June 12, 1913] 



NATURE 



385 



central fields of the Franklin-Adams plates and on 

 the standard polar area. The actual procedure con- 

 sists in giving an exposure of 5m. on a field taken at 

 the same altitude as the pole, two exposures on the 

 pole, and then a second exposure on the field. These 

 will serve to determine standard magnitudes down to 

 the 13th or 14th magnitude on the Harvard photo- 

 graphic scale. With these short exposures it will be 

 possible to make several determinations for each field 

 required. For the fainter stars photographs will be 

 taken with a wide grating and the magnitudes de- 

 rived by comparison with the diffracted images of 

 thr brighter stars. These determinations have the 

 advantage of being independent of the changing trans- 

 parency of the sky. The star-images are compared 

 with a scale formed by taking a number of different 

 exposures on the same plate — the scale being cali- 

 brated by the Harvard standards. 



With the astrographic equatorial 176 photographs 

 have been taken on fifty-nine nights. Of these, 154 

 were for the determination of the photographic mag- 

 nitudes of the stars in the Greenwich section of the 

 Astrographic Catalogue by the method described in 

 last year's report, and 107 of them were considered 

 satisfactory for the purpose. There are now twenty- 

 nine plates on the working list to be taken to com- 

 plete the series. 



Attention is directed to the determination of the 

 position of the sun's axis which has been carried out 

 by Mr. Maunder. The attempt has been made to 

 utilise as fully as possible the long series of measures 

 of the positions of sun-spots made at Greenwich. 

 Although Carrington's determination proves to be only 

 a few minutes in error, it is desirable that the position 

 of the sun's axis should be obtained with all possible 

 precision, and that the limits of accuracy should be 

 known. A redetermination should be made at each 

 sun-spot cycle. 



An apparatus was set up on July 5 for the reception 

 of the wireless time-signals from the Eiffel Tower and 

 Norddeich. The signals have been constantly ob- 

 served since that date, the morning signals being ob- 

 served each day (except Sundays). The night signals 

 from the Eiffel Tower have been observed on 128 

 and the rhythmic signals on eighty-two occasions. 

 The night signals from Norddeich have been observed 

 on 124 occasions. The morning signals from the 

 Eiffel Tower were observed by both Mr. Lewis and 

 Mr. Bowyer on 167 days; there is a mean difference 

 L — WB= — 0066s. in their times of observation with 

 an accidental discordance of ±o-o6s. between the ob- 

 servers. Similarly in the receipt of the Norddeich 

 signals the two observers showed a mean personal 

 difference L — WB= —0043s., and a similar accidental 

 discordance. Thus the ordinary signals are observed 

 by either observer with a mean error of less than 

 + 005S. The rhythmic signals are apparently re- 

 ceived with an error of less than +00 is., and the 

 mean discordances between these and the ordinary 

 signals are less than ±0-053. 



As regards the actual difference between the time 

 sent out by the Eiffel Tower and that of the Green- 

 wich ioh. and ih. signals, from 184 observations Mr. 

 Lewis makes the Eiffel Tower signal 0256s. late on 

 Greenwich, and Mr. Bowyer from 234 observations 

 makes it 0-3133. late. It is supposed "that the differ- 

 ence is mainly due to the difference of personal errors 

 of the standard observers at Paris and Greenwich. 

 The mean discordance after allowing for this constant 

 difference is + o-ns. 



The Norddeich signals are, according to 160 ob- 

 servations of Mr. Lewis, o-2Q7s. late on the Green- 

 wich time signals, and 0-3405. late according to 22a. 

 observations of Mr. Bowyer. Allowing for this there 

 is an accidental discordance of +0-235. 

 NO. 2276, VOL. qi] 



The daily comparison of the Eiffel Tower signal 

 affords a useful regular check on the time as deter- 

 mined at Greenwich. At the request of the director 

 of the Paris Observatory, this comparison has, since 

 the installation of the receiving apparatus, been for- 

 warded daily to him as a check on the rate of the 

 clock at Paris. These comparisons are specially ser- 

 viceable in cloudy weather. In October the Astro- 

 nomer Royal attended the " Conference internationale 

 de l'heure" as one of the British delegates, where the 

 further development of the wireless time-service was 

 discussed. The distribution of time in this way is of 

 great value to navigators, and is likely to be of 

 importance in the determination of longitude on land. 



ORNITHOLOGICAL NOTES. 



THE May number of the New York Zoological 

 Society's Bulletin is devoted to the needs and 

 results of wild-life protection in America, more 

 especially as regards birds. A feature of this issue is 

 a coloured plate representing five species of brilliantly 

 coloured birds — the quezal, the great bird of paradise, 

 the scarlet ibis, the cock-of-the-rock, and the white 

 egret — which are in special danger of extermination in 

 various parts of the world. Altogether, it is estimated 

 that something like one hundred species are in danger 

 owing to the feather trade or on account of their value 

 as food. It is no answer to say that the present 

 comparative abundance of some of these species 

 renders protective measures unnecessary, for it is 

 pointed out that the same argument was used in 1857 

 in the case of the passenger-pigeon and Wilson's 

 snipe, the former of which is now extinct, save for 

 one survivor in the zoological gardens at Cincinnati. 

 The purchase of Marsh Island as a bird sanctuary 

 by Mrs. Sage is recorded as an important step in the 

 right direction. 



In connection with the above may be noticed an 

 article by Mr. B. H. Grove in the May number of 

 The American Naturalist on the influence of agri- 

 cultural development in Wyoming on the bird- 

 fauna, in which it is pointed out that several species 

 are on the increase, while others — notably the quail — 

 have made their first appearance, as new-comers, into 

 this State during the last few years. 



The January number of The Emu contains the 

 report of a committee of the Royal Australasian 

 Ornithologists' Union appointed to consider the 

 nomenclature of Australian birds and to publish a 

 revised list of names. Although the list which accom- 

 panies the report is not based on absolute priority, 

 the committee acknowledges its indebtedness, in its 

 compilation, to the one recently published by Mr. 

 G. M. Mathews, in which that principle is adopted 

 throughout. Trinomialism is rejected. 



In an article by Capt. H. Lynes on the drumming of 

 snipe in the May issue of British Birds, it is pointed 

 out that the performance is normally connected with 

 the sexual function, but that it may occasionally take 

 place at other seasons, although always within the 

 limits of the breeding area. R. L. 



THE AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL 

 SOCIETY. 



THE annual general meeting of the American 

 Philosophical Society was held in Philadelphia 

 on April 17-19 inclusive. A large number of papers 

 was presented, their general character being of a high 

 order of merit, and it is possible here to refer only 

 to a few of them. The president, Dr. W. W. Keen, 

 was in the chair at most of the meetings. 



In a contribution on the flora of Bermuda, Mr. 



