Dec. 7, 1882] 
NATURE 1 
29 
on the morning of the following day he observed the 
comet rise just before the sun at Simon’s Bay, and says 
he will never forget the beauty of the scene. Many 
drawings of the comet were made at the Cape Observa- 
tory, and some photographic pictures were obtained with 
the assistance of Mr. Allis, of Mowbray. To obtain a 
perfect picture of the inore delicate details of the comet, 
in exposure of not less than half an hour was found to be 
necessary. 
The following places are abbreviated from an ephemeris 
calculated by Mr. Chandler from his last elliptical 
«<Jements :— 
At Greenwich mean noon. 
Log. distance from 
Right Ascension. Declination. 
h.m. s. Earth Sun. 
Wecember 7 ... 8 31 41 ... —29 42°7 ... 01868 ... 073110 
Ohe-7 O25) 25%. 29 57°6 
Hilpy-.) OmLO PLO, 30 9°8 ... O-I9I7 ... 0°3250 
Mey cea we) HOY ee, Byey Veer ’ 
Eipccs OMON24 ene s SOb25E5 cy ODO 7S)... O° 3304) 
7a 595 ois ONZOi9 
HG) cag PG) BR ceo SFe SONS) aes OHO Hs OIG 
Pie A Om. JO 20.8 
23 7 40 49 ... —30 21°4 ... 0°2137 ... 0°3635 
Up to Nov. 6 the comet discovered by Mr. Barnard had 
been sought for unsuccessfully at the Cape Observatory. 
We have received the following communications on the 
comet :— 
WITH the permission of Vice Admiral Stephen C. 
Rowan, U.S.N., Superintendent of the Observatory, I 
send you a sketch made at 17h. Washington Mean 
‘Time, November 15, with the 26-inch Washington equa- 
torial. At the time of observation the head of the 
comet was about 45 minutes east of the meridian. 
As it is extremely difficult to represent such an object 
faithfully in a woodcut, I will call attention to the fol- 
Comet 4, 1882, November 15°7, U.S. Naval Observatory, Washington. 
lowing points:—The nucleus presents a very woolly, 
nebulous appearance, with a main point of condensation, 
almost circular; near its following end, and about 18” 
from this towards the tail, a second point of condensa- | 
tion, prolonged about 54” in the direction of the tail in a 
narrow ridge of light. This ridge which has heretofore 
appeared broken up into four or five beads, is now a con- 
tinuous line of light with, perhaps, in one or two places, | 
faint indications of condensation. The nucleus is de- 
cidedly eccentric with regard to the general direction of the 
head, and the head is flattened on the zorth-fol/owing side. 
The position-angle of the major axis of the nucleus 
was 30974. The distance between the centre of the two 
main points of condensation, from a series of measures 
with the filar micrometer was 18”. A magnifying power 
of about 200 diameters was used. On November 17'7 
the extreme length of the nucleus was found by Com- 
mander Sampson to be 74”. 
The following meridian observation for position was 
obtained on November 157 with the transit circle ;— 
1882 November 15°74 (Washington M.T.) 
aA wyesc) «cap mets cee eee gh. 27m. 50s.°72 
N.P.D. Pataca! the 114° 40! 18""9 
The part observed was the main point of condensation 
near the following end of the nucleus. The observation 
is corrected for refraction, but not for parallax. 
WILLIAM CRAWFORD WINLOCK, 
Assistant Astronomer, U.S. Naval Observatory 
THE drawing represents the appearance of the great 
comet at 5 a.m. on the morning of October 12 this year. 
I delayed the publication of my observations on this 
morning in the hope of securing some more views, but 
the bad weather prevented any further observations of 
this object here. The drawing shows distinctly four con- 
densations in the nucleus, whose angle of position on the 
12th was about 102°. Its length was 40’*3, as measured 
with the filar micrometer on the great refractor. The 
visible length of the tail was estimated at 21°. No doubt 
The Great Comet seen in the Markree Refractor, October 12, 1882, 5 a.m.. 
by W. Do ercx 
it was really much greater. Its southern side was well 
defined. As seen with the naked eye the nucleus shone 
as brightly as a star of between the first and the second 
magnitude. On the morning of the 6th I had seen the 
end of the tail, which was then apparently 15° long, pre- 
| sent a feature very like that indicated in Major Herschel’s 
drawing (NATURE, vol. xxvi. p. 622), but I am not sure 
of this, as the sky was partly covered with cirro-cumulus 
clouds. 
On October 28, at 5h. 45m. a.m., the angle of position 
of the nucleus was about 113°, and its length amounted 
then to 67”. The tail was less curved than on the 12th. 
Markree Observatory, December 2 W. DoBERCK 
FUNCTION OF THE MEMBRANA FLACCIDA 
OF THE TYMPANIC MEMBRANE 
W HY should a smart blow, as, for instance, with the 
palm of the hand on the side of the head, or on 
the wing of the ear, cause rupture of the membrana 
tympani ? 
