2, 1882] 
Feb. 
NATURE 
317 
over-presumptuous in so-doing. Ihave the honour to be, Sir, 
your most obedient and humble servant, 
W. A. HOLLAND, 
Chief Officer of Ship Sarak Bell 
Havre, Fanuary 21, Ship “ Sarah Bell” 
S1r WILLIAM THOMSON, 
DEAR S1r,—In reply to your very kind letter of the r8th, 
I am most confident and very careful in what I have already~ 
reported to you. With this exception, that I myself estimated 
the spot on the sun to be é diam., but conferring with the captain 
he estimated it to be 3} diam., it was purely an estimate of the 
eye. The first time I observed it I could scarcely believe my own 
eyes ; I immediately and properly adjusted my sextant and ob- 
served the sun consiantly through the day. The spot appeared to 
move from the sun’s upper limb to the lower limb, and nearly 
through the sun’s centre. The captain and myself most par- 
ticularly noticed the spot both with and without our telescopes, 
and we feel quite sure there could not have been any mistake, as 
I have been in the habit of observing the sun’s altitude at the 
least six times during the day at sea; I add the spot appeared 
quite black. Weather squally, with a very troubled and con- 
fused sea ; barometer 29°°93 steady. Trusting my notes may be 
of some use to you, and that you will hear a more explicit account 
from other navigators. W. A. HoLuann, 
Chief Officer Sarah Bell, Havre 
On the Climate of North Northumberland as Regards 
its Fitness for Astronomical Observations 
IN May, 1880, I became possessed of the telescope, obser- 
vatory, and astronomical instruments belonging to the late 
Rey. Henry Cooper Key, M.A., F.R.A.S., and I erected the 
telescope and observatory at my vicarage at Alnwick, Northum- 
berland. The instrument isa silver-on-glass reflector, the specu- 
lum being by Mr. Calver, of Chelmsford, of 184 inches aperture ; 
as regards perfection of figure, I believe it cannot be excelled. 
As a specimen of the work it is capable of performing under the 
best conditions I may say that last November I measured 
y* Andromedz, the components of that exceedingly difficult 
double star being now separated by only o”-28 according 
to the Washington observers. The weather, however, for 
observational purposes during the last six months of 1880 
was so bad here, that I determined to keep a record, as far as 
possible, of every night in the year 1881, as regards its fitness 
for astronomical work, and this record I now lay before your 
readers, I may premise that no fault can be found with the 
situation of the observatory. It is 250 feet above sea-level, four 
miles from the sea, there are no mountains or streams sufficiently 
near to affect the definition, no collieries or manufactories in the 
immediate neighbourhood ; and, if the definition be bid, no 
cause can be assigned for it but atmospheric disturbance. The 
following is the record for each month :— : 
January.—In this months there were 11 nights completely 
overcast ; 4 partially overcast ; and 16 clear. I opened the ob- 
servatory on 5 nights, on 4 of which the definition was very 
bad, and on i bad. On 15 nights there was hard frost accom- 
panied by deep snow. 
February.—The nights were : Completely overcast, 22 ; par- 
tially overcast, 6. The definition was on 4 very bad, on 1 bad, 
and on I fair. 
March.—Completely overcast, 24; partially overcast, 7. 
The definition was on I very bad, on I bad, and on 3 fair. On 
2 nights hard frost prevented observations. 
April.—Completely overcast, 25 ; partially overcast, 3 ; clear, 
2. The definition was on 2 very bad, and on 2 nights wind, and 
on I snow prevented observations. 
May.—Completely overcast, 10; partially overcast, 9 ; clear, 
12. Definition on 15 nizhts was very bad, on 1 bad, and on 4 
fair. One of the partially clouded nights was too cloudy for 
observations. 
June.—Completely overcast, 14; partially overcast, 2; clear, 
14. Definition was on § very bad. I was away from home on 
9, and engaged on 2 nights. 
July.—Completely overcast, 26; partially overcast, 1 ; clear, 
4. Definition was on I very bad, on 3 bad, and on 1 I was 
away from home. 
August.—Completely overcast, 25; partially overcast, 3; 
clear, 3. Definition was on r very bad, wind or cloud prevented 
observations on 4 nights, and on 1 I was away from home. 
September.—Completely overcast, 25; partially overcast, 4; 
clear, 1. Definition was on 4 very bad, and on 1 of the partially 
clouded nights there was too much cloud for observations. 
October.—Completely overcast, 19; partially overcast, 6; 
clear, 6. Definition was on 4 very bad, on I very fine, wind 
prevented observations on 4 nights, and on 3 I was away from 
home. 
November.—Completely overcast, 13 ; partially overcast, 5; 
clear, 12. Definition was on 7 very bad, on 2 bad, on 2 fair, 
and on I very fine. Wind prevented observations on 5 nights. 
December.—Completely overcast, 15; partially overcast, 1; 
clear, 15. Definition was on 6 very bad, and on q fair. Wind 
prevented observations on 3 nights, on 2 I was away from home, 
and on I engaged. 
The summary for the year is as follows :—229 nights were 
completely overcast ; 51 were partially so (but of these 4 were 
too cloudy for observations); and 85 were clear. Thus 132 
nights ought to have been available for observations. Of these 
the definition on 54 was very bad, on g bad, oa 14 fair, and on 
2 very fine. Wind prevented observations on 16 nights, frost 
and snow combined on 15, on 2 frost alone, and on I snow 
alone. On 16 I was absent from home, and on 3 engaged. 
Total, 132. 
I need hardly point out to your readers that the above record 
is a somewhat melancholy one for the astronomical observer. 
Ours is a cloudy sky; but in addition to the great amount of 
cloud, the atmosphere here is almost perpetually in a state of 
violent disturbance, so that difficult and delicate telescopic work 
can very rarely indeed be attempted. Last year there were only 
two occasions on which I found the definition really fine, and on 
those it only continued so for a short while. When the stars 
are visible, they are, as a rule, when looked at through the tele- 
scope, seen to be flaring, flashing, fluttering, jumping, twirling, 
or waving—anything in short rather than remaining steady. 
This is clearly owing to atmospheric perturbation, because on 
some very rare occasions the images are still, and the definition 
is superb. I have not been in the habit of using a telescope for 
a sufficient length of time to say whether last year was an excep- 
tionally bad one for the North of England, but from what I 
have heard and read, as well as from nine years’ residence here, 
I am afraid it was not. Perhaps others of your readers can 
throw a little light on this point. 
Jevon J. MuscHAMP PERRY 
St. Paul’s Vicarage, Alnwick, January 4 
Primitive Traditions as to the Pleiades 
My conclusions as to the Pleiades having been believed to be 
in early ages the centre of the universe, were not in any way 
based upon the singular name A/-yone for the principal star in 
that group. I can hardly account for my having so long for- 
gotten the meaning of that name, and its connection with the 
belief I had found vestiges of, as to the Pleiades being the centre 
of all things. It is probable that at first I regarded its signifi- 
cance as a mere accident, as Dr. Tylor evidently does, and dis- 
missed it from my mind. The best proof of the widespread 
traces of the belief in question is to be found in the fact that 
even since this correspondence took place I have met among the 
Berbers of Morocco a name for Alcyone, which has precisely 
the same meaning, and which, they tell me, was given to that 
star because Paradise is in them, and they are the centre of all 
things. I have also found that the idea, which, as I stated in 
my last letter, I have for many years entertained, that those 
stars were observed by means of openings or passages in temples 
in early ages, is manifestly well founded. 
I find that in the Sahara there are temples or ancient mosques, 
in which the year is still regulated in this way, there being a 
tube from the top of the building, very small above and larger 
below, through which the southing of those stars is observed. 
I have this not only from natives of the Sahara, but also from 
a European here who has often heard of the system, though he 
did not know which were the stars that were observed. 
Even the Moors have a vestige of the practice in the singular 
belief that those stars ‘‘rest on the top of the mosques.” In 
the feast of tabernacles, too, which is to be found in the Sahara 
as well as in far-distant quarters of the globe, the Berber tribes 
build their temporary tents with a hole at the top, so that the 
young men who are being instructed may see the Pleiades passing 
overhead, The Jews here have the same custom, and endeayonr 
to explain it by a curious legend as to Jonah’s journey to Nineveh. 
They forget apparently that Moses wrote a good many years 
| before Jonah was swallowed by the whale. 
