6i4 



NA TURE 



\_April 2?>, i\ 



will be permilted to subscribe to the " Record " on the same 

 conditions as are accorded to members of the Zoological 

 Society. 



It is intended to form a class, including beginners and 

 advanced students, this summer, in the same way as last year, 

 for the study of geology near London, to be conducted on 

 Saturday afternoons, by Prof. H. G. Seeley, F.R.S., King's 

 College. Applications for tickets should be made at once to 

 the Hon. Secretary, W. W. R. May, i6 Bethune Road, Manor 

 Road, Stoke Newington, N. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include two Rhesus Monkeys X^Iacacus rhesus <5 9 ) 

 from India, presented by Mr. W. F. Lock ; a Common Fo.x 

 {Caiiis Tulpcs i) British, presented by Mr. Isaac Bell, Jun. ; a 

 V><:t%A\-\>oV [Tragelaphus syhaticiis (J ) from South Africa, pre- 

 sented by Capt. Travers ; a Vulpine Phalanger (P/ialan«ista 

 vidj-lna i ) from Australia, presented ; two Turkey Vultures 

 (Calkai-lcs nam) from the Falkland Islands, presented by 

 Mr. James H. Moore ; a Common Viper ( Vipera herns), 

 British, presented by Mr. S. E. Gunn ; a Chinese Lark 

 {Mdanocoryfha mongolica) from China ; two Common Rheas 

 {Rlicci amcricana 6 9 ) from the Argentine Republic, received 

 in exchange ; a Burrhel Wild Sheep {Oz-'is burr/iel) ; two White- 

 backed Pigeons (Coli/i/d>a leuconota) from the Himalayas ; a 

 Hodgson's Partridge {Pcrdix hodgsonia) from Bootan, pur- 

 chased ; four Long-fionted Gerbilles {Gcrbillus longifrons), 

 born in the Gardens. 



OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN 



Barnard's First and Second Comets 1S87. — Comet c 

 18S7, discovered by Mr. Barnard on January 23, has now at- 

 tained a high declination, and, though faint, may possibly be 

 observed within the next few days. Dr. H. Kreutr gives the 

 following ephemeris for it f^r Berlin midnight, derived from Dr. 

 H. Oppenheim's elements : — 



April 27 

 29 



May I 

 3 

 5 



R.A. 

 h. m s 

 I 12 46 

 I 21 49 

 I 30 47 

 I 39 3S 



I 4S 22 



65 40-4 



65 52-7 



66 3-8 

 66 137 

 66 22'5 ... 0'49io 



log A log r 



0-4742 ... 0-3989 



0-4827 ... 0-4057 



0-4125 



Correction of ephemeris for April 15, in R.A. -f 3m. 46s.; 

 in Decl. nil. 



The second comet discovered by Mr. Barnard, viz. Comet d 

 1887, discovered February 16, is scarcely likely to be seen 

 further. Its present brightness is but one-seventh of that which 

 it had on March 11, and having almost exactly the same R.A. 

 as the sun it scarcely frees itself from the twilight. An ephe- 

 meris for its course throughout the month of April, based on Dr. 

 Palisa's elements, was given by Dr. Kreutz in the Astronomische 

 Nachriclitcn, No. 2777, and in the Observatory for April ; but 

 the probability of its being observed after the April full moon 

 had passed away, except with very powerful instruments, was 

 very slight. 



Probable Re-discovery of Hesperia. — Dr. R. Luther 

 detected a minor planet on April 11 which it appears probable 

 is no other than the lost Hesperia, No. 69, as the magnitude and 

 motion resembled those of the missing asteroid. Dr. Luther had 

 previously looked for the planet in vain in 1882, 1885, and in 

 March of the present year. 



The Ellipticity of Uranus. ^Prof. W. Valentiner, of the 

 Karlsruhe Observatory, writing in the Astronomische Nachrichten, 

 No. 27S1, states that Herr von Rebeur, observing Uranus with 

 the 6-inch refractor of the Observatory on the evening of April 3, 

 noticed that the disk appeared distinctly elliptical. On the 

 following evening Prof. Valentiner himself observed the planet, 

 and foimd that the direction as estimated of the m.ajoraxis of the 

 disk, the ellipticity of which was unmistakable, agreed closely 



with that of the assumed equatorial diameter as read off from 

 the position-circle of the micrometer. Prof. Valentiner brings 

 the subject forward now in the hope that those astronomers who 

 have the command of powerful telescopes may be induced to 

 give some attention to it. 



The Washington Observatory. — It appears from Science, 

 vol. ix. No. 2i8, that the statement (reported in last week's 

 Nature, p. 595) that the sum of 400,000 dollars had been 

 appropriated by Congress for the erection of a new Naval Obser- 

 vatory near Washington is erroneous. The amount actually 

 available is but 100,000 dollars, with the understanding that the 

 entire cost of the work shall not exceed 403,000 dollars. 



The Paris Conference. — The same number of Science 

 states that Ensign Winterhalter, of the United States Naval 

 Observatory, had sailed for Paris, to represent the Observatory at 

 the Photographic Conference. It is understood that Dr. Peters, 

 of Clinton, and Mr. Rutherfurd, of New York, will also attend 

 the Conference. 



ASTRONOMICAL PHENOMENA FOR THE 

 WEEK 18S7 MAY 1-7 



/"pOR the reckoning of time the civil day, commencing at 

 ^^ Greenwich mean midnight, counting the hours on to 24, 

 is here employed.) 



At Greenwich on May i 

 Sun rises, 4h. 34m. ; souths, llh. 57m. 0'2s. ; sets, igh. 20m. ; 



decl. on meridian, 15° 4' N. : Sidereal Time at Sunset, 



9h. 5Sm. 

 Moon (Full on May 7) rises, llh. 27m. ; souths, i8h. 59m. ; 



sets, 2h. 19m.* ; decl. on meridian, 14° o' N. 



* Indicates that the setting is that of the following 



Occultations of Stars by the Moon (visible at Greenwich) 



Corresponding 

 Disap 



Mag, 



Reap. 



angles from v 

 tex to right for 

 inverted image 



5 ■• 

 5 ■• 

 5 ■• 



May 



0' Cancri ... 

 7 Virginis... 

 B.A.C. 4277 

 /- Virginis 



o 25 



25 



1 40 



I 46 



172 236 

 141 230 

 IS6 199 



... 21 30 near approach 323 — 

 at least distance from the Sun. 



Jupiter in conjunction with and 3° 

 of the Moon. 



14' south 



Saturn, May i.- 

 outer minor axis of 



—Outer major axis of outer ring = 39" "9 ; 

 outer ring = l6"'4 ; southern surface visible. 



Variable Stars 



