November 21, 1907] 



jVA TURE 



67 



Satlkx's Rings. — Several recent observations of 

 Saturn's rings are reported in No. 4213 (p. 219, 

 November la) of the Asironomische Nachrichtcn. Dr. 

 Ristenpart reports that on November 5 he was able to see 

 the ring distinclly, as a ghost-like fine line, with the 

 12-inch equatorial of the Urania Observatory at Berlin. 



Prof. Hartwig, observing at Bamberg on November 7, 

 was surprised to find that the ring on both sides appeared 

 of a reddish-brown colour. The shadow of the rings on 

 the surface of the planet was very distinct, and broader 

 than it was four weeks previously. A telegram from Cam- 

 bridge (Mass.) reports that Prof. Lowell confirms the 

 observation of the symmetrical knots in Saturn's rings 

 made by Prof. Campbell. 



In the same journal Herr Paul Guthnick places on 

 record the results of observations of Saturn's rings and 

 satellites made at the Royal Observatory, Berlin, during 

 part of the week referred to by Prof. Campbell. 



Ele.MEXTS and ErUF.MERIS FOR THE MiNOR PlANET 



Patroclus. — A set of elements and an ephemeris, cover- 

 ing the period October 31 to November 16, for Patroclus 

 1 1006 XY), one of the three Jovian asteroids, are given 

 in No. 4212 (p. 153, November 7) of the Astronomische 

 Nachrichtcn by Herr V. Heinrich. The opposition will 

 take place on November 30, the magnitude of the minor 

 planet being 14-5. 



Comparisons of the Places of Mars for the Opposi- 

 tions OF 1907 and 1909. — In a paper communicated to the 

 Royal .Astronomical Society (Monthly Notices, vol. Ixvii., 

 No. 9, p. 575) Dr. Downing compares the places of Mars 

 calculated from Newcomb's tables with the places calcu- 

 lated from Le Verrier's tables near the times of opposi- 

 tion in 1907 and 1909. The results are tabulated for 

 every eight days from May 26 to August 14, 1907, and 

 from August 14 to November 2, 1909. On September 23, 

 1909 (near the time of opposition), the correction, to 

 Le Verrier's place is —10.5 seconds of arc in 'R.A. and 

 — 5"'5 in declination, to his heliocentric longitude of Mars 

 — 4"-i, and to the longitude of the sun ^o"'9; the 

 distance of Mars from the earth will be 039. 



SCIENCE AT THE FRANCO-BRITISH 

 EXHIBITION OF 1908. 



TT has been announced in various newspapers that there 

 -*■ will be a Franco-British Exhibition next year. Those 

 who have passed near Uxbridge Road will have also 

 noticed that a large area of ground is being covered 

 rapidly with exhibition buildings. 



.\ccording to its prospectus, it is to be an exhibition 

 of science, arts, and indvistries, and it is a matter of 

 concern to all English men of science to see that in such 

 an exhibition science is given its proper place. 



Up to the present lime no accounts of any attempt to 

 represent science at this exhibition have been made public ; 

 we give, therefore, a short sketch of the efforts which arc 

 being made to have a pure science section as a part of the 

 exhibition. Such a section is a novelty in exhibitions, 

 and that there will be a science section is due to the 

 action of the British Science Guild. That body approached 

 the executive committee of the exhibition, suggesting that 

 a section should be set apart for pure science, dealing 

 mainly with original research as carried on both in the 

 Irihoratory and in factories. 



The executive committee accepted the suggestion, and 

 a committee was formed which has been at work since 

 June last. 



It is hoped that the French side of the exhibition will 

 il d with French science in a similar way. 



I'hr- committee is constituted as follows : — Sir Norman 

 l.orkvor, K.C.B., F.R.S.. chairman; Prof. John Perry, 

 I'.R.S., vice-chairman: .Sir Alexander Pedler, CLE., 

 F.R.S., hon. secretarv. Members : Captain Sir \Vm. 

 de W. Abnev. K.C.B..' F.R.S.. Prof. T. O. .\rnoId. Maior 

 R. F. S. Baden-Pow-U. Dr. F. A. B.ather, Prof. C. V. 

 Rovs, F.R.S., Prof. Callendnr. F.R.S., Maior Close, R.E., 

 Captain Ettrick W. Creak, R.N. , C.B., F.R.S. , Mr. Horace 

 n.irwin, F.R.S.. Prof. L .\. Ewins-. F.R.S., Prof. Farmer, 

 F.R.S., Rear-.Xdmiral" Field. F.R.S., Mr. L. Fletcher, 



NO iq86, vol. 77] 



F.R.S., Mr. G. H. Fowler, Sir Archibald Geikie, K.C.B., 

 F.R.S., Sir David Gill, K.C.B., F.R.S., Dr. R. T. Glaze- 

 brook, F.R.S., Prof. Gotch, F.R.S., Mr. Walter Rosen- 

 hain. Colonel Hellard, R.E. ; Colonel Sir Thomas Holdich, 

 K.C.M.G., K.C.I.E., C.B., Sir E. Ray Lankester, F.R.S., 

 Dr. \V. J. Lockver, Prof. R. Meldola,' F.R.S., Prof. H. A. 

 Miers, F.R.S., Dr. H. R. Mill, Prof. Milne, F.R.S., Prof. 

 Poulton, F.R.S., Lieut.-Colonel D. Prain, CLE., F.R.S., 

 Sir William H. Preece, K.C.B., F.R.S., Sir William 

 Ramsay, K.C.B., F.R.S., Dr. Ridewood, Mr. Frederick 

 Rudler; I.S.O., Prof. Rutherford, F.R.S., Dr. W. N. 

 Shaw F.R.S., Mr. A. E. Shiplev, F.R.S., Mr. L. J. 

 Spencer Dr. J. J. H. Teall, F.R.S., Prof. Silvanus 

 Thompson, F.R.S., Prof. T. E. Thorpe, C.B., F.R.S., 

 Prof. Trouton, F.R.S., Colonel Sir Charles M. Watson, 

 R.E., K.C.M.G., C.B., Sir H. Trueman Wood. 



The exhibits are for convenience subdivided into three 

 sections : — 



(a) Historical apparatus which has bee'n used by eminent 

 scientific discoverers, or has been the means of elucidating 

 important truths. 



(b) Instruments and methods used in experiments and 

 observations, including those used in laboratory and 

 works research. 



(<-) Instruments and methods used in and results obtained 

 from the exploration of (i) the land; (2) the sea; (3) the 

 air ; (4) the heavens. 



The various subjects are dealt with as follows : — 



Division i: arithmetic and mathematical science, geo- 

 metrv measurement, molecular phvsics, and sound. Sub- 

 committee, Prof. Perry, Prof. C V. Boys, and Mr. Horace 

 Darwin ; convener. Prof. Perry. 



Division 2 : light and photography. Subcommittee, 

 Captain Sir Wm. de W. Abney and Sir H. T. Wood ; 

 convener. Sir H. T. Wood. 



Division 3 : invisible radiations. Subcommittf--. Prof. 

 S. P. Thompson, Prof. Rutherford, and Hon. R. J. 

 Strutt ; convener. Prof. Rutherford. 



Division 4 : heat. Subcommittee, Prof. Callendar and 

 Mr. Horace Darwin ; convener. Prof. Callendar. 



Division 5 : magnetism and electricity. Subcommittee, 

 Prof. S. P. Thompson, Prof. Trouton, and Sir Wm. H. 

 Preece; convener, Prof. Trouton. 



Division 6 : chemistry. Subcommittee, Prof. Thorpe, 

 Prof. Meldola, Sir Wm. Ramsay, and Sir Ales. Pedler ; 

 convener, . 



Division 7 : mineralogv and crvstallograohy. Subcom- 

 mittee, Prof. Miers, Dr. Fletcher, and Mr. L. J. Spencer: 

 convener. Prof. Miers. 



Division 8 : animal biologv. Subcommittee, Sir h. Kay 

 Lankester. Prof. Gotch, Mr. A. E. Shiplev, Prof. Poulton, 

 and Dr. Ridewood; convener. Prof. Gotch. 



Division 9 : vegetable biologv. Subcommittee. Lieut. - 

 Colonel D. Prain and ProL ^^ Farmer : convener. Prof. 

 Farmer. 



(i) Exploration of the Land. 



Division 10 : geography. Subcommittee, Sir D. Gill, 

 General Sir T. Holdich,' Prof. J. Milne, ColonM Sir 

 Charles M. Watson, Colonel Hellard, and Major t lose ; 

 convener. Colonel Sir C M. Watson. ..-.it 



Division 11: geology. Subcommittee, Sir Archibald 

 Geikie, Dr. J. J. H. Teall, Mr. F. Rudler, and Dr. b. A. 

 Bather ; convener, Mr. F. Rudler. 



(2) Exploration of the Sea. 



Division 12 : oceanography and hydrography. Subcom- 

 mittee, Rear-Admiral Field, Captain Creak, Mr. G. H. 

 Fowler, and Mr. D. J. Matthew; convener. Captain Creak. 



(3) Exploration of the Air. 



Division 13: meteorology. Subcommittee, Dr. Shaw, 

 Dr. Mill, and Major Baden-Powell ; convener. Dr. Shaw. 



(4) Exploration of the Heavens. 



Division 14 : astronomy. Subcommittee, Sir D. CjiU, 

 Sir Norman Lockyar, and Dr. Lockyer ; convener. Dr. 

 Lockyer. _, 



Division 15 : geodesy. Subcommittee, Committees :o 

 and 14 sitting together'; convener. Major Close. 



Division 16 : melallography. This additional subsection 



