538 
the members through the Paleontological Galleries, and gave 
most interesting demonstrations of many of the more remarkable 
fossils. Dr. Henry Woodward and Prof. Morris were al:o pre- 
sent, and did all in their power to interest the visitors. After- 
wards the Club adjourned to the Exhibition Galleries, Cromwell 
Road, where General Pitt-Rivers, F.R.S., gave a demonstration 
of portions of his Anthropological Museum, particularly dwelling 
upon the developmental ideas underlying the inception and 
arrangement of that unique collection. The two meetings were 
entirely successful, considerably over 1co Members and friends 
being present. 
THE acditions to the Zoolog’cal Society's Gardens during the 
past week include a Macaque Monkey (Macacus cynomolgus 6 ) 
from India, presented by Miss Richards; two Common Mar- 
mosets (//apale jacchus) from Brazil, a Silky Hangnest (Amdly- 
rhampus holosericeus) from Buenos Ayres, presented by Mr. 
George Jacobs ; a Puffin (Fvatercu/a arctica), British, presented 
by Miss Lane ; a Smooth Snake (Coronedl/a /evis), British, pre- 
sented by Mr. Wm. Penney ; twenty-five Madeira Snails (Helix 
maderensis), foue Undated Snails (//e/ix undata) from Madeira, 
presented by Mr. George French Angas, C.M.Z.S. ; a Diana 
Monkey (Cercopithecus diana 6), a Talapin Monkey (Cerco- 
pithecus talapin 2), a Water Chevrotain (Ajomoschus aguaticus) 
from West Africa, two Green-billed Toucans (Ramphastos 
dicolorus) from Guiana, a Yellow-lored Amazon> (CArysotis 
xantholora) from Central America, two Maguari Storks (Dissura 
maguari), an Orinoco Goose (Chenalopex jubata) from South 
America, a Common Night Heron (Mycticorax griseus), Euro- 
pean, a Monitor (A/onitor, sp. inc.) from Africa, purchased ; 
two Little Bustards (Zetrax campestris), European, deposited ; 
a Radiated Fruit Cuckoo (Carpococcyx radiatus, from Sumatra, 
received on approval. 
OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN 
CoMET 1882 a.—The following elements of the comet dis- 
covered in America on March 18, have been calculated by Mr. 
Hind from observations on March 19, 22, and 25, the first tele- 
graphed from America, the two others made at the Observatory 
of Kiel :— 
Perihelion passage 1882, June 12'07195 G.M.T. 
Longitude of Perihelion 52 6 31 App. Eq. 
- ascending ncde 204 59 31 Mar. 22. 
Inclination ie tera 73.42 44 
Log. perihelion distance 8870371 
The heliocentric are described between the extreme observations 
is only 33', and the orbit is therefore to be regarded as a first 
approximation, Another orbit calculated by Dr. Oppenheim 
from observations on March 19, 23, and 27, gives the epoch of 
perihelion-passage, June 16°5818 G.M.T., and the log. least 
distance 9'07186. It is evident, therefore, that the comet will 
greatly increase in brightness as it draws near to the sun, and 
we may look for a naked-eye object a fortnight or so before 
perihelion. The elements, however, will not be well-deter- 
mined in this case, without a much wider extent of observation. 
Dr. Oppenheim finds the following places for Berlin mid- 
night. We are indebted for them to Prof. Krueger, the editor 
of the Astronomische Nachrichten :— 
R.A. Decl. Log. distance 
J h. m s. a 5 from Earth, 
April6 ... 18 28 53 +44 43°4 0°25c0 
Disses) (3X old, 45 29°4 
8 ... — 33 41 40 16°2 
9 ——30nrg 47 39 
10 — 38 50 47 52°5 0°2323 
11 — 41 32 48 42°'0 
12 — 44 21 49 324 
130... — 47 16 50 23°6 
14... — 50 19 +51 15°7 0'2134 
The mean of the above perihelion-distances is less than a tenth 
of the mean distance of the earth from the sun, and compara- 
tively few comets out of the number calculated have approached 
NATURE 
Pg Se ae Oe "Fut 
. 
| Apri 6, 1882 
the sun so closely ; indeed, between the commencement of the 
seventeenth century and the present time we find only rine or 
ten cases that can be relied upon, in upwards of two hund-ed and 
twenty which have been computed. 
VARIABLE STARS.—Amongst the objects of this class now in 
a favourable position for observation is one observed on the 
meridian at Bonn in May, 1864, and rated 9*0; its position for 
1855‘0 is in R.A. 13h. 22m, 58'1s., N.P.D. 98° 48’ 54”. It was 
85 on April 16, 1855, 9°5 on April 30, 1853, and is entered 
1om. on Chacornac’s Chart, No. 41; on one occasion previous 
to 1853, it had been noted 8m. On April 5, 1874, it was a 
faint 9m. It was not observed either by Lalande or Bessel. It 
is gm. on Bremicker’s chart of the Berlin series. An eighth- 
magnitude (Santini calls it a sixth) follows about 10’ to the 
south. 
Mira Celi attains a maximum on May 23. A minimum of S 
Can¢ri occurs on April 14, at gh. 9m, G.M.T. 
GEOGRAPHICAL NOTES 
Tue following papers will be read at the German ‘‘ Geo- 
graphentag” which will meet at Halle on April 11-14: 
—On some scientific results of the voyage of the Gazelle, 
particularly from a zoogeographical point of view, by Prof. 
Studer (Berne) ; on the progress of our knowledge of Sumatra, 
by Prof. Kan (Amsterdam); on the alleged influence of the 
earth’s rotation upon the formation of river-beds, by Prof. 
Zoppritz (Kénigsberg) ; on the colonies of Germans and their 
neighbours in Western Europe, by Herr Meitzen (Berlin); on 
the historical development of geographical instruction, by Dr. 
Kropatschek (Brandenburg); on the treatment of subjects re- 
lating to conveyance in geographical instruction, by Prof. 
Paulitscbke (Vienna) ; on the introduction of metrical measures 
in geographical instruction, by Prof. Wagner (Gottingen) ; on 
the relation between anthropology and ethnology, by Prof. Ger- 
land (Strassburg) ; on the etbnological conditions of Northern 
Africa, by Dr, Nachtigal (Berlin) ; on the Polar question, by 
Prof, Neumayer (Hamburg); on the geographical distribution 
of Alpine lakes, by Prof, Credner (Greifswald) ; on the true defi- 
nition of the development of coasts, by Prof. Giinther (Ansbach) ; 
on geographical instruction in its relation to natural sciences, 
by Prof. Schwalbe (Berlin) ; on the Guldberg-Mohn theory of 
horizontal air currents, by Prof. Overbeck (Halle); on the 
systematic furtherance of the scientific topography of Germany, 
by Herr Lehmann (Halle), The meeting will be combined with 
a geographical exhibition, 
Wirk the sixth part of the volume for 1881 of the Zeitschrift 
of the Berlin Geographical Society we have the usual exhaustive 
Catalogue of geographical literature for the year, including 
works and papers in all departments of geography, systematically 
arranged, and covering about 150 pages. No such complete list 
is to be found anywhere else. Dr. Konrad Ganzenmiiller has a 
}aper in this number on the Climate, Flora, and Fauna of the 
Central Range of the North-West Himalayas. The first part of 
the Zeit:chrift for the present year contains papers by Dr. Theo. 
Fischer, on the Italian Sea-Chart and Maps of the Middle 
Ages; on the Sierra of Cordoba, by Dr. Wien; on the Ant- 
arctic Flora compared with the Paleozoic, by Dr. Joh. Palacky ; 
and on the Cartography of Bolivia, by Dr. R. Kiepert. No. 2 
of the Verhandlungen of the Society for 1882 contains a long 
lecture by Herr Buchner on his three years’ exploration in 
South-West Africa, 
THE March number of Pefermann’s Mittheilungen contains an 
account, by Mr. Knipping, of a recent journey through the 
central mountainous part of the chief island of Japan ; a paper 
on Capt. Gallieni’s mission to the Upper Niger, 1880-81 ; an 
analysis, by Prof. Zoppritz, of Mr. Stanley’s thermo-barometric 
observations on his journey across Africa; and a necrology for 
the year 1881. 
THERE have been several books recently published on Mani- 
toba, to which, at present, there is a great rush of emigrants. 
As a rule, such books give only the bright side of the emigrant’s 
life and prospects in the colony, and it is difficult to get a per- 
fectly trustworthy account of what the emigrant may expect. 
Two Manitoba books are before us: one by the Rey. Prof. 
Bryce, of Manitoba College—for education has been well pro- 
vided for in Winnipeg already—is mainly historical, giving 
pretty full details of the Earl of Selkirk’s attempts at settlement. 
Messrs. S. Low and Co. are the publishers The other modest 
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