r10 
and Indian Exhibition, has been prepared by Dr. James Hector, 
the Director of the Geological Survey of New Zealand, and 
forms part of the large exhibit of that gentleman. There are 
several large labels inside the glass case, in which the necessary 
explanations are given. 
THE additions to the Zoological Society’s Gardens during the 
past week include a Ring-tailed Lemur (Lemur catta) from 
Madagascar, presented by Mr. Angus Ogilvy ; two Black-tailed 
Parrakeets (Polytelis melanura) from South Australia, presented 
by Mr. James Thomson ; an Indian Cobra (Waia tripudians) 
from India, presented by Messrs. H. Thwaites and V. A. Julius ; 
a Common Viper (Vigera derus), British, presented by Mr. W. 
H. B. Pain; a Loggerhead Turtle (7ha/assochelys caouana) from 
the Atlantic Ocean, presented by Mr. R. G. Fraser, R.N.; a 
Rook (Corvus frugilegus), British, presented by Mr. H. J. 
Peckover ; a Black-faced Spider Monkey (A¢eles ater) from 
Eastern Peru, a Crab-eating Raccoon (Procyon cancrivorus) 
from West Indies; an Indian Cobra (Waia tripudians) from 
India, deposited ; two Spotted Hyznas (Hyena crocuta) from 
South Africa, two Side-striped Jackals (Camis Jateralis) from 
West Africa, a Griffon Vulture (Gyfs fulzas), a Smooth Snake 
(Coronella levis), a Viperine Snake (T7ropidonotus viperinus), 
European, purchased ; two Triangular Spotted Pigeons (Columba 
guinea), bred in the Gardens. 
OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN 
A CATALOGUE OF ‘‘ COMPARISON ” STARs.—Dr. N. M. Kam 
of Schiedam has published in Verhandelingen der Koninklijke 
Akademie van Wetenschappen, Deel. xxiv. (Amsterdam), a star 
catalogue compiled from the places of stars determined by 
meridian observations, which have been extracted from vols. 
i. to Ixvi. of the Astronomische Nachrichten, and reduced to the 
epoch 1855°0. The positions of the stars contained in this 
catalogue were determined in connection with observations of 
planets and comets, and it was in compliance with Argelander’s 
express desire that the work of collecting them and reducing 
the positions to a common epoch was commenced by Hoek, 
then Director of the Utrecht Observatory. Dr. Kam, who was 
Hoek’s assistant, continued the work after the death of the 
latter, and has at length been able to publish his results. The 
principal catalogue contains the completely determined places of 
4350 stars, and is followed by two subsidiary catalogues, the 
first giving the places of 236 stars, and the second those of 335 
stars ; all of the latter, however, are incomplete, #.e. the place is 
given in one element only. ‘he catalogues are followed by a 
comparison of the places of the stars contained in them with 
their places as given in the Bonn Durchmusterung, or, for stars 
south of - 2° Decl., with other authorities. Notes on proper 
motions, corrigenda, &c., are appended, which are of consider- 
able interest and yalue. We hope that the work of collecting 
and cataloguing the class of stars here dealt with will be con- 
tinued either by Dr. Kam or by some other astronomer as well 
‘fitted for the task as he has proved himself to be. 
THE Paris OBSERVATORY.—Admiral Mouchez, Director of 
the Paris Observatory, has recently published his annual report 
to the Council of the Observatory. It is a very instructive and 
interesting document, and affords gratifying evidence of the 
enterprise and energy with which the work of this great institu- 
tion is carried on, 
The most striking portion of the report is that which deals 
with the work of the Bros. Henry in astronomical photography, 
but as this, as well as M. Lcewy’s ingenious device for deter- 
mining the amount of astronomical refraction, have already been 
noticed in Narurg, it will not be necessary to again refer to 
them. Leaving these two great undertakings therefore on one 
side, the rest of the report exhibits a large amount of solid work. 
The meridian service has comprised 16,173 observations, 795 of 
thegsun and planets. The instruments of the Salle Méridienne 
have been devoted to the observation of Lalande’s stars. 
As the great Catalogue approaches completion, the stars still to 
be observed become more widely scattered, and fewer observa- 
tions are necessarily secured, The division-errors of the Gambey 
NATURE 
circle are being carefully investigated by M. Périgaud, and the 
Garden circle has been used for the determination of the abso- + 
[Fune 3, 1886 
lute positions of a number of circumpolar stars. A new flexure 
apparatus has been constructed by M. Gautier, and 603 stars 
have been already observed with it. The same ingenious artist 
has also devised a new mode of supporting a mercury trough, for 
freeing it from the effect of tremors, which has been found to 
work very satisfactorily. The equatorials have been employed 
as usual in observations of comets, minor planets, and nebulez ; 
the equatorial of the east tower having been employed by MM. — 
Henry in the revision of some of their photographic charts con- 
taining very faint stars, especially the Pleiades and the regions 
round Vega and e Lyre. In the department of thecalculations, 
the calculations for the great Catalogue had been .completed as 
far as 8h. of R.A., and were being carried on from 8h. to 12h. 
The Catalogue itself was printed up to No. 3800, and the manu- 
script prepared up to No. 4,700. Of the volume of observations 
for 1882, seventy-three sheets had been printed, and the rest 
was in the printer’s hands. The volume for 1883 had been 
commenced, and of the Afémoires, tome xvili., had been dis- 
tributed, and tome xix. was in course of publication. 
Several important investigations have also been carried on by 
individual members of the staff. M. Loewy has devised a new 
method for determining the absolute co-ordinates of circumpolar 
stars, and M. Renan has published two notes on his experiments 
in application of these methods. M. Callandreau has published 
several notes on the theory of the figure of the planets and of 
the earth, and numerical tables for assisting in the calculation 
of ephemerides for minor planets ; whilst M. Prosper Henry has 
been engaged in devising suitable methods for the measurement 
and reduction of the photographic star-charts, which differ so 
widely from ordinary astronomical observations, A new deter- 
mination of the length of the seconds pendulum has also been 
made by Capt. Defforges, of the Geographical Service, the 
length corrected to sea-level being found to be 0°9939..m. 
Amongst the works to be carried out in the present year is the 
study of the movements of the soil by the aid of a multiplying 
seismograph devised by M. Bouquet de la Grye. ‘The report 
concludes with a reproduction of a photograph of the Pleiades 
and a comparison of the results thus obtained by photography 
in a single hour with those obtained by M. Wolf in his study 
of the same group through the toil of years. 
Nores ON VARIABLE STARS.—Mr. Espm, the special ob- 
server to the Liverpool Astronomical Society, has recently com- 
menced the issue of circulars calling attention to various variable 
stars or stars suspected of variation. Circular No. I gives an 
ephemeris for ro Sagittae, the next maximum, mag. 5°6, falling due 
June 5°4d., and the next minimum, mag. 6°4, June II‘, period 
8°317d. Circular No. 2 calls attention to the star D.M. + 8°, 
No. 3780, R.A. (18850) 28h. 32m. 54s., Decl. 8° 43'°5 N., as 
a probable variable. Circular No. 3 gives new elements for U 
Hydre, R.A. toh. 31°9m., Decl. 12° 40:7 S., from whence 
it would appear that the next maximum is due 1886 June 25'5d. 
Circular No. 4 gives provisional elements for W. Cygni, R.A. 
(1886°0) 2th. 31m. 44s., Decl. 44° 510 N., as follows :— 
P = 120 to 130days, V = 5:8 +to.7°5 +, M = 1886 May 19 +, 
m = 1886 Feb. 14 +. ; 
THE ‘‘CANALS” OF Mars.—M. Terby, in a note presented 
some little time ago to the Royal Academy of Belgium, drew 
attention to the occurrence in the drawings of Mars made by 
Herschel and Schreeter of several markings resembling the well- 
known Kaiser Sea in size and distinctness, and pointed out that 
M. Schiaparelli, in his observations of 1881-82, represented the 
“*canal” Indus as developed to dimensions almost as great as 
those of the Kaiser Sea, and tbat this development coincided 
with the ‘‘gemination” or doubling of almost all the other 
canals. M. Faye now announces at the last meeting of the 
Académie des Sciences that M. Perrotin and the other observers 
at the Nice Observatory have recently been able to re-detect M. 
Schiaparelli’s canals. The reality of the existence of the deli- 
cate markings discovered by the keen-sighted astronomer of 
Brera seems thus fully demonstrated, and it appears highly pro- 
bable that they vary in shepe and distinctness with the changes 
of the Martial seasons. 
ASTRONOMICAL PHENOMENA FOR THE 
WEEK 1886 UNE 6-12 
(Ok the reckoning of time the civil day, commencing at 
Greenwich mean midnight, counting the hours on to 24, 
is here employed.) 
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