Oct, 26, 1871] 
NATURE 
593 

of the younger meteorologists on the Continent. These 
papers are accompanied by tables giving the mean 
pressure, temperature, humidity, rainfall, wind, and cloud ; 
and their very great value will be recognised when it is 
stated that they embrace places whose meteorology was 
little, if at all known,such as Rio Janeiro, Parana, Mendoza, 
Monte Video, Buenos-Ayres, Punta-Arenas, Puerto Montt, 
Santiago, Valdivia, Valparaiso, Serena, Copiapo, and Lima, 
in South America ; Bagdad and Samaua in Mesopotamia ; 
Kuldscha in West China; St. Anna, near Manila, 
Philippine Islands ; and Said, Ismailia, and Suez. Since 
broad and just views of the atmosphere and its move. 
ments can be attained only through the accumulation of 
such facts and an intelligent discussion of them, our best 
thanks are due to the Austrian meteorologists for these 
invaluable contributions. If meteorology were prose- 
cu'ed more in this spirit than, unhappily, has been the 
case, it would be marred by fewer crude and hastily-formed 
theories ; and particularly inquiries into local climates 
and weather over limited portions of the earth’s surface 
would be conducted on sounder principles, and be pro- 
ductive of results which could be accepted as solid con- 
tributions toscience. We heartily recommend this journal, 
especially since in this country we have nothing to compare 
with it,—no periodical which so well puts meteorologists 
and physicists aw courant with this rapidly-advancing 
science. 
Das Leben dzy Erde: Blicke tn thre Geschichte, nebst 
Darstellung der wichtigsten und interessantesten Fra- 
gen thres Natur- und Kultur-lebens. Ein Volksbuch 
von A. Hummel. (Leipzig: F. Fleischer ; London : 
Williams and Norgate, 1870.) 
Iv is always a question of doubtful expediency whether 
it is wise to compress into one work by one writer a 
complete history of Nature, even in a popular treatise. 
This has been attempted by Herr Hummel in this volume 
of 424 pages, and, as far as such an attempt can succeed, 
not unsuccessfully. We have first a glimpse of the origin 
of the earth, and of its relations to the solar system. 
Then follows a chapter on the physical geography of the 
land, describing the main physical features of the solid 
crust of the globe. Next we have a treatise on water, 
and the part it has played in the formation of the existing 
surface of the earth. To this succeeds a chapter on the 
atmosphere and its phenomena. In conclusion we have 
a general sketch of the vegetation of the earth, and of 
the forms of animal life, in which the author declares 
against the Darwinian theory of the origin of species. 
Written occasionally in the inflated language in which 
continental popular writers too much indulge, the work is, 
nevertheless, a good one to put in the hands of young 
people with the double purpose of giving them some know- 
ledge of natural science and of German. It was published 
on the hundredth birthday of Alexander von Humboldt, as 
a tribute to the memory of the great naturalist. 


LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 
[Zhe Editor does not hold himself responsible for opinions expressed 
by his Correspondents, No notice is taken of anonymous 
communications.) 
The Sun’s Parallax 
Ts there nobody who will perform an act of justice, and ask 
those who seem to have never known or to have forg tten my 
doings, to be kind enough not to deprive me of my just claims ? 
When, A.D. 1857, my old method of determining the sun’s 
parallax was again publicly proposed, I thought it somewhat 
strange, and wondered what could be the reason that it should 
be treated as if it were some new and not a very old acquain- 
tance of Science. When, some time later, a stir was made about 
what was represented as a new method of investigating the 
motion of ihe solar system in space, and, instead of a new, 
there was brought forward anold acquaintance (known to Science 


since the times of your grandfathers), only dressed anew, and 
engaged to perform some truly ‘‘ astounding” antics, I wondered 
indeed that no friendly hand should have prevented such an ex- 
hibition, but I also comprehended the true state of affairs. And 
since then I have had to shrug my ghostly shoulders so often 
when learning further news about your curious knowledge of 
Science, and your strange opinions, and your queer notions of 
honour, and justice, and fairness, that I have long ceased to 
wonder at anything some of you may say or do. However, as 
it is only right that I should be allowed to retain what belongs to 
me, and as nobody appears to remember my claims, you will 
probably raise no objection, if I, myself, enlighten you a little, 
and remind you how, A.D. 1672, I determined the sun’s parallax. 
Read in the History of my Life (Baily’s Account, &c. p. 
2) :— 
‘© Whilst I was inquiring for the planets’ appulses to the fixed 
stars by the help of Hecker’s ephemerides, I found that, in 
September 1672, the planet Mars, then newly past his perihe- 
lion and opposition to the sun, would pass amongst three con- 
tiguous fixed stars in the water of Aguwarius ; and that by reason 
he was then very near the earth, this would be the most con- 
venient opportunity that would be afforded of many years for 
determining his, and consequently the sun’s, horizontal parallax. 
I drew up a sonitum of this appearance, and sent it with a 
letter to Mr. Oldenburg, who printed it in his Zransactions, 
No. 86, August 19th, 1672, having before sent my admonition 
into France, where the gentlemen of their Academy took care 
to haye it observed in several places. My father’s affairs caused 
me to take a journey into Lancashire tite very day I had de- 
signed to begin my observations, but God’s Providence so 
ordered it that they gave me an opportunity to visit Townley, 
where I was kindly received and entertained by Mr. Townley, 
with whose instruments I saw Mars near the middlemost of the 
three adjacent fixed stars. My stay in Lancashire was short. At 
my return from thence I took his distances from two of them at 
distant times of the night. Whence I determined his parallax 
then 25”, equal to his visible diameter ; which, therefore, must 
be its constant measure, and, consequently, the sun’s horizontal 
parallax not more than 10”, This I gave notice of in the 7yan- 
sactions, No. 96; and the French soon after declared that from 
their observations they had found the same. Whether they will 
give you such exactness I leave to those who are skilled in these 
things to determine.” 
This extract is, I hope, sufficient, and I will leave it to you to 
search further. Perhaps you may consider my language a little 
quaint, but then, remember, [ lived two centucies ago. 
Now, the planet Mars performs 109 sidereal revolutions in 205 
sidereal years and 3} days, so that its appearance in the year 
1877 will not be very different from what it was in 1672. 
Accordingly I enjoin you to make then the most of your oppor- 
tunity, and do your best to prove the goodness of my old method, 
and I wish you thorough success. And when you watch the 
planet pass amongst the stars in the water of Aquarius, you will, 
perhaps, remember with kindly feelings an old astronomer, who 
in life had to endure great injustice and sore trials, and will bless 
and honour his memory. 
THE GHOsT OF JOHN FLAMSTEED, M.R. 
Walhalla 
The Marseilles Meteorite 
Tr will probably occur to most of your readers, as it immedi- 
diately sugzested itself to me, on reading in your journal of the 
5th inst. a description from Les A/onde. of a remarkable meteorite 
ob-erved at Marseilles by M. Coggia, on the ist of Aucust last, 
that the bright object having an apparent diameter, at first of 
about 15’, and at last of a little over 4’, whose uncertain course 
was noted for eighteen minutes by the stars, was really nothing 
more extraordinary than a fire-balloon ; or it may, possibly, have 
been some description of brighter signal-light. The planet 
Saturn, and the other stars named in the description, were all at 
the low altitude above the horizon, at which a fi e-balloon, and 
other bright signal-lights of ordinary size, floating at an ordinary 
height in the air, would have about the apparent diameter of the 
“* meteorite.” Its apparent diminution in size was, also, perhaps, 
either the effect of its increasing distance, or of its gradually 
fading light. After alternately remaining stationary, and changing 
its apparent course two or three times, it at last fell rapidly in 
a perpendicular direction. The burning tow, or other inflamed 
substance with which it was inflated, appears to have detached 
itself from, or, it may be, to have set fire to the balloon, since it 
