466 



NA TURE 



[J/arch 18, 1886 



the first of which is to appear next 



will be in two volui 

 October. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include a Silky Marmoset (Midas rosalia] from Brazil, 

 presented by Mr. Percy Bewick Bewick ; a Green Monkey 

 (Cercopithccus callurichtis i ) from West Africa, presented by 

 Mrs. Dunn; a White-crowned Mangabey {Cercoccbtis itthiopi) 

 from West Africa, presented by Mr. N. King ; a Grey Icli- 

 neumon (Herpestcs giiseus) from India, presented by Mr. W. A. 

 Rooff; a Black-backed Jackal (Caiiis ineioinelas 9 ) from South 

 Africa, presented by Mrs. E. Thomas ; a Grey Iclmeumon 

 (Jierpestes griseus 9 ) from India, a Demoiselle Crane (Grus 

 virgo) from North Africa, presented by Mr. T. W. Proger ; a 

 Moor Monkey [Semnopithecus fiiaurus ? ) from Java, deposited ; 

 a Talapoin Monkey {Cercopithccus talapoin 9 ) from West Africa, 

 received in exchange. 



OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN 



Dark Transits OF Jupiter's Fourth Satellite. — Prof. 

 Davidson, of the U.S. Coast Survey, has communicated to tlie 

 Californian Academy of Sciences some interesting notes of ob- 

 servations of "dark" transits of Jupiter's satellite IV. n.ade by 

 Mr. Burckhalter with a lo^-inch reflector. Mr. Burckhalter's 

 observations on May 21, 1885, suggest the possibility that the 

 satellite h.as an area of white surface and also an area of dark 

 surface. When the satellite approached the planet it appeared 

 bright, the white area being then the visible part ; but when it 

 had advanced some way on the disk, this white part was (on 

 this supposition) lost in the superior brightness of the plauet, 

 and the dark area became visible. Prof. Davidson thinks it 

 might even lead to the determination of the rotation period of 

 the satellite if it were watched throughout the whole transit, ami 

 the different phases nt.ted. Again, observing on June 7, 18S5, 

 Mr. Burckhalter saw the satellite as a dark spot on the edge of 

 the north dai-k belt. But as soon as the satellite was clear of 

 the planet's disk, it was noted to be north of this belt ; so thnt 

 it \^ ould appear from this observation also as if the satellite 

 were divided into bright and dark areas, the south pole being 

 the dark one. Prof. Davidson also observed the transit of 

 June 7 with a 6 '4- inch refractor, and confirms generally the 

 appearances noted by Mr. Burckhalter. 



Nova AndkomiiD.'E of 1885, and Nova Scorph of iSco. 

 — With reference to Prof. Seeliger's researches on the subject 

 of the Nova in Andromeda (Nature, vol. xxxiii. p. 397), Herr 

 Auwers diaws attention in the Aslronomhche Nachrichtcn, No. 

 2715, to the great similarity of this outburst to the phenomenon 

 observed by him in i860 in the nebula So Messier in Scorpio. 

 He consideis that the probability that, in an interval of twenly- 

 five years, two variable stars of so exceptional a character should 

 be projected on the central part, in one case of a close slar- 

 cluster, in the other case of an object which appears to be, in 

 part at least, a close star-cluster, is so small that the identity of 

 the circumstances attending the phenomena of 1S60 and 1SS5 

 makes it almost necessary to refer both outbursts to physical 

 changes in the nebula; in which they respectively appeared. As 

 Prof. Seeliger makes no mention of this (in Herr Auwers' 

 opinion) very strong argument in favour of his supposition 

 respecting the cause of the outburst in Andromeda, He r 

 Auwers is induced to do so, and takes the opportunity of pub- 

 lishing the details of his observations of the Nova of i860, an 

 account of the discovery of which was printed in the Aslronoin- 

 ische NachrichtLti, No. 1267. Herr Auwers states that having 

 turned the Konigsberg heliometer on 80 Messier on the evening of 

 May 21, i860, he saw a 7th magni ude star in the nebula, a 

 little following the central pari, which it quite outshone in 

 brilliancy. By June 16 this star had degraded to magnitude I0"5. 

 It will be remembered that the "new" star in Scorpio was in- 

 dependently discovered in this country by Mr. Pogson, whose 

 attention was arrested on May 28, i860, "by the startling 

 appearance of a star of the 7-6 magnitude in the place which the 

 nebula had previously occupied." On June 10, according to this 

 observer, the stellar appearance had nearly vanished, but the 

 cluster still shone with unusual brilliancy and a marked central 

 condensation. 



Fabry's Comet.— The following ephemeris, by Dr. H. 



Oppenheim {Astr. Nac/i. No. 271 1) is in continuation of that 

 given in Nature for 1S86 March 4 : — 



For Berlin Midnight 

 R.A. Dec!. Log 



Log ii Bright- 



March 23 23 16 58 36 5'6 N. 98421 005S9 20 



27 23 16 57 37 12-4 9'S233 0-0203 26 



31 -3 '7 59 3S ii'S 9 S102 9-9744 34 



Apnl 4 23 20 55 j8 5S-9 9'So43 99198 45 



8 23 27 4 39 28-7 9-8062 9 8547 61 



12 233833 39 31-4 N. 9-8157 97767 83 



The brightness on December 2 is taken as unity. 



Barnard's Comet. — The following ephemeris, by Dr. A. 



Krueger (Astr. Nach. No. 2710), is in continuation of that given 



in Nature for 1886 March 4 : — 



Fur Berlin Midnii;ht 

 1886 R.A. Deck Log r Log A Bright- 

 March 22 I 51 49 27 34-3 N. 0-0217 02230 7-12 

 26 I 51 13 28 57-0 9'99I7 0-2144 8-51 

 30 I 50 34 30 23-2 N. 9-9594 0-2036 10-38 

 The brightness on December 5 is taken as unity. 



ASTRONOMICAL PHENOMENA FOR THE 



WEEK 1 886 MARCH 21-27 



/^UOR the reckoning of time tlie civil d.ay, commencing at 



^ Greenwich mean midnight, counting the hours on to 24, 



is here employed.) 



At Greenwich on March 21 

 Sun rises, 6h. im. ; souths, I2h. 7m. I5'4S. ; sets, l8h. 13m. ; 

 deck on meridian, 0° 19' N. : Sidereal Time at Sunset, 

 6h. lom. 

 Moon (one day after Full) rises, i8h. 50m.*; souths, oh. 53m. ; 

 sets, 6h. 45m. ; deck on meridian, 2° 35' S. 

 Planet Rises Souths Sets Decl. on meridian 



Mercury ... 6 19 



Venus 4 23 



Mars 15 54 



Jupiter 18 4* 



Saturn 9 59 



13 12 

 9 43 

 22 55 



o 13 

 18 II 



20 5 ... 9 40 N. 



15 3 •■■ 8 37 S. 



5 56* ... II II N. 



6 22 ... o 59 N. 

 2 23* ... 22 48 N. 



• Indicates that the rising is that of the preceding evening and the setting 

 that of the following morning. 



Occultations of Stars by the Moon (visible at Greenwich) 



Corresponding 



^, , c. \r T^' n anglesfrom ver- 



March Star Mag. Disap. Reap. ^.,5 .„ ..:.,k. r^- 



° "^ *^ tex to rigtit lor 



inverted image 



23 ... 7 Libroe . 



24 ... T) Librse . 

 March h. 



21 ... 19 ... Jupiter in opposition to the Sun. 



22 ... 2 .. .'lercury at greatest elongation from the Sun, 



19° east. 

 25 ... — ... Venus at greatest morning brilliancy. 



Variab'e-Stars 

 Star R.A. Decl. 



h. m. „ , h. ra. 



U Cephei o 522 ... 81 16 N. ... Mar. 23, 19 35 in 



Algol .. 3 oS ...40 31 N. ... ,, 21, I 7 III 



„ 23, 21 56 m 



R Auriga; 5 8-1 ...53 27 N. ... ,, 22, m 



i Geminorum ... 6 57-4 ... 20 44 N. ... ,, 25, 4 50 .1/ 



U Monocerotis ... 7 25-4 ... 9 32 S. ... ,, 21, .-)/ 



5 Librae 14 54-9 ... 8 4 S. ... ,, 25, 21 iS m 



T Libra; 15 4-2 ... 19 35 S. ... ,, 24, .1/ 



U Corona 15 13 6 ... 32 4 N. ... ,, 23, 2 29 ;« 



U Ophiuchi 17 10-8 ... I 20 N. ... ,, 24, 4 40 m 



and at intervals of 20 8 



X Sagittarii 17 40-4 ... 27 47 S. .. Mar. 24, o o m 



, , 26,21 30 ./J/ 



W Sagittarii ... 17 57S ... 29 35 S. ... ,, 22, 2 20 M 



T Herculis iS 48 ... 31 o N. ... ,, 24, .1/ 



/3 Lyrse 18 45'9 ... 33 14 N. ... ,, 22, 2 20 . J/ 



R Cygni 19 11 8 ... 49 57 N. ... ,, 22, M 



1) Aquilce 19 46-7 ... o 7 N. ... ,, 25, o o A/ 



5 Cephei 22 24-9 ... 57 50 N. ... ,, 22, 19 10 /ii 



M signifies r 



