18 
NATOGRE 
[May 1, 1902 
Australia, twenty-one Giant Toads (ufo marinus) from South 
America, three Spiny-tailed Iguanas (Clenosawra acanthura) 
from Central America, a Dark- Salamander (4AmdZystoma 
tencbyrosum) from California, two Long-tailed Weaver-birds 
(Chera progne) from South Africa, a Starred Tortoise ( Zestudo 
elegans), three Bungoma River Turtle (Zmyda granosa), a Ring- 
necked Parrakeet (Pa/acorni's torguatus) from India, deposited ; 
two Nylghaies (oselaphus tragocamelus, 8 2), four Vellow- 
billed Liothrix (Zzothriv /uteus) from India, a Grison (Gadlictis 
wittata), a Condor Vulture (Sarcorhamphus gryphus, 8), four 
Grey Teal (Querguedula versicolor, 8 82%) from South 
America, two Mantchurian Crossoptilons (Crossoptelon mant- 
churicum, & 3), a Bar-tailed Pheasant (Phastanes reeves?) from 
China, a Common Crowned Pigeon (Gora coronata) from New 
Guinea, two White-fronted Geese (Anser albifrons), four 
Bearded Tits (Panzrus biarmicus), a Waxwing (Ampelis 
garvulus) European, purchased ; five Indian Wild Swine (Svs 
cristatus) born in the Gardens. 
OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. 
SIGNALS FROM Mars.—In the Proceedings of the American 
Philosophical Society for December 1901 (vol. xl. No. 167), 
Mr. Percival Lowell refers at some length to the observations 
that led to the announcement in the Press that Mars had been 
signalling to the earth ona night in December 1900. It may 
be mentioned that the ovzg%na/ despatch read as follows :—‘* Pro- 
jection observed last night over Icarium Mare, lasting seventy 
minutes.” (Signed) ‘* Douglas.” In the present paper Mr. 
Lowell describes in detail some of the individual observations, 
and points out how the Flagstaff observations of 1894 showed 
that on general principles the Martian projections were most 
probably not due to the existence of mountain peaks. A close 
study of the surface markings led both Messrs. Lowell and 
Douglas to the result that these several projections were not 
caused by such permanent surface markings as mountains, but 
were the effect of clouds floating in the planet’s atmosphere. At 
the opposition of 1894 more than 400 projections were seen 
in the course of nine months, and since that time other observa- 
tions have helped to show that the non-reappearances of these pro- 
jections at such favourable times when, if they were mountains, 
they should have been seen, have proved their non-permanent 
character. In fact, permanences like mountains were found to 
do violence to the observations, and the alternative explanation 
chosen was something floating in the planet’s atmosphere and 
capable of reflecting light, or, in other words, clouds. Mr. 
Lowell, in his concluding remarks, says that the surface marking, 
Icarium Mare, is undoubtedly a great tract of vegetation, and 
the observation of December is completely explained if it be 
assumed that a cloud was formed over this region and rose to a 
height of thirteen miles, and then, travelling east by north at 
about twenty-seven miles an hour, passed over the desert of 
Aeria and there was dissipated after an existence of three or 
four days. The Flagstaff observations thus tell us that moun- 
tains on Mars, if there be any, have still to be discovered. 
THE ORION NEBULA AND MOVEMENT IN THE LINE OF 
Sicur.—Prof. H. C. Vogel communicates to the Sé/zungs- 
berichte der Kon. Preuss. Akad. der Wassenschaften zu Berlin, 
March 13, an account of the results which he and Dr. 
Eberhard have obtained with reference to the measurements of 
the spectrum of the Orion nebula taken for the determination of 
motion in the line of sight. The instruments used were the 
photographic refractor of 32°5 cm. aperture and 3°4 metres 
focal length, and a spectroscope with three prisms, the latter 
being supplied with electrical heating for maintaining a constant 
temperature during the time of exposure; the comparison 
spectrum was that of iron in every case. The measurements 
of all the photographs were made by Prof. Vogel and Dr. 
Eberhard independently of each other, and the region of the 
nebula investigated was practically the same as that examined 
by Prof. Keeler in 1890 and 1891, so that a direct comparison 
with his results can be made. The following table shows the 
values of the velocities in kilometres per second relative to the 
sun obtained from measurements at different parts of the Hy line. | Engineers on April 22. 
NO. 1696, VOL. 66] 
Vogel. Eberhard. 
+. Km. Km. 
Position angle go” from star 6’ Orionis 
A=0''8 ; beginning of Iy line +16 +17 
FN Vice hd oe nt we) TQ +16 
Position angle 270°; A=o0'6 most 
intense portion of Hy line ... ca, ers +11 
Position angle 270°; A=1':2 to 1’ 
near end of Hy line... +8 +12 
The mean velocity relative to the sun obtained by Keeler, 
who used the Hf line, was + 17°7 + 1°28 kilometres, a 
value not very much removed from the above-mentioned 
determination. 
Another interesting point obtained from a close examina- 
tion of the Hy line was the distinct irregularity or hump of 
this line in the nebula spectrum, and both Prof. Vogel's and 
Dr. Eberhard’s measures give velocities relative to the sun of 
+ 6, + 28, + 11 and + 6, + 41, + 28 respectively to three 
chosen points on this line. It is pointed out that the measure- 
ments were difficult, and on account of the faintness of the 
line probably not very accurate. Keeler, however, looked for 
relative motion in the nebula itself, and came to the result 
that from his observations there were shifts which indicated 
relative motion in the nebula amounting to 21 kilometres per 
second, and in the brightest part of the nebula shifts corre- 
sponding to a third of this amount were detected. It may be 
mentioned also that Sir Norman Lockyer, in his communication 
to the Royal Society (P27. Trans., 1895) on the spectrum of 
the Orion nebula, obtained evidence of internal motion in the 
nebula in the distortion of the lines 4471 and 4495. These 
lines were found to be sharply bent, whilst the others remained 
straight. Unfortunately, only one photograph was secured, and 
it was suggested that in the absence of others it was possible 
that this displacement might have been due to a distortion of 
the photographic film. There seems little doubt, therefore, 
that these deformations and anomalies of the Hy lines observed 
at Potsdam are real indications of relative motion in the nebula 
itself, and the values for the velocities given will perhaps be 
more accurately determined when further photographs have 
been secured and measured. 
THE RELATIONS BETWEEN METALLURGY 
AND ENGINEERING.) 
THE lecturer stated that this was the subject with which the 
council had requested him to deal in his lecture, but it 
must not for a moment be imagined that the metallurgic art was 
not included in the wide range covered by the Institution, which 
had, from its earliest days, given prominence to the work of 
metallurgists. He quoted Mr. G, P. Bidder, who, in his presi- 
dential address to the Institution delivered in 1860, said ‘‘ that 
if he were called upon to define the object and scope of the 
profession of civil engineer, he would say that it was ‘to take up 
the results discovered by the abstract men of science and to 
apply them practically for the commercial advantage of the 
world at large, and to diffuse their beneficent influence among 
all classes of his fellow citizens.’’”” He hoped to be able to 
show that metallurgists practising an industrial art had helped 
the engineer to do this, and in evidence that such was the 
case, he quoted from the presidential address of Sir John Fowler, 
words to the effect that engineers had been more assisted by 
members of the Institution and by distinguished men of science 
generally in relation to ironand steel than as regarded any other 
material. It was in connection with iron and steel that the 
illustrations of the lecture would be mainly given. It might at 
first be thought that the relations between metallurgists and 
engineers, which had become so close and enduring, arose quite 
simply from common interest. The case was, however, far from 
being so simple; communication between those who extracted 
metals from their ores and adapted them for the use of the 
engineers, who actually employed metals in construction, was 
seldom, at the outset, quite direct. The relations with which 
the lecture dealt had been strangely stimulated by the interven- 
tion of men who, in many cases, were neither engineers nor 
metallurgists, but were men whose lives had been devoted to 
1 Abstract of the tenth ‘‘ James Forrest ” Lecture, delivered by Sir 
W. C. Roberts-Austen, K.C.B., F.R.S., at the Institution of Civil 
