Axngust 19, 1886] 
THE Committee of the Liverpool Naturalists’ Field Club 
begin their report for the past year by observing that for twenty- 
five years past statistics have been exhausted and lectures also, 
so far as their usefulness is concerned. ‘* Your Committee, 
therefore, on this occasion, will spare you figures and forbear 
admonition, contenting themselves with a bare record of the 
year’s proceedings, and leaying members to draw their own con- 
clusions as to what has been and what might have been done.” 
With such a lugubrious commencement, one might expect that 
the affairs of the Club were in a “‘ parlous”’ state, but this is far 
from being the case. One complaint is that the attendance at 
the excursions was not satisfactory, and therefore either the 
number will have to be cut down, or the distances travelled be 
less. The average attendance was about 60,—which many 
similar societies would consider an uncommonly good one, 
especially when it is remembered that some of the journeys were 
rather long. The Treasurer has the handsome balance of 
nearly go/. in his hands; the President, the Rev. H. Higgins, 
delivered an excellent address on ‘‘ Calcareous Sea-Weeds: an 
Essay in Comparative Phytology;” the lists of interesting 
plants noticed on some of the excursions show that the members 
who did go kept their eyes open ; the competition for the prizes 
appears to have been pretty keen; and there is a tolerably long 
list of members,—so that, on the whole, notwithstanding the 
low spirits of the Committee, the case of the Society is far from 
hopeless. But we trust the members will attend in larger 
numbers when the Society next goes to the Cefn Caves, 
Caergwrle, or Humphry Head, notwithstanding the long 
distances. They will thereby not only add to their own en- 
joyment and instruction, but will bring relief to the minds of 
their depressed’ and anxious Committee. 
THE greatest balloon in the world has been lately constructed 
at San Francisco bya Mr, van Tassel. It will hold 150,000 
cubic feet of gas, and has been made for the purpose of traversing 
the American Continent from ocean to ocean. From the bottom 
of the car to the top of the inflated balloon will be 119 feet, and 
when filled the diameter will be 68 feet. The car is 21 feet in 
circumference and has sides 34 inches high; 15 persons can be 
seated in it. 
For several years attempts have been made in Sweden to 
extract tannic matter from the Swedish species of pine, similar 
in quality, &c., to that of the American hemlock (Pius cana- 
densis), but without satisfactory results, chiefly on account of 
the manner in which this is done not being known. Now, 
however, the question has been solved by a chemist, Dr. 
Laudin, who, having visited North America for this purpose, 
has, on his return to Sweden, succeeded in producing tannic 
matter by a chemical process, which has been found equal to 
the American, though the colour of the Swedish leather pro- 
duced therewith is more yellow in colour than the American. 
It is hoped that this discovery will have the effect of causing a 
great tanning industry to spring up in Sweden, 
THE additions to the Zoological Society’s Gardens during the 
past week include a Guinea Baboon (Cynocephalus sphinx), from 
West Africa, presented by Mr. C. Palgrave, F.Z.S.; an Alpine 
Marmot (4rctomys marmotta), two Tawny Owls (Syrinm aluco), 
European, presented by Mr. Lionel H. Hanbury, F.Z.S.; a 
Bank Vole (d7vicola pra’ensis), British, presented by Mr. G. T. 
Rope; two Derbian Screamers (Chauna derbiana) from the 
North Coast of Columbia, presented by Capt. H. Rigaud; a 
Peregrine Faleon (/ulco peregrinus), European, presented by 
Mr. J. Howard; a Golden-crowned Conure (Conurius aureus) 
from South-East Brazil, deposited ; three Long-fronted Gerbilles 
(Gerbillus longifrons), eight Elliot’s Pheasants (Phasianus elliofi), 
bred in the Gardens, 
NATURE 
S71 
ASTRONOMICAL PHENOMENA FOR THE 
WEEK 1886 AUGUST 22-28 
( OR the reckoning of time the civil day, commencing at 
Greenwich mean midnight, counting the hours on to 24, 
is here employed.) 
At Greenwich on August 22 
Sun rises, 4h. 58m. ; souths, 12h. 2m. 42°2s.; sets, 19h. 7m. ; 
decl. on meridian, r1° 44’ N.: Sidereal Time at Sunset, 
17h. ttm. 
Moon (at Last Quarter) rises, 22h. 6m.*; souths, 5h. 21m. ; 
sets, 12h. 46m, ; decl. on meridian, 13° 18’ N. 
Planet Rises Souths Sets Decl. on meridian 
h. m. h. m. h. m. FS ee 3) 
Mercury, ..0. 4u 13) see Ringe 4. noe o5 mee Lom 
Nenus.. ... 2) 28° ss Torro) sss TSH LOW we TORMEENT 
Mars 1OvAy 2.4 15} 40y cn Z2ONS Se 2 iss 
ffapiten:; s:... 8 25 2 -Tqsl224 =. 20NLop =.) (i2yss 
Saturn .. WET cy. Op ieee Wezty eee)  AaESp ENE 
* Indicates that the rising is that of the preceding evening. 
O-cultations of Stars by the Moon (visible at Greenwich) 
Corresponding 
angles from ver- 
Aug. Star Mag. Disap Reap ges tg right for 
inverted image 
h. m h, m. ° o 
BR 45) Lautan ssn OMe UE eure mies we. 120° TSG 
Been, y VAULI. is, eep Ae oO Ree me 4S . 1X8 2T5 
22)... So Lauri... 6 4 I near approach 348 — 
Aug. h. 
225... 2 Jupiter at greatest distance from the Sun. 
Zier) TE Mercury stationary. 
Bien) 120 Venus in conjunction with and 3° 0’ north 
of the Moon. 
Variable Stars 
Star R.A. Decl. 
Ie ns ay h. m. 
UCephei ... ... 0 §272... 81 16. N.... Aug, 22,20 St7 
4) 27, 20 47 me 
NISOD 30. tn cre 93) O10 ven 4O lege mesa 227 20 Ve 
Wahauri nc tue 4 Abia cle eee mea NE 
WE NAlea MERE EL CEO ne 2 cY/ sb coo fa Ben ) CL 
WCorons ..6. san 5) 1SiOeese) VAIN aries ss 822 eum ee 
»> 28, 2 46 m 
Wiiferculis\.... -- XOM20;G\e-. TOMMOPN ince nso 245 M 
R Draconis... ... 16 3274..,67 3 Ni-c. 55, 255 M 
WiOphinchi.... ... 07 ror8... ¥ ZoUN. .) 3 225925) 50) 7 
and at intervals of 20 
B Lyre... 18 45°9 ... 33 14.N. ... Ang. 24, 2 oF 
R Lyre Pp Aue) oss 2G) CIN toa gp Zen M 
5 Cephei PED PIG) coo Cy AAOING cba po ey Be LL! 
M signifies maximum ; 7 minimum. 
Meteor Showers 
Meteors have been observed at this time of the year from 
near « Ceti, R.A. 53°, Decl. 0; near Castor, R.A. 110°, Decl. 
32° N.; near ¢ Draconis, R.A. 260°, Decl. 64° N. ; and from 
near o Draconis, R.A. 282°, Decl. 57° N. 
GEOGRAPHICAL NOTES 
We have before us Nos. 5, 6, 7, and & of Petermann’s 
Mittheilungen for the present year, and Supplement No. 82. 
The last is a detailed account, by the late Herr Robert 
Schlazintweit, of the Pacific railways of North America. No. 5 
contains a paper on the Xingu Expedition (concluded in No. 6), 
by Herr Claus, detailing the cartographical surveys and the 
physical and astronomical measurements madein the course of 
the explorations. The paper may be regarded as a supplement 
to the work of Dr. von den Steinen, ‘¢ Durch Zentralbrasilien,” 
lately published by Brockbaus. Dr. Oppel, in the same num- 
ber, contributes a statistical paper showing the steady and enor- 
mous increase in the population of Europe. No. 7 contains 
two very interesting and original geographical. papers—one by 
Herr Engelhard on the Island of Saleijer, a Dutch settlement in 
the Malay Archipelago, situated immediately south of Celebes, 
The island is described in an exhaustive way, its climate, people, 
situation, &c., being discussed in some detail. In the second 
, 
