: Fuly 28, 1870] 
July 6, 1870, inclusive. 
sions or markings on it. 
WALORE 
267 
Hammick. Honorary Secretaries, W. Golden Lumley, Q.C., 
LL.M., F. Purdy, Prof. Jacob Waley. 
BRISTOL 
The Observing Astronomical Society.—Report of obser- 
vations made by the members during the period from May 7 to 
Solar Lhznomena—Mr. John Bir- 
mingham, of Tuam, writes: ‘‘A remarkable obscuration of 
the sun was observed here o2 May 22. It lasted from sunrise to 
sunset, with a short interval in the afternoon of returning bright- 
ness. The sun was of a beautiful pink colour, though there was 
no fog whatever, and its light was so reduced as to permit a 
long observation of it through the telescope without the aid of a 
dark glass. I am informed that the same phenomenon was 
noticed in the South of England on the next day (the 23rd), and 
on that day also, but late in the afternoon, it was observed at 
Rohrbach (Moselle), and described by M. Hamant ina letter to 
the Scientific Association ; so that the cause of the obscuration, 
whatever it was, seems to have been moving eastward and south- 
ward.” Mr. T. W. Backhouse, of Sunderland, reports that in 
May ‘“‘there was a remarkable case of a solar spot making a 
revolution round another. I[t occurred with respect to the two 
largest spots of a group that was half way across the northern 
zone on May 9. ‘The smaller spot was south of the larger on 
the 7th at 3", but preceded it on the 12th at 21°, the iine 
joining the two spots having rotated through an angle of S0° or 
go? in 5$days. ‘This movement continued to the 15th, but this 
_ would be partly apparent owing to the group approaching the 
limb. By that time the larger spot was reduced to the size of 
the other. I cannot say whether the motion was a curve ora 
straight line, though it was probably the former ; nor can I say 
which of the spots moved or whether both did. They were 
about 22,000 miles apart on the gth, at 3%; but on the 13th, 
at 20!, they were 32,000 miles apart. One spot must there- 
fore have moved, relatively to the other, about 34,090 miles in 
4} days, or at the rate of 309 miles per hour.” Mr. T. G. E, 
Elger, of Bedford, says: ‘* The sun spots observed during June 
were, with the exception of one group, small and devoid of 
- interest when compared with thoseseen in April and May. The 
largest spots were confined to the sun’s northern hemisphere. 
Between the Sth and 15th the spots were all small ; on the latter 
date there were only two groups on the disc, and these were 
insignificant. On the rgth a very remarkable spot was observed, 
it formed the preceding member of a large scattered group 
2'52” in length ; its penumbra measured about 1’ 10" in greatest 
diameter. At 10 A.M. an isolated mass of light, intensely bright, 
was remarked on the nucleus. This, at 2. P.M., formed a 
‘bridge’ connecting adjacent sides of the umbra. The nucleus 
of this spot was very irregular in colour, At 5" 15™ on the 
Igth the central portion was noted as brown and the border as 
black, and subsequently the variety of tint was still more 
marked. At 7 A.M. onthe 21st, when the penumbra showed 
evident signs of cyclonic action, not more than half the area of 
the nucleus was black, the remainder was made up of patches of 
yarious shades of brown. The group disappeared at the limb on 
the 27th.” The Rev. S. J. Johnson, of Crediton, observed 
numerous spots on the sun on May 13. There were then four 
groups with penumbree close together. Mr. H. Michell Whitley, 
of Penarth, says: ‘* June 21—lI noted on the sun’s disc one very 
large, round, and well-defined spot ; on one side, however, the 
penumbra was-invaded by two tongues of facule for a short 
distance, and in the centre of the umbra was a bright patch.” 
The Planet Saturn.—Mr. H. Michell Whitley repeatedly 
observed this object with his 64in. reflector. He says—‘‘ June 21. 
Air very unsteady, but after midnight better. The Ball—duller 
yellow than rings, equatorial zone yellow, north of this a pale 
red belt, and another farther north again, towards Pole much 
fainter and about midway. Pole of planet bluish grey, edges 
of ball slightly shaded ; no other spots or markings. Ring A— 
Inferior in brightness to B; colour, pale yellow ; no subdivi- 
Ball’s division—Traced all round ; 
widest and darkest, if af all, in Wansa; sharply defined. In 
colour it was not so black as the sky, but deeper than the crape 
ring across the ball; colour, dusky. 
very bright for a short distance from its outer edge, which was 
yerp sharply defined ; colour gradually deepens and light fades 
towards inner edge ; outer edge lemon yellow, duller and deeper 
inwards, strongly suspected to be streaky, but no actual subdivi- 
sion seen. No line of light on inner edge of ring, which was 
not sharply defined. Ring C, or Crape Ring—Very delicate 
colour, dusky purple. I could with care, as a very fine object, 
trace the edge of the globe through it up to ring B, equally 
distinct in E and Wansa; no markings of any kind upon it.— 
June 28, to'tort®r5™. Power, 250; definition very fluttering. 
N. equatorial ruddy belt very distinct ; equatorial yellow band 
the brightest part of the planet. Between the N. equatorial 
ruddy belt and N. Pole lay one or more very faint ruddy bands. 
Pole, pale bluish grey ; no other markings. The Crape Ring very 
dark and distinct across the Ball.—July 2, 10". Definition very 
sharp ; power 250. A glimpse observation. The two belts 
before mentioned very much plainer and darker than on June 
21—28, and not of such a ruddy hue.” 
Lunar Observations.—Myr. John Birmingham, of Tuam, Tre- 
land, reports that on June 6 he saw ‘‘ A very marked central 
depression in the white spot of Linné though the terminator was 
so far away as the boundary between the Mare and the Palus 
Putridinus. The depression was rather east of the exact centte 
of the white spot, so that the western exterior slope was longer 
than the eastern.” Mr. H. Michell Whitley has observed with 
great care many interesting and difficult lunar objects, and the 
results of his observations have been sent to Mr. W. R. Birt, 
F.R. ALS. 
Winnecke’s Contet.—Mr. George J. Walker, of Teignmouth, 
observed this body on June 5,6, and 7. Ile says that ‘* [t looked 
like a tolerably bright nebula ;” on the 6th, at 14 13™the comet 
looked faint owing to the strong twilight. 
Meteors, —Mr. G. J. Walker saw ‘‘a splendid meteor” on June 
24. It traversed the greater part of the sky, and was much larger 
and brighter than Venus. It wasofablue colour. Mr. Walker 
adds, ‘I think it appeared a little to the right of Altair, and 
passed over Vega and on to the Pointers in Ursa Major ; it had 
a magnificent train, and I think must have traversed an arc of 
about 120°. The time of its appearance, as well as I could make 
out from my watch, was 11 13" G.M.T., and it may have been 
seven or eight seconds making its sweep over the heavens. I 
did not hear any sound with it.” Mr. H. M. Whitley observed 
a brilliant meteor on June 29 at 11% 30™. It was of the second 
magnitude. ‘*‘ Pale yellow; velocity very great.” 
A New Red Stay.—Mr. John Birmingham has ‘frequently 
observed a red star in Cygnus, not, I believe, previously noticed; 
at least, it is not in Schjelterup’s catalogue (Ast. Nach., No. 
1,591), which gives a list of all the red stafs known up to 1866. 
It is of a deep red, of about the 8th Mag., and is near a blue star 
of the same size. Its approximate position, compared with 32 
Cygni, is about 
R.A. 20" 15™ 375; Declin. + 47° Bei 
Occultation.—Mr. Walker witnessed the occultation of 6 Libree 
on June 11, and found that the exact time of disappearance was 
gh 27™ 55°65 G.M.T. 
EDINBURGH 
Botanical Society, May 12.—Sir Walter Elliot, presi- 
dent, in the chair.—The following communications were 
read :—Botanical Notes of a Journey through Spain and 
Portugal, by Mr. T. C. Archer; Botanical Notes on the 
Garden of Montserrat, Portugal, by Mr. T. C. Archer; Botani- 
cal Notes taken onthe Rock of Gibraitar, by Mr. T. C. Archer ; 
Report on the open-air Vegetation at the Royal Botanic Garden, 
by Mr. M‘Nab. 
June 9.—Sir Walter Elliot, president, in the chair. The fol- 
lowing communications were read :—Notes on the [pecacuanha 
Plant. By Dr. Gunning, Rio Janeiro. Dr. Gunning states that 
the Ipecacuanha plant is exceedingly scarce in the province of 
Rio Janeiro from having been pulled up, and no attention paid 
to its cultivation. It is exported from Sao Paulo, the province 
south of Rio, but chiefly from Matto Grosso, a thousand miles up 
the River Plate. At present Dr. Gunning is rearing a number 
of cuttings for transmission to India, where it is proposed to 
cultivate it extensively.—New and rare Mosses from Ben 
Lawers. By Dr. J. Stirton, Glasgow. In this paper the 
author reviewed the progress of discovery of mosses on Ben 
Lawers within the ten years, indicated in general terms the 
| habitats of the rarer species, as well as their tendencies towards 
Ring B—This ring was | 
increased luxuriance, or gradual decay and extinction, and noticed 
the affinities between the Cryptogamic Flora of the mountain 
(Ben Lawers) and that of Scandinavia, more especially of the 
Dovrefield.—Notice of Grimmias, collectecdt on Arthur Seat, near 
Edinburgh, by Mr. William Bell and Mr. Sadler. The authers 
described twelve species and several varietics of the genus 
Grimmia, as growing on Arthur Seat; noticed their dis- 
