June 15, 1882] 



NATURE 



161 



September 12 last year, has been described by Mr. Engler to 

 the St. Louis Academy. While an aurora of normal type was 

 clearly seen in the northern sky, there appeared in the s rath- 

 east, about 30 to 35 deg. above the horizon two horizontal streaks 

 of light, about 5 deg. apart, and 15 or 20 deg. in length. Their 

 pale hazy light resembled moonlight. From the upper streak 

 were suspended, by small cords of light, a number of balls, 

 brighter than either of the streaks, which were continually jump- 

 ing up and down in vertical lines, much like pith-balls » -n 

 charged with electricity. Above the upper streak was a ' right 

 gauze space with convergent sides, seerx.ingly comp s J of 

 streamers of light, the brightness diminishing from 'he streak 

 outwards. From the lower streak extended a similar mass, 

 differing only in a greater inclination of the streamers. The 

 balls and cords gradually disappeared first, then the streamers, 

 then the streaks ; and the whole phenomenon lasted about half 

 an hour. No explanation is offered. It is noteworthy that on 

 the same evening and at the same hour, a most remarkable band 

 of white light was seen at Albany, N.V., Utica, N.Y., Hanover, 

 N.H., Boston, Mass., and elsewhere in the North Atlantic 

 Stites, spanning the heavens from east to west near the zenith. 



The sixth part of the Transactions of the Cumberland Asso- 

 ciation for the Advancement of Literature and Science, is a 

 volume of 180 pp., and comprises the annual reports of the 

 different local societies, amalgamated under the title, with a 

 selection of papers read before the Association and the local 

 societies. We have already given full details of the formation 

 and working of the Association. The report of the secretary, 

 Mr. J. D. Kendall, F.G.S., is encouraging, showing, that 

 though there is a slight falling off in the number of members, 

 due to the cause already noticed, there are now 1S11 on the 

 books. The present volume of Transactions is one of the most 

 valuable the Association has yet published. It is divided into 

 two parts, the first containing the President's address and the 

 papers read at the annual meeting, and the second consi-ting of 

 papers communicated to the different societies, and recommended 

 by the Council for publication. Among the papers are— Public 

 water-supplies of West Cumberland, by Mr. A. Kitchin, F.C.S. ; 

 Grasses of Mid-Cumberland, by Mr. W. Hodgson; Observa- 

 tions on the flowering-plants of West Cumberland, by Mr. J. 

 Adair ; the lichens of Cumberland, by Rev. W. Johnston ; 

 Notes on the occurrence of the Iceland falcon in Edenside, by 

 Mr. J. G. Goodchild, accompanied by an excellent drawing of 

 the bird ; and Physical geography of North-West Cumberland, 

 by Mr. T. V. Holmes. The second part includes an historical 

 sketch, " The Chaloners Lords of the Manor of St. Bees, " by 

 .Mr. W. Jackson, F.S.A., and an exceedingly interesting paper 

 on bird-life, by Dr. Chas. A. Parker. Mr. Holmes contributes 

 notes on a submerged forest off Cardurnock, on the Sohv.iy, and 

 on the destruction of Skinburness by the sea about the year 

 1305. A valuable list of West Cumberland flowering-plants 

 and fern-, by members of the Botanical Section of the White- 

 haven Society, records the observed plants of the district. This 

 appears to be the most complete list that has yet been published, 

 though a few errors have crept in. The concluding paper is on 

 the distribution of the Diatom icece, by Mr. B. Taylor, and 

 consists of a list of the species obtained by him in the locality. 



In reference to Mr. S. M. Baird Gemmill's letter on the 

 Aurora {antea, p. 105), the writer asks us to state that the aurora 

 was observed on May 15th (not the iSlh). 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include a Sykes's Monkey (Cercopithecus albogidaris £ ) 

 from West Africa, presented by Mr. Ballantine Dykes ; a Com- 

 mon Marmoset {Hapa'e jacchus) from Brazil, presented by Mrs. 

 Wingfield ; a Yellow-bellied Liothrix (Liothrix luteus) from 

 India, presented by Miss Mabel Crosbie ; two Common Night- 



ingales (Dan lias luscinia), a Blackcap Warbler (Sylvia atrica- 

 pilla), British, presented by Mr. H. Grant ; a Horned Lizard 

 (Phrynosoma cornutiim) from Texas, presented by Mr. David 

 Rowell ; a Common Nightingale (Daidias luscinia), British, two 

 Yellow-bellied Liothrix (Liothrix luteus) from India, deposited ; 

 two Wood Larks (Alauiia arborea), European, received in ex- 

 change ; two Japanese Deer (Cervus sika 6 £), two Mouflons 

 (0;'is musimon £ £ ), a Cape Buffalo (Bubalus coffer £), born 

 in the Gardens. The following insects have emerged during 

 the past week : — Silk Moths : Samia curopia, Altacus mylitta, 

 Attains cynthia. Actios stlene ; Butterflies : Lycana Mas, Limen- 

 itis sihylla, Argynnis paphia, Vanessa urtica, Papilio podalirius ; 

 Moths : Sphinx pinastri, Clucrocampa elpenor, Sesia formkee- 

 formis, Sesia eonopiformis, Sesia muxceformis, Trochiiium api- 

 forme, Trochiiium melanocephalum, Sciapteron tabanij'orme, 

 Callimorphtt dominula, Odonestis potatoria. 



OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN 



Maskelyne's Value of the Solar Parallax. — Several 

 inquiries have been lately made with regard to the authenticity 

 of a value of the sun's parallax, attributed in many works to 

 Ma-kelyne, the former Astronomer-Royal. 



This value (8""723) was deduced by Maskelyne in an applica- 

 tion of what he calls a new method of determining the effect of 

 parallax on transits of the inferior planets, and is given in an 

 article which he appears to have communicated to Vince, 

 Plumian Professor of Astronomy at Cambridge, who published 

 it both in his large work, "A Complete System of Astronomy," 

 and in his elementary treatise intended for the use of students in 

 the Llni versify. We have not been able to consult the earlier 

 editions of these works, to ascertain whether, as is probably the 

 case, the article was published in Maskelyne's life-time, but it is 

 found in Vol. I. of the " System of Astronomy," which appeared 

 in 1814, and is dedicated to Maskelyne, and also in the fourth 

 edition of the "Elements of Astronomy," Cambridge, 1816. 

 The article is entitled "A new method of computing the effect 

 of parallax, in accelerating or retarding the time of the be- 

 ginning or end of a transit of Venus or Mercury over the sun's 

 disc, by Nevil Maskelyne, D.D., F.R.S., and Astronomer- 

 Royal.'' After explaining his method and how an approximate 

 value may be corrected, as a numerical example he compares 

 the duration of the transit of Venus in 1 769 as observed at 

 VVardhus and Otaheite, assuming as an approximate value of the 

 mean horizontal parallax 8" '83 (nearly that found by Du Sejour), 

 and concludes: "Hence the mean horizontal parallax of the 

 sun = S"'S3 x (1 - C0121) = 8"'723i6." In the "Elements 

 of Astronomy " there is the additional sentence: " we assume, 

 therefore, the mean horizontal parallax of the sun = 8J""; but 

 this does not appear in Vince's larger work, nor is it quite clear 

 whether it is an addition of Maskelyne's or his own." 



Lalande says the first edition of Vince's " Elements of Astro- 

 nomy " was published in 1790, and Vol. I. of the large work in 

 1797. Probably some of our readers may be able to refer to the 

 earlier editions. 



Comet \%%za (Wells, March 17).— The following ephe- 

 meris of this comet is deduced from the elements last given in 

 this column : — 



At Greenwich Midnight 

 R.A. Decl. Log. distance from 



h. m. s. . Earth. Sun. 



July 1 ... 9 35 58 ••• +11 57'° ••• °'°5°i ••■ 9'S9 2 5 

 3 ••■ 9 5° 49 ••■ ll 2 3' 2 ■■■ 0-o6 73 ■•■ 9'9 2 °5 

 5 ... 10 4 21 ... 10 502 ... o - oS5o ... 99461 

 7 ... 10 16 43 ... 10 182 ... 0-1027 ... 9-9697 

 9 ... 10 28 2 ... 9 47'4 •■• 0-1202 ... 9-9916 

 11 ... 10 38 26 ... 9 '7 '9 ■■• °''375 ••• 0-0120 

 13 ... 10 48 1 ... 8 49-6 ... 0-1545 ... 0-0310 

 15 ... 10 56 54 ... + S 224 ... 0-1711 ... 00489 

 On July I, the comet sets ih. 44m. after the sun at Green- 

 wich, and the theoretical intensity of light is equal to that on 

 May 16 ; on July 15, it sets Ih. 50m. after the sun, with a 

 brightness equal to that on April 19. 



On June 7, Mr. Barber of Spondon, Derby, observed the 

 comet with his 8-inch refractor, at 8h. 30m., or less than ten 

 minutes after sunset : there was a large white disc, but no tail 

 was visible at this time. 



