marks before ‘‘since” and after 
* ae "; p. 348, line 8 from foot, for ‘‘ 1071” read ‘10-19 ” : 
74 
line 5 from foot, for 
from foot, insert *‘ half” after ‘‘ than”; p. 398, line 3 of foot- 
note, for ‘‘praecendentium ” read ‘‘ preecedentium”; p. 401, 
footnote, delete ‘‘or oblong-rectangle-based”’; p. 403, line 25, 
for **§ 52” read ‘*§ 53”; p. 409, line 5 from foot, for ‘‘ Caig- 
nard” read ‘‘Cagniard”; p. 441, line 4, for ‘‘” read ‘*g”: 
line 8, for ‘*x?” read ‘‘g?”; p. 442, line 10 from foot, for 
<°29” read ‘°46”: line 2 from foot, for ‘‘27” read “42”; 
p. 451, line 13, for ‘‘ forces” read ‘‘force”; p. 459, line 5, 
for ‘‘forcives” (first) read ‘‘ forcive’”’ ; p. 478, line 5 of foot- 
note, delete comma after ‘‘force’’; p. 479, line 8, for ‘‘ 15” 
read ‘‘12”: line 9, for ‘‘-18” read ‘‘-225”5 p. 480, line 16, 
for ‘‘of” (after ‘‘law”’) read ‘‘if” ; p. 483, line 7, for ‘*18 ” 
read ‘* °225.” 
? 
THE additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 
past week include a Rhesus Monkey (Macacus rhesus) from 
India, presented by Mr. E. G. Mills; a Short-tailed Vole 
(Aruicola agrestis, var.), British, presented by Mr. A. Thomas ; 
a Leadbeater’s Cockatoo (Cacatua leadbeaterz) from Australia, 
presented by Lieut.-Colonel G. E. E. Blunt; a Laughing 
Kingfisher (Dacelo gigantea), presented by Mr. Thomas A. de 
Wolf ; eleven Long-nosed Crocodiles (Crocodilus cataphractus) 
from Assay, South Nigeria, presented by Mr. W. J. Bowker ; a 
West African Python (Python sebae) from West Africa, presented 
by Mr. J. S. Budgett ; two One-wattled Cassowaries (Casw- 
arius untappendiculatus), a Blue-necked Cassowary (Casuarius 
intensus) from New Guinea, a Little Rock Wallaby (Petrogale 
concinna), two Regent Birds (Serzcuus melinus) from Australia, 
a Ring-necked Parrakeet (Pa/aeornés torguata, var.) from India, 
a Serrated Terrapin (Chrysemys scripta) from North America, a 
Grooved Tortoise (Zestudo calcarata) from South Africa, 
deposited. 
OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN, 
HoumMeEs’ CoMErT 1899 d (1892 III.).— 
Ephemerts for 12h. Greenwich Mean Time. 
1899. R.A Decl. Br. 
a 
r2 (vA-2) 
h. m. Ss. oo. a“ 
Sept. 14 3 9 551 43 16 46°9 
15 9 16°48 43 29 52°3 
16 9 25°29 43 42 494 
17 9 31 90 43.55 38°90 0°1777 005636 
18 9 36°31 44 8 176 
19 9 38°47 44 20 480 
20 9 38°37 44 33 88 
21 3 9 35°98 44.45 19°'7 01758 0705727 
On the 20th, the comet ceases to move eastward, and com- 
mences to travel in a north-westerly path through Perseus. 
NO. 1559, VOL. 60] 
NATURE 
“‘second”’ read ‘century’; p. 396, line 8 | 
487 
VANADIUM IN METEORITES.—In a paper contributed to 
Mem. Soc. Degli. Spett. [tal. (vol. xxviii. pp. 113-119), M. M. B, 
Hasselberg gives the results of an extensive investigation he has 
been making into the constitution of meteorites. Thirty-one 
different specimens have been examined, and photographs taken 
of their spectra when volatilised in the electric arc, the region 
extending from A 4268°78 to A 4444°40. Tables are given 
showing the relative intensities of the characteristic vanadium 
lines, the discussion of which leads the author to give the 
following conclusions :— 
(1) The quantity of vanadium present in meteorites is exceed- 
ingly small, but the sensible differences found in the several 
specimens leave no doubt of the reality of its presence. The 
meteorites, of New Concord, Lundsgarden, 1’Aigle, Kniahynia 
and Alfianello are cited as showing the metal most easily. 
(2) There is a distinct difference between zroz meteorites 
and stony meteorites, the former containing xo trace of vana- 
dium, while the latter generally contain it in greater or less 
quantity. | 
(3) In the meso-siderites, of intermediate composition, the 
presence of vanadium is very doubtful, though faint indica- 
tions are often found. 
With regard to the Nejed and Obernkirchen meteorites, 
which are ferro-siderites, the author states that he has specially 
looked for the lines found by Lockyer at AA 4112°5-4119°6, 
but without success, his vanadium spectrum not containing lines 
of these wave-lengths. Measures of photographs of comparison 
spectra of vanadium and Nejed meteorite fail to show the 
lines, and he gives a list of nine vanadium lines in this 
region which do not appear in the meteorite, and there- 
fore is led to regard these two as not being exceptions to the 
rule that iron meteorites contain no trace of vanadium. 
CoRDOBA PHOTOGRAPHS OF STAR-CLUSTERS.—We have 
recently received from Dr. S. C. Chandler a volume en- 
titled ** Cordoba Photographs,” containing the measures and 
computations made by the late Dr. B. A. Gould, from the 
photographs of star-clusters obtained at the Argentine National 
Observatory. Dr. Gould commenced the undertaking in 1872, 
at the Cordoba Observatory, which was placed at his disposal by 
the Argentine Government. After his death in 1896 the re- 
maining portions were completed by his assistant, Mr. G. E. 
Whitaker, who had worked with Dr. Gould for eleven years. The 
volume is printed in duplicate throughout, in Spanish and 
English. In the first 41 pages a detailed description is given 
of the origin of the work, and the method of carrying it out, 
with full particulars and explanation of the methods of 
measurement and computation adopted. 
Two series of photographs were obtained, one with an 
object-glass formerly the property of Mr. Rutherford, of 28°6 
cm. aperture, and the other with a new glass constructed by 
Fitz, under Rutherford’s superintendence. On Dr. Gould’s 
return to New York in 1885 he had over 1200 plates, besides 
those of the moon, planets, comets, &c. Of these 281 were fully 
measured, giving the positions of over 11,000 stars. In addition 
315 plates of 96 double stars have also been measured. The 
material thus made available was so great that it was decided to 
add no new measures, but proceed with the computations. For 
this Dr. Gould devised methods of applying corrections for cali- 
bration of the micrometer scale, expansion-coefficients of the 
glass plates, and the reduction of the measures to rectangular 
coordinates. 
The star clusters are restricted to the Southern Hemisphere 
with only two exceptions, P/ezades and Praesefe. Each plate 
was obtained by exposing first for eight minutes, then moving 
the telescope slightly in R.A. without jar, after which a second 
exposure of eight minutes was given. Finally the stars were 
allowed to trail across the plate to give direction of diurnal 
motion. For some of the plates a third exposure was given 
instead of obtaining a trail. All the plates were albumenised to 
prevent distortion of the films, and there has been no trouble 
from this cause. Various electrical and other contrivances were 
tried with the telescope, but most of the work was directed by 
a heavy pendulum as governor. To explain the method of 
computation, the reduction of a plate of the Pleiades is given 
with full details of the calculations. 
The remainder of the volume, pp. 50-482, consists of the 
final determined positions of 9144 stars in 37 clusters, each 
accompanied with its own chapter of explanation. There is a 
chart of each cluster, showing all the stars considered, to ‘a 
scale of about 18” = 1 mm. 
