210 
WAT ORE 
had to encounter a yigorous opposition from the authorities and 
people for many years ; at present, however, the capital is con- 
nected by wire with the coast. The electric light is the latest 
improvement which has excited the suspicion and dislike of the 
Mandarins. The foreign settlement at Shanghai has for some 
time been lighted on the Brush system, apparently much to the 
comfort and jubilation of the denizens of the ‘‘model settle- 
ment,” as the foreign portion of the city is generally called. 
The promoters appear, however, to have reckoned without the 
Chinese officials, They probably thought that where gas was 
permitted, there could be no objection to electricity. The 
Chinese Governor of the dis'rict appears to be of a different 
opinion. He has addressed a letter to the senior Foreign 
Consul requesting the removal of all the electric lamps. He has 
read, he says, in translatious from European papers, that terrible 
accidents have arisen from electricity, and flatly refuses to permit 
the residents of Shanghai t» be exposed to such dreadful risks. 
Hundreds of thousands of houses might be destroyed, millions 
of lives might be lost; even the walls of the city might be 
blown down if anything went wrong with the machines. He 
has strictly forbidden his own countrymen to use it, and has 
peremptorily ordered those who have already adopted it to dis- 
continue it forthwith. Whether this ukase will be immediately 
obeyed or not it is impossible to say ; but past experience leads us 
to the conclusion that if the Chinese have determined to set their 
face against the electric light, no power on earth can get them to 
permit it in their territory. Their leading principle in these matters 
seems to be a dislike of all innovation until its necessity is 
clearly demonstrated by ¢hezy own experience, and a determina- 
tion that new inventions or appliances shall not be foisted or 
forced on them from outside. The late difficulty with Russia 
showed them the imperative necessity of being prepared for 
war, and of having their capital in d*rect communication with 
the outer world. Ironclad ships and rifled guns are accordingly 
being purchased with extraordinary rapidity; forts are being 
erected at various points on the seaboard, and a telegraph line 
about 800 miles in length was constructed in the course of a few 
months. Perhaps, after all, the Chinese policy in this respect is 
not so wrong-headed as it sometimes appears. It certainly saves 
them from the wiles of speculators and promoters of all sorts. 
THE additions to the Zoological Society’s Gardens during the 
past week include two Bonnet Monkeys (M/acacus vadiatus $ ? ) 
from India, presented by Mr. Nathaniel Cotton; two Slender 
Loris (Zorts gracilis) from India, presented by Dr. H. W. 
Lentaigne ; a Leopard (Felis pardus) from India, presented by 
Capt. Park ; a Crimson-crowned Weaver Bird (Zuplectes flam- 
miceps) from Madeira, presented by Mr. E. W. Gain; a 
Common Heron (Avdea cinerea} from Scotland, presented by 
Mr. W. H. Henderson ; eleven Muscovy Ducks (Cairina 
moschata) from South America, presented by Major Finlay ; a 
Hoary Snake (Coronella cana), a Crossed Snake (Psammophis 
crucifer), a Rhomb-marked Snake Psammophjlax rhombeatus) 
from South Africa, presented by the Rev. G. H. R. Fisk, 
C.M.Z.S. ; two Golden-winged Woodpeckers (Colaptes auratus) 
from North America, purchased; a Golden-Eye (Clangu/a 
glaucion 6), British, on approval; a Molucca Deer Cervus 
meluccensts @), born in the Gardens. 
OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN 
STELLAR PARALLAX.—The results of a series of observations 
with the filar micromerer on the Washington refractor for the 
determination of the annual parallax of a Lyra and 61 Cygni 
have been printed in advance of the publication of the yearly 
volume of observations. The measures were made by Prof. 
Asaph Hall, those of a Lyra extending from May 24, 1880, to 
July 2, 1881, on seventy-seven nights, and those of 61 Cygni 
from October 24, 1880, to December 7, 1881, on sixty-six 
nights. The magnifying power employed was 383. Prof. Hall 
remarks that since observations of the angle of position made 
with the micrometer-circle are less accurate for distances that 
enter into the determination of parallax, he observed simply the 
difference of declination of @ Lyre and the companion of the 
tenth magnitude, and in the case of 61 Cygni the difference of 
declination of the smaller component and a star of 9°5 magnitude 
about 3'"3 south of the double star, which is D.M. + 38°, No. 
4345. a Lyrz was obse ved both with bright and dark wires, 
for 61 Cygni only the dark wires were used. It may be noted 
that the star measured is the following component of the dcuble 
star. The course of observation pursued for each night’s set of 
measures is describ d, and except on one occasion the same 
programme was followed throughout. 
The resulting parallax for a Lyre is, 0’*1797 + 0" 00561 ; 
the time required for light to pass from the star to our sun is 
thus found to be 18°11 Julian years. 
For 61 Cygni the parallax is 0.4783 + o”:01381, and light 
requires 6°803 Julian years to traver:e the space that separates 
this star from the sun. 
The parallaxes it will be seen, are obtained by the differential 
method, and are thus relative, or they are the differences of the 
parallaxes of the two stars. To get the absolute parallax of the 
bright star it is necessary to add the parallax of the small star. 
Prof. Hall says that he might have effected this by means of the 
parallaxes for stars of different magnitudes given in Struve’s 
table in his ‘‘ Etudes d’Astronomie Stellaire,” but as the whole 
matter is uncertain, he has omitted this reduction. 
Dr. Ball, Astronomer Royal for Ireland, continues hs 
researches on stellar parallax, at the Observatory of Dunsink, 
Dublin, and has lately published a determination of the parallax 
of 6 (Bode) Cygni, which is the well-known double star No. 
2486 of Struve. The components are of 6 and 6°5 magnitudes. 
The existence of a parallax co a very measurable amount 
was suggested during the course of a series of preliminary ob- 
servations in 1879 and 1880 for the detection of such proximate 
objec's, and a systematic course cf observation was commenced 
on October 3, 1880, and continued to December 22, 1881. 
6 B. Cygni is No. 196 of Argelander’s list of 250 stars having 
large proper motion, given in vol. vii. of the Bonn Observations, 
where it has attributed to it an annual motion of 0”°636 on an 
angle of 346° 27’ ; Argelander’s positions belong to the preceding 
component. Dr. Ball has employed the following one in his 
investigation. Measures were obtained on twenty-six nights, the 
mean date being 1881°5207 ; they were made from a star 7/0 
of the 10°5 magnitude, the adopted mean distance of which is 
170"°692.. and position angle 78° 18’ 61”. If this small star is 
assumed to be at rest, and Argelander’s proper motion attributed 
to the double star, the annual increase of distance is + 0”'02, 
and that of angle + 12'°796; thus almost the whole proper 
motion applies to change in the position angle. The observa- 
tions show that there is no regular increase of distance, and 
hence, Dr. Ball observes, there is prima facie evidence that the 
comparison star does not participate in the proper motion. 
The resulting parallax of = 2486 is— 
a“ “ 
From the disiances 0°5039 + 0'060 
From the angles Scie hes eiaees 0°383 £0713 
Combining these two values, we have for the parallax 0’"482 + 
0-054. It is intended to make another series of observations of 
this star, the present result being regarded by Dr. Ball as 
merely provisional, though he thinks it can hardly be doubted 
that a parallax of very considerable amount really exists, The 
place of the star is in right ascension Igh. 8m. 20s., with 49° 35'°3 
north declination for 1855°0. 
Comer 1882 6.—The following positions of this comet for 
midnight at Greenwich, though liable to an error of several 
minutes of arc, may serve for finding it in the telescope without 
difficulty. 
Right Ascension. Declination. Log. distance from 
h. m ‘ee arth. Sun. 
Dec. 31 ... 7 149 ... —29 28 ... 0°2365 ... 0°3883 
TG (28 cba yf as 29 10 
yaa le, are 28 49 ... 0°2489 0°39091 
OF OURS tA Ls 28 26 
iste lee Gee sy 28 2... 0°2622 0°4096 
TO}e-. 0) 4 Sao 27 36 
12). OeAg One 27) 8) ss. 1052703 0°4196 
WAuns. 602 30)die 26 40 
TOs ss1O 520. 26 10 ... 0°2912 0°4294 
18) i, Ol Sipe ace ee 4O 
20 ... 6 27°4 ... —25 9 --. 0°3067 ... 0°4388 
[ Dec. 28, 1882 
tal 
