424 



NA TURE 



\_March 3, 1887 



Like the authorities of the National Museum, Washington, 

 the Curators of the Museum of the Academy of Natural 

 Sciences, Philadelphia, complain that they have not nearly room 

 enough for the display of the collections intrusted to their 

 charge. "It is well within the truth," they state in their 

 Report for l886, "to say that the existing collections, if 

 properly displayed, would completely fill a building of twice the 

 dimensions of the present one. The large and very valuable 

 collections of the Pennsylvania Geological Survey, contained in 

 upwards of 2oo cases, still remain in the cellar, boxed, for want 

 of exhibition space. The types of the greater number of the 

 fossil plants described by Lesquereux in his ' Coal Flora of the 

 United States,' probably one of the mo^t valuable collections of 

 fossil plants in the world, have been added to this collection 

 during the year, but, for similar reasons, still remain boxed. 

 The report of the Professor of Ethnology and Archaeology 

 indicates that accessions to this department of the Academy's 

 Museum could readily be had were proper exhibition space 

 provided, but that under present conditions the same is im- 

 possible. In view of these facts the necessity for an extension 

 to the Academy's building cannot be too strongly insisted upon." 

 The Curators also urge that a fund should be raised for zoo- 

 geographical exploration. Tlie interest derived from 50,000 

 dollars would, they think, fairly equip an annual expedition to 

 any of the largely-unexplored regions lying about the dominions 

 of the United States, such as Mexico, Central America, the 

 Bahamas, and, Labrador. 



Mr. Arthur J. Bethell has reprinted, with additions and 

 corrections, three articles which lately appeared in the Field, on 

 a ride to the Falls of Zambesi. He has added a number of 

 notes which may be of considerable service to men who think 

 of spending some time in hunting in South Africa. 



It was decided some time ago that a number of the Crown 

 diamonds of France should be sold. Others were put aside for 

 the collections of the Paris School of Mines and Museum of 

 Natural History ; and these gems were recently given to the 

 delegates appointed by the two Schools. The Regent diamond, 

 a very fine one, will be kept in the Louvre Gallery. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during 

 the past week include a Bonnet Monkey (Macacus sinicns), a 

 Macaque Monkey {Macacus cynomolgus) from India, presented 

 by Miss E. James ; a Three-striped Paradoxure (Paradoxurus 

 trivirgatiis) from India, presented by Mr. Gerald Callinder ; a 

 Common Squirrel {Sciuiiis ■vulgaris), British, presented by Miss 

 May Honrott ; a Scop's Owl iScops qui), captured at sea near 

 Aden, presented by Mr. W. M. Holland ; a White-fronted 

 Heron {Ardca nova-hollandii^) from Australia, presented by Mr. 

 J. B. Dyas ; a Stanley Parrakeet {Pla'ycercus ictcrotis) from 

 West Australia, a Burmeister's Cariama {Chunga burmeislcri) 

 from South-East Brazil, a Black Sternothere (Sternothitrus 

 niger) from West Africa, received in exchange ; two Smews 

 {Mergus albellus c5 9 ), European, purchased. 



OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN 

 Comet \%%i b (Brooks, January 22). — The following ephe- 

 meris for this object is by Dr. R. Spitaler {Astr. Nach. No. 

 2773)- 



1887 R.A. Decl. Brightness 



Berlin midnight h. m. s. / 



March 4 ... 3 37 5' •■• 5> 48'S N. ... 1-19 

 6 ... 3 43 32 ... 49 39-6 ... ITS 



8 ... 3 46 II ... 47 35T ... IT2 



10 •■• 3 53 33 ■■• 45 35'2 ■■• I'oS 



12 ... 3 SS 3 ■■• 43 39'9 ••• l'04 



14 ■■■ 4217 ... 41 49-3 N. ... roo 



The brightness on January 25 is taken as unity. 



Comet 1887 it (Barnard, January 23). — Dr. H. Oppenheim 

 gives {Astr. Nach. No. 2773) the following ephemeris for Berlin 

 midnight for this comet : — 



1887 R.A. Decl. log r log A Brightness 



h. ni. s. 

 March 10 21 36 44 51 59'4 N. o 31S2 0-3700 o-6 

 14 21 52 56 53 51-0 03259 0-3775 o'6 

 18 22 9 39 55 34-6 0-3335 0-3855 05 

 22 22 26 51 57 10-3 0.3411 0-3938 05 

 26 22 44 30 58 37-8 0-34S6 0-4025 0-4 

 30 23 2 32 59 57-2 N. 0-3560 0-4113 0-4 

 The brightness at discovery is taken as unity. 



Comet 1887 (/(Barnard, February 15). — Prof. Bosssupplies 

 the following elements and ephemeris for tliis object from obser- 

 vations made on February 16, 18, and 20 : — 

 T = 1887 April 6-77 G.M.T. 



ir = 203 13 ) 



a = 139 16 > Mean Eq. 1887-0 

 1 = 126 2 \ 

 log q = 9-8892 



Ephemeris for Greenwich Midnight 

 1887 R.A. Decl. Brightness 



h. m. 

 March 2 ... 3 56-7 ... 29 21 N. ... 0-38 

 4 ... 3 40-0 ... 31 18 

 6 ... 3 26-5 ... 32 48 N. ... o'32 

 The brightness at discovery is taken as unity. 



A Method for the Determination of the Constant 

 OF Aberration. — M. I.cewy, in reply to M. Houzeau's claim 

 to be considered the originator of the method for determina- 

 tion of aberration by measurement of the relative posi- 

 tions of two stars situated in distant parts of the sky 

 (Nature, vol. xxxv. p. 377) points out, in the Comptes 

 rendtis, tome civ. No. 7, that the invention of a new method 

 for the determination of the constant of aberration does not 

 consist in a general indication of the effect of aberration on a 

 certain observation or combination of observations, but in 

 furnishing definite rules the following out of which will lead to 

 results of the accuracy demanded by the exigencies of modern 

 science. M. Lcevvy maintains that M. Houzeau's researches on 

 the subject come under the former category, whilst his own are 

 entitled to be ranked under the latter. 



The same number of the Comptes rendiis contains a note by 

 M. Trepied pointing out how photography can be applied for 

 the purpose of practically carrying out M. Loewy's method. 



The Harvard College Observatory-. — From Prof. 

 Pickering's Report, presented on December 7, 1886, we learn 

 that during the past year the east equatorial has been used for 

 the photometric observation of the eclipses of Jupiter's satellites 

 upon the system adopted in 187S. The total number of 

 eclipses thus observed is 358, of which 39 have occurred since 

 the end of October 1885. With the same equatorial the 

 observation of comparison stars for variables with the wedge 

 photometer has been continued, and has formed the principal 

 work of tlie instrument. The " new " stars in Orion and Andro- 

 meda, and comets, have also been observed with the east equa- 

 torial throughout the year. The reduction and publication of 

 work already done with the meridian-circle is at present, in 

 Prof. Pickering's opinion, more desirable than the prosecution 

 of new series of observations. This department of the Obser- 

 vatory has sustained a heavy loss in the resignation of Prof. 

 Rogers, who has devoted many years to laborious astronomical 

 work at Harvard College. During the year ending November i, 

 18S6, 209 series of measures have been made with the meridian- 

 photometer. The total number of separate photometric compari- 

 sons is 59,800. The instrument continues to give entire satisfac- 

 tion as a means of measuring the brightness of stars of the ninth 

 magnitude or brighter. The average deviation of 100 circumpolar 

 stars used as standards, which, with the smaller instrument of 

 the same kind employed in the Harvard photometry, was o"i6 

 of a magnitude, has been reduced I00-12 with the present instru- 

 ment ; whilst the average deviation of stars from the fifth to 

 the ninth magnitude but little exceeds o'l of a magnitude. 

 And a comparison between the results obtained by Dr. Linde- 

 mann, at Pulkowa, with a Zollner photometer, and at Harvard 

 College, with the meridian-photometer, shows that the average 

 deviation of a measurement of the diflerence in brightness 

 between two stars observed at both places does not exceed Q-i 

 of a magnitude. For an account of the interesting and import- 



