ee eee 
Fune 24, 1886] 
NATURE 177 
Moon (three days after Last Quarter) rises, th. 6m. ; souths, 
7h. 59m.; sets, 15h. 4m. ; decl. on meridian, 9° 31’ N. 
Planet Rises Souths Sets Decl. on meridian 
h. m. h. m. m. Oe v 
MEKCUTY IE wencm5) 0 z RSe U7, 21 33 2an25nINe 
Venus ... I 42 9 18 16 54 L7e22UNi 
Mars II 20 17 30 23 40 1 IN. 
Jupiter... LURE 17 31 23 45 2eseN. 
Saturn... 4 16 12 26 20 36 22 34 N. 
June h. 
28 ... 10 Mars in conjunction with and o° 59’ south 
of Jupiter. 
2B) coy 2) Venus in conjunction with and 2° 57’ north 
of the Moon. 
July 
a 16 Sun at greatest distance from the Earth. 
Variable Stars 
Star R.A. Decl. 
Wy fi ao oa h. m. 
U Cephei ae 0 52:2)..7 OL LON, --4june 29, 0) Say 7 
S Leonis ooo EE TG) cos CT GUNS cog Ife eh M 
mores se cs T4) 5450) -. 8 4S 0 55 3; 23: 6 m 
Pee phiuchi’:; ... 17 10:8... 1 20.N. .. 1, 3) 46 7 
2? I, 23 53 m 
MEAPUCATI | «0117 AOA ae. 27 4792 «55 3) 2 OG 
R Scuti Pao DONATE Ones MSS OLS) UNeA 275 m 
R Lyre soa BEY Gi) ace Ze Zk ING Bee py esh m 
n Aquilze sek) AOL 7 OPAS NG es )uly, 3) (On Oye 
R Vulpecule ... 20 59°3 ... 23 22 N 5 M 
5 Cephei p22 R2AsO=2 570 5OUN! June 29, 0 oW 
M signifies maximum ; 7 minimum. 
Meteor Showers 
The principal radiants of the season are:—Near B Urse 
Majoris, R.A. 164°, Decl. 57° N.; near ¢ Ursee Majoris, R.A. 
210, Decl. 55° N. ; near & Serpentis, R.A. 263°, Decl. 15° S. ; 
from Vulpecula, k.A. 302°, Decl. 27° N. ; near ¢ Pegasi, R.A. 
B38, Decl. 13° N. 
Stars with Remarkable Spectra 
Name of Star R.A. 1886°0 Decl. 1886°0 Type of 
hoy) tm. Ss: 3 mn spectrum 
R Aquilz... Ig 0 32 Si, Scania = LS 
R Sagittarii 19 9 59 19 30°48. Ill. 
229 Schjellerup 19 25 33 76 201 N IV. 
228 Schjellerup 19 27 46 ... 16 37°25 IV. 
eGo nides. +--/19) 33 45) .-- 49) 50°60 No .. JOE, 
Viena 25°3522 .... 19) 3634... 32 211 N. .. IV. 
PROVED cece) ys =e. 19) 46011 222 32.3775 Noe DUE 
SRP 435-3425) 222) 10, 53).31 =< 43) 573 Ne on IV. 
D.M. + 35°4001 ... 20 5 46 ... 35 49°5 N. ... Bright lines 
IMS + 35.4002 .:..20 6 6.... 35 36°38 Ns ... IV. 
D.M. + 35°4013 ... 20 7 24 ... 35 50°6N. ... Bright lines 
D.M. + 36°°3956 ... 2010 4... 36 17°8N. ... Bright lines 
DEM TS 4072... 20.23 54 1. 15 53;7N. . ; 
D.M. + 17°°4370 20 32 52 7 ZLOVN iy IIL. 
Cy orien mre 20) 37837). 47/4400 Ni: |. IV. 
D.M. + 17°4401 ... 20 40 15 D7AOlOyN)) III. 
SECOND ANNUAL REPORT OF THE COUNCIL 
OF THE MARINE BIOLOGICAL ASSOCIA- 
LION OF THE UNITED KINGDOM} 
ig THE Council has met during the past year nine times, 
viz. on October 5, October 27, December 14, 
March 19, March 25, April 5, April 9, May 19, and June 
7. _ The chief business which has occupied the Council 
during the past year has been the preparation of the 
‘plan of the Laboratory building now in course of erection on the 
Citadel Hill at Plymouth, and the arranging for the execution of 
this plan by building and engineering firms. Further, the 
Council has given much time and attention to negotiations with 
the Lords of Her Majesty’s Treasury with regard to a grant in 
aid of the objects of the Association. 
The most important facts which the Council has to communi- 
cate to the Ascociation as the result of the year’s work are :— 
(1) The undertaking on the part of the Lords of the Treasury 
to submit to Parliament a grant of 5000/,, to be paid in two 
* Presented to the Annual General Meeting of the Association on June 8. 
1886, Prof. Huxley, President of the Association, in the chair. 7 , 
yearly instalments, and 500/. a year for five years, in aid of the 
objects of the Association ; and 
(2) The formal approval by the Council of a contract by 
Mr. Berry, of Plymouth, to erect the buildings and construct the 
reservoir of the Plymouth Laboratory at the price of 5902/. 16s., 
and also of a contract by Messrs. Leete, Edwards, and Norman, 
of London, to construct and fit the aquariums and pumping 
apparatus for the Plymouth Laboratory at the price of 3000/. 
The excavation of the site on the Citadel Hill at Plymouth is 
now actually in progress, and the Laboratory will be. in all 
probability ready for occupation by this time next year. 
In June 1885, the Council reported a capital sum of nearly 
8000/. as definitely promised to the Association, of which 4787/. 
was in the hands of the Treasurer. 
The Council now has to report a capital sum of 10,0007, ayail- 
able for expenditure on the building and fitting of the Plymouth 
Laboratory, and in addition an annual income from investments 
and annual subscriptions of 1100/. a year. Of the disposable 
capital sum about 5000/. is in the hands of the Treasurer, 
whilst the sum of 5000/. is to be paid in two instalments, 
one in 1886, and one in 1887, by Her Majesty’s Trea- 
sury. 
In June 1885, the Association numbered 277 members, of 
whom 163 were annual subscribers, the rest having compounded. 
It now numbers 305 members, of whom 169 are annual sub- 
scribers. 
Amongst important donations to the Association made during 
the past year, the Council desire especially to mention the sum 
| of 500/. received from Mr. John Bayly, of Plymouth, who was 
already a Founder, and is now qualified as a Life Governor of 
the Association. On hearing that the Council felt it to be 
necessary to omit certain features in the plan of the Plymouth 
Laboratory as approved by them, on account of the expense 
involved, Mr. John Bayly came forward with this munificent 
donation, and thus enabled the Council to carry out their 
original design. 
If. In reference to the grant from the Treasury, the Council 
submit, for the information of the members of the Association, 
the final letter received from the Lords of the Treasury and the 
answer returned by the Council to that communication. 
Treasury Chambers, December 9, 1885 
S1r,—I have laid before the Lords Commissioners of Her 
Majesty’s Treasury your letters of the 2nd and 13th ultimo, on 
the question of the proposed assistance to be given by the 
Government to the Marine Biological Association of the United 
Kingdom. Their Lordships have considered the matter very 
carefully, and they now desire me to inform you that they are 
prepared to propose to Parliament a grant of 5000/. towards the 
cost of the Laboratory which the Association intends to construct 
at Plymouth, such grant to be paid in two instalments of 2500/. 
each, one in 1886-87, and the other in 1887-88, and also an 
annual grant of 500/. for five years, beginning in the year 1887-88, 
towards the current expenses of the Laboratory, on the following 
conditions :— 
(1) That the Council of the Association agrees to have its 
accounts formally audited each year, and to furnish a statement 
of income and expenditure to the Treasury. 
(2) That the Council undertakes to issue at regular intervals 
(probably half-yearly) a detailed report of the work done in 
the Plymouth Laboratory, and to furnish the Treasury with such 
report. 
(3) That the Council pledges itself definitely to aim at pro- 
curing practical results with regard to the breeding and manage- 
ment of food-fishes. 
(4) That the Council undertakes to place space in the Ply- 
mouth Laboratory at the disposal of any competent investigator 
deputed by a recognised authority to carry out any investigation 
into fish questions for which the Laboratory can give facilities. 
I am to add that my Lords will make the necessary provision 
for these grants in the Estimates for the coming year, but until 
Parliament shall have sanctioned the grant, it will not be in 
their power to make any payments to the Association in fulfil- 
ment of the above promise of assistance. 
In conclusion I am to suggest, with reference to your letter of 
the 8th instant, that in future any communications between the 
Association and the Scotch Fishery Board should be conducted 
through the Secretary for Scotland. 
I have the honour to be, Sir, your obedient servant, 
M. W. RIDLEY 
