‘ 
234 
The spectrum of the Nova suggested that it might display 
the same peculiarity of focus hat we find in regard to planetary 
nebule, but a series of observations made between August, 
1901, and January, 1902, failed to give any indications of this 
phenomenon. 
The determined position of the Nova with regard to fourteen 
stars in its immediate vicinity—of which Prof. Barnard gives a 
chart—agrees fairly well with that already published by Prof. 
Aitken (Lick Observatory Budletiz, No. 8), anda comparison of 
the two sets of observations confirms no real motion of the 
Nova. 
The observations of brightness, which extend from July 30, 
gor, to April 15, 1902, show a gradual decrease in the magni- 
tude of the Nova, with occasional brightenings in which, how- 
ever, there appears to be no definite periodicity. After special 
measurements, Prof. Barnard disagrees with the Potsdam 
magnitude of the reference star B.D. 43° 270 and uses his own 
estimated value, which is about o°2m. fainter than that of 
Potsdam, #.e, it is 7°56m. 
Careful observations with the great telescope have failed to 
reveal, visually, the nebulosity surrounding the Nova, the light 
of which is probably mainly photographic, nor has Prof. 
Barnard been able to discover the 12‘om, star recorded by Prof. 
Ceraski as being 0°31s. following and 7” south of the present 
position of the Nova (Astronomische Nachrichten, No. 3755). 
New VARIABLE STARs.—The two new variables, as given 
below, are recorded in No. 3796 of the Astronomische 
Nachrichten. 
II, 1902, Zyvae.—Mr. Stanley Williams reports the varia- 
bility of the star, the position of which, as measured on various 
negatives, is 19h. 7m. 378.°4 +41 3/°7 (1855) ; its magnitude 
ranges from 11°10 to 12°20. Examination of the various 
records shows that the brightness of this star was approximately 
the same, in September, in 1899, 1900 and 1901, so that its 
period is probably exactly one year, or possibly one half-year. 
12, 1902, Pegasi.—Herr K. Graff reports the variability of 
the star, the position of which is 22h. 7m. 30s.°15 +14° 4’ 100 
(1902), its range of variability being from 8°7m. to 9°4m. 
DELAY OF THE MriNIMuUM OF U CEPHEI.—In No, 3796 of 
the Astronomésche Nachrichten, Mr. J. Plassman records a 
delay of about 2h. 27m. in the minimum of U Cephei, on April 
27, after the time of minimum recorded at Miinster. 
EARTHQUAKE NOTES. 
‘THE seventh and eighth numbers of the new series of publica- 
tions issued by the Earthquake Commission of the Kaiser- 
lichen Akademie der Wissenschaften in Wien respectively refer 
to earthquakes which have been noted in certain parts of the 
Austrian Alps and in the Carpathians. The first of these, by 
’ Dr. R. Hoernes, is a register of 208 shocks observed in Styria 
between the years 1000 and 1870. Many of these disturbances 
are described in detail, and to each description there is appended 
a criticism of the various sources from which the author has 
derived his information. To complete this work, earthquakes 
which shook Styria, but originated beyond its borders, have to 
be considered, and, lastly, the districts shaken and the lines 
along which shocks have been distributed have yet to be deter- 
mined. In short, what E. Suess has done for lower Austria 
and H. Hoefer for Carinthia is to be done for Styria. The 
second publication, by Prof. W. Laska, is an historical 
account of the earthquakes cf Poland. It refers to a period 
practically identical with that considered by Dr. Hoernes. The 
author commences by saying that ‘‘ earthquakes in Poland are 
rare,” but as reference is made to earthquakes of distant 
countries which were synchronous with observations made in 
Poland, the description of Galician shocks extends over thirty- 
six pages. As an example of these references we read that the 
first earthquake in 1834 occurred on January 23 at 8h. 45m. and 
was observed in Tarnopol. On the same day there was an 
earthquake in England, the epicentrum of which was five miles 
north of Chichester, and it is worthy of note that there was a 
similar coincidence in 1666. The probability, however, is that 
if we had before us a register of all the earthquakes of the 
world, a coincidence might be found for each of the Carpathian 
records. In the general remarks attached to these registers we 
find several interesting notes on the emotional effects produced 
by those who have predicted the occurrence of earthquakes on 
NO. 1705, VOL. 66] 
NATURE 
[JuLy 3, 1902 
specified dates. An accidental realisation of a widely published 
prediction took place on February 27, 1786, with the result that 
processions were organised and prayers were offered that earth- 
quakes should not only shake Poland, but that a few should be 
arranged for Prussia. s 
In November, 1900, Prof. E. Odone gave an account in the 
Bollettino della Societa Sismologica Ltaliana (vol. vi.) of forms 
of apparatus he proposed to introduce into seismometry which 
did not have the character of pendulums. The object of the 
first piece of apparatus was to measure the relative motion of two 
Points of ground separated by a short distance. A seismo- 
graphic arrangement identical with that proposed by Prof. 
Odone was used in Japan in the years 1884 and 1885. It 
showed that for fourteen earthquakes the relative motion of the 
heads of two stakes 3 feet from each other varied between 
I mm. and ‘o8 mm. (7Z7azs. Seis. Soc., vol. xii. pp. 63-66). 
The second piece of apparatus has the character of a mano- 
meter, and in its improved form as now constructed is de- 
scribed in the Azzvsta di Fisica (Pavia), December, 1901. It 
consists of a chamber about 2 m. in height and holding 200 1. 
of water, embedded in the foundations of a wall. At the upper 
and lower ends of this chamber are two passages closed by sheets 
of iron. On one side these sheets are in contact with the soil in 
which the foundations are buried and on the other side with the 
water of the manometer. Should a shock be transmitted 
through the soil, these metal diaphragms are deflected, with the 
result that the water from the chamber rises in a small tube 
o ‘85 cm. in diameter, which is attached to the upper end of the 
manometer. The effect of vibrations due to explosions of 
powder in mines—in one instance amounting to 10,000 kgr., 
the apparatus being ata distance of 1 km.—have been 
studied, and it is seen that the changes of level in the manometric 
gauge are such as can be easily measured. From this apparatus 
it is expected to obtain certain direct measurements of earth- 
quake energy, and from a manuscript note attached to the copy 
of the paper describing the same it is also anticipated that it 
may record volcanic sounds. : 
STATISTICAL METHODS IN BIOLOGY. 
‘THE third part of Azometrika, published in April, contains 
several important contributions, the first of which is by 
Prof. Karl Pearson, who describes ‘‘asystematic method of curve- 
fitting by moments.” For practical purposes it is found that if 
good quadrature formulz are used this method is as good as the 
well-known method of least squares, and in some cases is applic- 
able where the older method fails. Examples of the application of 
the new method are given. A communication on the sources 
of apparent polymorphism in plants comprises an editorial in- 
troduction and four papers by Messrs. G. Udny Yule, W. L. 
Tower, Dr. Alice Lee and Prof. Karl Pearson, and Mr. Yule 
respectively. Those who have considered the ‘‘ multimodal” 
character of many botanical distributions as furnishing evidence 
of the existence of subspecies or local races will find reasons 
for reconsidering their views in these papers. In this part also 
Prof. Pearson contributes a controversial paper under the title 
‘On the Fundamental Conceptions of Biology,” in which he 
deals with discontinuity, differentiation and variation, and _re- 
plies to Mr. Bateson’s criticism of his memoir on the principle 
of homotyposis published in the Phzlosophical Transactions 
(vol. exevil. pp. 285-379). Another controversial paper by 
Prof. Weldon deals with Prof. De Vries’s first volume on the 
theory of the mutation of species (** Die Mutationstheorie,” &c., 
Bd. 1, 1901). The facts adduced by De Vries in favour of this 
intermittent and apparently anomalous mode of evolution are 
considered by Prof. Weldon to be inconclusive, and he comes to 
the conclusion that the evidence is insufficient to warrant the 
acceptance of this theory in preference to the selection theory 
of Darwin. 
Among other contributions we may call attention to 
Mr. Blanchard’s paper on ‘‘grandparental inheritance,” in 
which he emphasises the need for further experimental work on 
“blending” as distinguished from ‘‘ alternative” inheritance, 
and suggests for this purpose insects and some of the smaller 
mammals, Miss Lewenz publishes the completion of an in- 
vestigation first started by Miss Whiteley and Prof. Pearson on 
the variation and correlation of the bones of the hand in woman. 
The conclusion is suggested ‘‘ that if efficiency depends on high 
correlation, it is not to external measurements of the skull that 
