Sept. 5, 1872] 



NATURE 



377 



have since been made ; but while lliose of the planets 

 promise well, no impression whatever of the brightest 

 nebuht could be secured. Among the many subjects which 

 have occupied a large share of the attention of scien- 

 tific circles in the older world, and which mark indelibly 

 the progress of scientific research during the past year, 

 there is one which appears to me of surpassing impor- 

 ance. The Royal Astronomical Society awarded its gold 

 medal this year to Prof. Schiaparelli, director of the Ob- 

 servatory at Milan, principally on account of his researches 

 on the relations that exist between comets and shooting 

 stars. You will remember in a former address I had the 

 honour of delivering to you, I spoke of the 'mtteor 

 shower' which fell in Europe in November 186 — , and 

 that it had been established beyond a doubt that these 

 bodies travelled in orbits intersecting that of the earth at 

 different points ; that one coterie intersected it in Novem- 

 ber, another in August, and so forth. Since then, how- 

 ever, it has been found from observation that the number 

 of these meteor rings is very large, and that they intersect 

 the earth's orbit at numerous points. And it may be stated 

 generally, that all falling or shooting stars, at the time we 

 see them, are, or have been very recently, members of 

 groups travelling in true orbits, and not merely stray wan- 

 derers in space. Prof. Schiaparelli has concluded from 

 his researches that ' celestial matter may be divided into 

 the following classes : — i. Fixed stars. 2. Agglomeration 

 of small stars (resolvable nebulas). 3. Similar bodies, in- 

 visible except when approaching the sun (cometsX 4. 

 Small particles, composing a cosmical cloud.' He thinks 

 the last occupy a large portion of space, and have motions 

 similar to fixed stars. The latter are the sources of falling 

 stars. Brought by the motion of our system in space 

 within the sphere of our sun's attraction, they become in 

 a measure part of his family and subject to him. If, 

 while making their sun journey, they approach a planet — 

 the earth for instance — they get disturbed in their orbits, 

 and, becoming subject to the earth's mass, liable to enter 

 the upper regions of our atmosphere, under which con- 

 dition they appear to us as ' shooting stars.' ' Thus 

 meteors and other celestial phenomena of like nature, 

 which a century ago were regarded as atmospheric phe- 

 nomena — which La Place and Olbers ventured to think 

 came from the moon, and which were afterwards raised 

 to the dignity of being members of the planetary system 

 — are now proved to belong to the stellar regions, and to 

 be in truth falling stars. They have the same relation to 

 comets as the asteroids have to the planets ; in both cases 

 their small size is made up by jtheir greater number. 

 Lastly, we may presume that it is certain that falling stars, 

 meteors, and aerolites differ in size only and not in com- 

 position ; therefore we may presume that they are an 

 example of what the universe is composed of. As in 

 them we find no elements foreign to those of the earth, 

 we may infer the similarity of composition of all 

 the universe — a fact already suggested by the revela- 

 tions of the spectroscope.' Professor Schiaparelli had 

 noticed a remarkable likeness between the elements of 

 the orbits of some of these meteor groups to those of 

 some well-known comets, the perihelion passage occurring 

 approximately at near dates, the direction of their motion 

 alike, the point they intersect the ecliptic, and their in- 

 clination to it very similar, while the distances of their 

 nearest approach to the sun, and their period of revolution, 

 have also a marked likeness. The relations are very re- 

 markable, and Prof. Schiaparelli concludes one of his last 

 memoirs on this subject in these words : — ' These ap- 

 proximations need no comment. Must we regard these 

 falling stars as swarms of small comets, or rather as the 

 product of the dissolution of so many great comets .'' I 

 dare make no reply to such a question.' The conclusions 

 of Prof. Schiaparelli are of the highest interest, and sug- 

 gest some new and interesting questions on the constitu- 

 tion of the universe. Are the irresolvable nebulcc systems 



of these cosmical particles ? If so it will add a fresh in- 

 terest to our observations of the changes going on in that 

 of r) Argus. 



" In a new country, such as ours, in which all are 

 so fully engaged in business pursuits, it would be un- 

 reasonable to expect so large an annual crop of scientific 

 facts as are realised in the older countries ; but as the 

 fields for original observations in a new country are really 

 wider in many respects than in the older, it is of course, 

 of the first importance that what we do obtain should be 

 properly recorded and disseminated. I have mentioned 

 that the Society's Transactions, the printing of which has 

 been too long suspended, will be immediately resumed, 

 and I believe I may confidently state that the present 

 prospects of the Society are such as to warrant the belief 

 that they will henceforth appear with regularity. It should 

 be remembered that although this Society has how ex- 

 isted for so many years, its ranks are still thin, wanting 

 both workers and supporters. It has been recently pro- 

 posed in your council, as a means of strengthening and 

 increasing the utility of the Society, that a rule should be 

 adopted to admit of residents at a distance joining us 

 as country life-members, on the same scale as ordmary 

 members are now admitted, by payment of half the usu-il 

 subscription. This will entitle such members to the 

 Society's publications, and to all the privileges of member- 

 ship when in Melbourne. I have chosen the earliest oc- 

 casion for announcing this proposition, which will no 

 doubt be presently adopted by the generality of the 

 members. I also wish to remove an impression which, 

 I believe, holds some ground, that advanced scientific 

 attainments are indispensable qualifications for member- 

 ship. The object for which our Society is founded was 

 the promotion of literature, science, and art in the colony. 

 Whoever can assist in this is, so far, eligible for member- 

 ship." 



NOTES 



Mr. Stanley has forwarded to the daily papers a letter from 

 Zanzibar, 'dated July 22nd, stating that communications have 

 been received fr^m the interior, which render it probable that 

 Dr. Livingstone would receive his stores and letters about Au- 

 gust 1st. In that case he would leave U.iyamyembe about 

 August loth, and be now near Mrera, in Central Ukonougo. 



The following letter has been sent by Lord Granville to Mr. 

 11. M. Stanley, the special correspondent of the Xcw York 

 HcralJ, accompanied by a magnificent gold snuff-box richly set 

 in brilliants : — "Foreign Office, Aug. 27, 1S72. — Sir, — I have 

 great satisfaction in conveying to you, by command of the Queen, 

 Her Majesty's high appreciation of the prudence and zeal which 

 you have displayed in opening a communication with Dr. Living- 

 stone, and so relieving Her Majesty from the anxiety which, in 

 common with her subjects, she had felt in regard to the fate of 

 that distinguished traveller. The Queen desires me to express 

 her thanks for the service you have thus rendered, together with 

 Her Majesty's congratulations on your having so successfully 

 carried out the mission which you so fearlessly undertook. Her 

 Majesty also desires me to request your acceptance of the memo- 

 rial which accompanies this letter." 



On Monday evening the "Livingstone Search and Relief 

 Committee of the Royal Geographical Society " met to consider 

 its final judgment upon the conduct of the expedition under 

 Lieutenant Dawson, which left England on the gth of last Feb- 

 ruary, and arrived at Zanzibar on the 1 7th of March, some 

 months after Dr. Livingstone had been found and relieved by 

 Mr. Stanley. The Society, however, adjourned the inquiry, and 

 have agreed to put their questions in writing, so that Lieutenant 

 Dawson may give them a categorical answer. The blue book 



