July 20, 1882] 



NA TURE 



281 



felt at Ardon, Canton Valais, on Tuesday, last week. A slight 

 shock was felt at Geneva on Monday. 



The seven aeronautical ascents arranged for July 14 were 

 made at Paris at 4 o'clock as contemplated. But it «15 impos" 

 sible to make any of the scientific experiments which had been 

 prepared, owing to the violence of the wind. One of the 

 balloons exploded at 2000 feet, and the aeronauts were precipi- 

 tated to the ground with terrific velocity, happily without any 

 loss of life or injury of consequence. They were saved by a 

 miracle, their car having been suspended in a gap between two 

 houses. The catastrophe was produced by their imprudence, 

 having placed their canvass in a net which was not quite large 

 enough. The inferior part of the canvass being left unprotected 

 exploded when it was filled by the expansion of the gas. This 

 is a warning to aeronauts to place the right balloon in the right 

 netting. 



The Journal Officiel publishes a table giving the exact 

 number of public teachers in France ; there are 32,463 females 

 and 49,201 males. The salary of the largest number of them 

 varies from 24/. to 100/., only 19S females and 673 males having 

 a salary of 100/. and upwards a year. Most of them receive pay 

 of about 1/. per week. Under the present system their salaries 

 involve an expense of little less than 3,000,000 sterling, and the 

 Minister of Public Instruction refuses to propose any further 

 increase under this head. 



The Belgian Academy offers a prize of 3000 francs for the 

 best study of the subject of destruction of fishes by pollution of 

 rivers. Four topics are specified — (1) What are the matters 

 special to the principal industries, which, mixing with the water 

 of small rivers, render them incompatible with the existence of 

 fishes, and unfit for public supply, and for use by cattle? (2) A 

 list of the rivers of Belgium, which are now "depopulated" by 

 this sta'e of things, with indication of the industries special to 

 each of these rivers, and list of the edible fish that lived in them 

 prior to the existence of those works. (3) Investigation and 

 indication of practical means of purifying the waters at issue from 

 the works, to render them compatible with the life of fishe s 

 without compromising the industry, combining the resources 

 which may be offered by construction of basins of decantation, 

 filtering, and the use of chemical agents. (4) Separate experi- 

 ments on the matters which in each special industry cause the 

 death of fishes, and on the degree of resistance of each edible 

 fish to destruction. Memoirs are to be sent in before October I, 

 1884. 



An illustrated treatise on Coal-tar Distillation, by Prof. Lunge 

 of Zurich, and an essay on the Noctuida; of North America, by 

 Mr. Grote, with coloured illustrations, will be the next contri- 

 butions, respectively to technical science and natural history, 

 issued by Mr. Van Voorst. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include a Tricoloured Lory (Lorius tricolor) from the 

 Malay Archipelago, presented by Mr. H. Harraden ; a Common 

 Marmoset (Hapale jacchus) from Brazil, presented by Mr. G. W. 

 Drabble; sixty-one Restless Cavies (Citvia caprera), British, 

 presented by H.R.H. the Prince of Wales, K.G. ; a Puff Adder 

 ( Viptra arittans) from South Africa, presented by Capt. Owen ; a 

 Heloderme Lizard (Pleloderma horridum) from Mexico, pre-ented 

 by Sir John Lubbock, Bart., F.Z.S. ; a Littoral Callichthys Fish 

 (Calluhthys litloralis) from Demerara, presented by Mr. George 

 Little ; a Bonnet Monkey (Macacus radiatus), a Macaque Monkey 

 (Macacus cynomolgus) from India, a Levaillant's Cynictis (Cynictis 

 peiiici/iata) from West Africa, a Great Eagle Owl (Bubo maxi- 

 mus), European, deposited ; a Black-fronted Teetee (Callithrix 

 nigrifrons) from Brazil, a Black-faced Ibis (Theristicus caudatus) 

 from South America, a Cedar Bird (Ampelis cedrorum), six 

 Yellow-headed Troupials (Xanthrocephalus iclerocephalus) from 



North America, a Kolb's Vulture ( Gyps kolbii), a Sociable Vulture 

 (Vultur auricularis) from Africa, two Ceylone>e Hanging Parra- 

 keets (Loriculus asiaticus) from Ceylon, an Annulated Snake 

 (LcptoJira anmdata) from Panama, purchased ; a Turquosine 

 Grass Parrakeet (Euphema pulchdla), a Geoffroy's Dove (Pcristera 

 gtoffroii), bred in the Gardens. 



OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN 



Daylight Observations of Wells' Comet. — At the 

 Dudley Observatory, Albany, this comet was observed on the 

 meridim as early as June 5, jus. before noon, and again on June 

 II and 12. The aperture of the ohject-glass of the transit-circle 

 is S inches, the focal length of the telescope 10 feet. A de- 

 tailed description, with engraving of the instrument with which 

 these notable observations were made, will be found in vol. i. ot 

 the Annals of the Dudley Observatory. On June 5 the comet 

 was not perceived until forty seconds after transit, and was 

 observed with difficulty on a single wire, but the positions 

 obtained on the subsequent dates were considered very satis- 

 factory. The true nucleus was seen at the observation of June 

 11, male about sixteen hours after the perihelion passage, and 

 the estimated diameter of the disc was 0""75. The nebulosity 

 of the coma was uniform and faint about 10" in diameter. It is 

 stated that "while the nucleus was observed for position, the 

 coma was scarcely noticed at all." The atmospheric conditions 

 on this day were such as are well known to conduce to easy 

 vision of objects in daylight. "The sky was sparsely covered 

 with cumulus clouds, while ihe intermediate clear spaces were 

 exceedingly transparent." On June 12 the nebulosity had 

 increased in brightness, but the image was very unsteady, and 

 ** either for that reason, or because of the increased brightness 

 of the nebulous screen, the nucleus proper could not be seen." 

 The very favourable observation on the preceding day gave the 

 following apparent position of the comet : — 



M.T. at Albany. R.A. Decl. 



h. in. s. h. m. s. o , „ 



June II, at o 1 21-4 ... 5 21 3^91 ... +19 9 I7'6 

 This place agrees closely with that deduced from a parabolic 

 orbit calculated by Mr. Wells, which will not be materially 

 improved, without a discussion of the entire series of observa- 

 tions. The elements of this orbit are : — 



Perihelion passage, June I o" 53006 Greenwich M.T. 



Longitude of perihelion... 53 55 4§ - 4 l M>Ei l882 . 



„ ascending node ... 204 56 l6*aj 



Inclination 73 4S 32-3 



Logarithm of perihelion distance ... S7S37199 

 Motion — direct. 



We are not aware that any complete observation of a comet 

 on the meridian at noonday has been made since the year 1744- 

 The grand comet in the early part of that year, first remarked 

 by Klinkenberg at Harlem on December 9, 1743, attained an 

 extraordinary degree of brilliancy towards the end of February. 

 We find Bliss writing on February 12 (o.s.) to Lord Maccles- 

 field, who had fitted up an observatory at Shirburn Castle, thus: 

 "The comet appeared so very bright last night, equalling the 

 light of Venu--, that Dr. Bradley agrees that it may be seen on 

 the meridian, and being engaged himself, has desired me to 

 request your lordship to try to observe it. The elements which 

 he left at Shirburn appear, to our last night's and former obser- 

 vations, to give the place true within 2' of longitude and lati- 

 tude." As a matter of fact the comet was observed on the 

 meridian near noon, at Shirburn on the 2Sth and 29th of 

 February, and at Greenwich on the 29th : these observations 

 will be found reduced in Mr. Hind's paper on the comet of 

 1744 (Aslron. Nach. vol. xxvii.) 



Mr. Lewis Boss, the director of the Dudley Observatory, is 

 to be congratulated on his success in the case of the comet of 

 the present year. Excepting the days of observation, n»ne of 

 the remaining dates from June 5 to June 18 were clear enough 

 at the c imet's meridian passage : otherwise it is evident that Mr. 

 Boss would have secured a perfectly unique series of positions. 



GEOGRAPHICAL NOTES 

 CoREA has at last followed the example of China and Japan, 

 and cautiously opened a door or two to the outside "barbarian." 

 From time immemorial Corea has been hemmed in by exclusive- 



