OcToBER 19, 1899 | 
subjects, while a few, like Mr. Warde Fowler’s notes on the 
birds of the Somme Valley, supplement the history of native 
species in other lands, the remainder having no particular con- 
nection with the county. Especial interest attaches to Mr. S. F. 
Harmer’s note on the occurrence of the well-shrimp (Vzphargus) 
near Norwich ; and likewise to Mr. J. H. Gurney’s account of 
the distribution of the Bearded Tit. Various specialists bring 
the lists of the Norfolk fauna and flora up to date. And those 
who study economic zoology will be interested in the notes of 
Mr. G. H. Harris on the herring fishery of 1898. So far as 
the Yarmouth boats were concerned, this appears to have been 
a practical failure. It was not that the catch was always bad ; 
but, whatever the catch, prices were forced down by the poor 
quality of the fish. And this is mainly attributed to the mild 
season, herrings being never of high quality in warm weather. 
AMONG recent papers in the Journal oy Applied Microscopy, 
Mr. Charles J. Chamberlain's series of articles on ‘‘ Methods in 
Plant Histology” will be useful to teachers and students of 
practical botany. The last articles contain illustrated accounts 
of the principal families of algze with methods of preparing for 
observation. One of these methods is, however, capable of 
improvement. To place specimens ina Io per cent. solution 
of glycerine, and allow the solution to evaporate till it is 
of the consistency of pure glycerine would be unnecessarily 
tedious. It is simpler and equally efficacious to place the 
specimens in water in a small receptacle of parchment paper, 
and float the latteron glycerine, the change of density taking 
place through the paper by osmosis instead of by evaporation. 
A very clear photographic group of official members of the 
recent Dover meeting of the British Association, together with 
members of the French Association and the Belgian Geological 
Society, has been sent to us by the photographers, Messrs. 
Lambert Weston and Sons, of Dover, from whom copies may be 
obtained. In the majority of instances the individuals portrayed 
can easily be identified. 
THE additions to the Zoological Society’s Gardens during the 
past week include a Rhesus Monkey (A/acaces rhesus, 9 ) from 
India, presented by Mrs. J. Adams; fa Black-faced Spider 
Monkey (Aéeles ater) from Eastern Peru, presented by Mr. 
Claude P. Landi; a Common Chameleon (Chamaeleon vulgarts) 
from North Africa, presented by Mr. A. H. Ryan; a Red- 
cheeked Souslik (Spermophilus erythrogenys), four Eversmann’s 
Sousliks (Spermophelus altaicus), four Altai Sousliks (Sper- 
ophilus mugosaricus) from Western Siberia, a Common Seal 
(Phoca vitulina), British, a Common Cormorant (Phalacrocorax 
carbo, var.), European, an Emu (Dromaeus novae-hollandiae), 
three Long-necked  Chelodines (Chelodina longicollis) from 
Australia, an Uveean Parrakeet (Vymphicus wvaeenszs) from the 
Island of Uvea, a Rosy Parrakeet (Palaeornis rosa) from 
Burmah, a Four-lined Tree-frog (Polypedates quadrilineatus) 
from the East Indies, a Westerman’s Eclectus (Zc/ectus wester- 
manz) from Moluccas, deposited; six Glossy Ibises (P/egadi's 
falcinellus), bred in the Gardens. 
OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN, 
CoMET GIACOBINI (1899 2). 
Ephemeris for 12h. Berlin Mean Time. 
1899. R.A. Decl. Br. 
: bh. m. s. at 
Oct. 19 16 57 8 +0 464 
21 Peet 7: 0) 3 I 190 BO471 
23 a5 2 59 TG ee 
25 og 555 2 23°0 . 0°66 
27k. 8 52 nee 2 54°5 
29 ely) 11 49, Boo ar gh en . 0°62 
NO. 1564, VOL. 60] 
NATURE 
Sy 
A circular from the Centralstelle at Kiel informs us that owing 
to an error in one of the published observations, there is some 
doubt as to the correct elements of this comet. In consequence 
of this the above ephemeris may not be quite accurate, but, as 
according to the latest observation recorded, it is less than one 
minute in R.A. and two minutes in Decl. in error, it will be 
useful for searching purposes. The comet is travelling to the 
north-east through Ophiuchus, a little south of the second mag. 
star a Ophiuchi. 
HotMeEs’ CoMEr (1899 @). 
Ephemeris for 12h. Greenwich Mean Time. 
R.A. 
1899. = A Decl. 
es: °. ‘ “a 
Oct. 19 Deo ouer +48 49 51 
20... 51 57 48 54 5 
Pat ee) GOGH Bbc 48 57 56 
22 A OWAA I eece Aoetee2s 
PR a deer GEAABION oko 49 4 30 
Bt em LOPE EQ) fp 2S 
2B coo CHD) LY 49 9 33 
20m eras) 07, +49 II 29 
This comet is now in the middle of Perseus, being nearly on 
the line joining 8 and y Persei, about two-thirds of their 
distance from the former. 
OPPOSITION OF JUPITER, 1899.—Astronomische Nachrichten 
(Bd. 150, No. 3596) contains the results of several observers” 
work on the planet during the last opposition of 1899 April 25. 
M. J. Comas Sola, of the Catala Observatory, gives a plani- 
spheric map of the markings observed by him with a Mailhat 
objective of 22 cm. aperture, from February 18 to July 8. 
Tables are given showing the various rotation periods obtained 
from observations of spots in different zones, a summary of 
which is as follows :— 
Mean velocity of spots on ea =gh. 50m. 2335s. 
border of equatorial zone (from 22 spots) 
Mean velocity of spots on north | =9h. 50m. 15725s. 
border of equatorial zone... J_—_ (from 9 spots) 
*, mean equatorial velocity =gh. 50m. 20°76s. 
This, compared with Denning’s mean velocity for 189%, 
gh. 50m. 23°6s., would indicate an acceleration since the spring 
of 1897. 
Measures of the “‘ red spot ” gave a period of gh. 55m. 41°S5s. 
Herr Ph. Fauth also gives a planispheric drawing showing the 
details observed from May 30 to June 13, with a Pauly objective 
of 17°8 cm. aperture. 
Mr. A. Stanley Williams, of Brighton, gives his observations 
of the ‘‘red spot” made during the period March 13 to June 16 
with a 64-inch reflector. The period found is given as 
gh. 55m. 42°65s. from 229 rotations (March 13 to June 16). 
He finds the spot to be a little shorter now than it was in 1887 
(31°°7 instead of 34°7). 
Law ConNnEcTING Morions IN PLANETARY SYSTEM.— 
M. Ch. V. Zenger, of Prague, has recently put forward the 
results of work he has been engaged on for some years past, and 
a part dealing with the relations existing between the “time of 
a planet’s revolution” and its position in the solar system appears 
in the Bulletin de la Soc. Ast. de France, October 1899, 
pp. 431-434. He finds that the orbital movements of the 
planets and also of some periodical comets have a simple law 
connecting them with the time of the sun’s rotation. If “7 cs 
is the time of votatéon of the central controlling body, then 
“RR,” the time of orbital revolution of the planet, is given by 
the relation R=22-; where ‘‘7” is a whole integer, different 
2 
for each body. 
Taking Faye’s value for the solar rotation = 25:2 days, 
=12°6 days, and the author gives the following data :— 
Mercury Venus Earth Eros Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune 
N= 7 I 29 5I_ 54 344 854-243 4776 
R=88:2d. 226°8d. 365°4 642°6 680°4 4344°4 10765°4 30603°6 601776. 
Between the earth and Eros, the author mentions the possible 
existence of a hitherto unknown planet for which 2=40, and 
the period of revolution of which would therefore be about 
500°4 days. ; 
Several tables are also given showing the conformation of the 
satellites of the various planets to a similar relation, and the 
author considers the whole as helping to confirm his electrical 
theory of the solar system. 
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