Oct. 19, 1882] 



NATURE 



611 



spondingly in the spectrum the sodium line was very 

 reduced and little luminous ; but the usual three bands of 

 the hydrocarbons — yellow, green, and blue — were very 

 conspicuous. 



From October 1 to the present time the comet ap- 

 proached the form of Fig. 3, which I observed this morn- 

 ing ; around the nucleus and very excentrically to the 

 north, it is a faint envelope ; at the top of the south edge 

 a sort of horn issued ; the north extremity is i° distant 

 from a Hydrce. The length of the tail is iy°, the breadth 

 2° 48'. 



The nucleus is much diminished and little luminous, 

 and the colour of the comet almost white. 



Besides the linear spectrum of the nucleus, the three 

 bands of hydrocarbons extend 5' round the nucleus. 



The spectrum of the tail is continuous, and visible to 

 the end. 



It is remarkable that the changes of the spectrum (ac- 

 cording to Dr. Hasselber's experiments) enabled me to 

 predict that the comet had passed the perihelion before 

 the orbit was calculated. 



The beautiful sky of Palermo permitted me to observe 

 the comet Cruls every day except October 5. 



Observatory, Palermo, October 11 A. RlCCO 



NOTES 

 We regret to learn the serious illness of Sir E. J. Reed. 

 We were informed on Tuesday that there was no improvement 

 in his condition, and that the doctor would allow no one to have 

 access to him ; yesterday, we understand, there was no change 

 in his condition. 



The family of the late Prof. Balfour have presented his scien- 

 tific library to the University of Cambridge, for the use of the 

 morphological laboratory. It consists of rather more than 500 

 volumes, and 1100 pamphlets bound in 77 volumes. These 

 include many most important original papers on morphology 

 and embryology, which had been very carefully collected, and 

 arranged according to subjects. 



Prof. Tacchini has recently visited London. We under- 

 stand that he has been entrusted by the Italian Government with 

 the arrangements for theTtalian members of the expedition which 

 will visit the Marquesas to observe the solar eclipse of May 6, 

 1883. Prof. Trepied, the director of the Observatory of 

 Algiers, who also proposes to observe the eclipse, is now in this 

 country. 



We understand that a new Lecture and Model Room has 

 been appropriated in the Science School at South Kensington to 

 the Metallurgical Department. But notwithstanding the great 

 increase of the accommodation as compared with that formerly 

 provided in Jermyn Street, the class is overflowing, several 

 students having been unable to obtain admission. 



Admiral Mouchez has decided to send MM. Henry, the 

 well known astronomers, to the Pic-du-Midi Observatory, in 

 order to report upon the practicability of establishing at this 

 station (altitude 3200 metres) a permanent astronomical obser- 

 vatory. The investigation will extend over six weeks, and 

 the two astronomers may possibly be detained by snow for a 

 longer period. 



The installation of the set of magnetic instruments invented 

 by M. Mascart has been completed, at Pare St. Maur Observa- 

 tory, twelve miles from Paris. M. Theophile Moreau, one of 

 the physicists of the Bureau Central, has been appointed to 

 superintend the self-registering observations. 



The Conference on Electrical Measurement began its sittings 

 on Monday at the French Foreign Office, under the provisional 

 chairmanship of M. Duclerc, the Prime Minister, who delivered an 

 sddre>s of welcome to the delegates and retired, when M. Cochery 



was nominated President of ihe Commission. The delegates for 

 arranging for the security of cables afterwards opened their 

 sittings ; the two Commissions will meet on alternate days. 

 It is believed the Commission for Electrical Measurements will 

 appoint a sectional committee to conduct the scientific investi- 

 gation, and that the work of the Cables Committee will be of 

 short duration. A letter was read from Sir William Thomson, 

 excusing the delay in his arrival. He will be in Paris to-day, 

 ready to act in either Congress. 



A letter received from Mr. Henry O. Forbes, dated July 12 

 last, announces that he was expecting to be landed next day at 

 Larat, the mainland of Timorlaut on the east side. From all 

 accounts Mr. Forbes was inclined to believe that the natives 

 would be well disposed, and that he would have no difficulty in 

 making collections in this terra incognita, towards the explora- 

 tion of which 50/. was granted by the British Association at the 

 Southampton meeting. 



In the neighbourhood of the Thuringian town of Kosen there 

 are some disused saltworks with considerable water power. The 

 latter is now to be utilised for the electric lighting of the town, 

 and Kosen will thus be the first German town to introduce the 

 electric light for illuminating the whole town. 



The foundation stone for a monument in memory of Columbus 

 was laid at Barcelona on September 26. 



Last year an Anthropological Society was founded in Lyons, 

 and the first number of its Bulletin lies before us. The Society 

 works on much the same lines as the similar society of Paris. 

 The Bulletin contains several good papers. Dr. Arloing writes 

 on the influence of education in the development of the cranium 

 of the dog ; Dr. Lacassagne on the progress of criminality in 

 France, and also on the history of sepulture among different 

 peoples ; M. Paulet on sepulture among ancient and modern 

 peoples ; and M. Lacassagne on tattooing. The Paris publisher 

 of the Bulletin is G. Masson. 



A SHOCK of earthquake was felt at Panama at midnight, 

 October 12-13. A rather smart shock preceded by thunder 

 occurred on Thursday last on the south side of the Lake of 

 Geneva, between Thonon and Douvaine, and a slighter yet very 

 perceptible shock was felt at Geneva on Friday night. A very 

 distinct shock of earthquake is reported to have been felt at the 

 village of Comrie, Perthshire, on Saturday morning, about three 

 o'clock, and was followed by another and more severe shock 

 about half-past seven. The disturbance was accompanied by a 

 sound resembling the distant booming of a cannon, and appeared 

 to pass from the south-west to the north-east. 



The 6th part of Prof. Dodel Port's "Atlas der anatomischen 

 und physiologischen Botanik " has recently appeared, and the 

 work is thus approaching completion. The new part contains 

 the u=ual six large coloured plates. They illustrate Pkaseolus 

 coccineus, L. ; Elodea canadensis, Gaspary ; Erythrotis Beddomei, 

 Hooker f. ; Cuscuta glomerata, Choisy ; Peziza ; and Endocarpon 

 pusillum. Parts 6 and 7 of the same author's " Illustrirtes 

 Pflanzenleben " has also just appeared. This work will be com- 

 pleted with Part 10. 



Hartleben's " Chemisch-technische Bibliothek," of which 

 some 100 volumes have now appeared, is no doubt known to many 

 of our readers. This enterprising firm has now entered upon a 

 similar undertaking, viz. an " Elektro-technische Bibliothek," of 

 which the first volume, entitled " Die magnetelektrischen und 

 dynamoelektrischen Maschinen," by Gustav Glaser-de Cew, 

 has just appeared. The "Electro-technische Bibliothek" will, 

 for the present, be completed in ten volumes. The following 

 will be their contents : — Vol. II. The transfer of electric force ; 

 Vol. III. Lighting and heating by electricity ; Vol. IV. GaU 

 vanic batteries ; VoL V. Telegraphy ; Vol. VI. The tele 



