September ig, 1912] 



NATURE 



93 



chromatic photographs of the corona in the light of 

 the corona line (^5303). The observing station is 

 some 3000 feet above sea-level. 



The Perseid Shower of Meteors. — His watches 

 for meteors on August 10 and 11 having disclosed 

 but very meagre displays, Mr. Denning is led to 

 believe that something must have intervened to bring 

 about a very marked decline in the splendour of this 

 noted shower. In a table, appearing in No. 452 of 

 'Vhe Observatory, he shows how very few Perseids 

 are now seen as compared with a decade ago. In 

 1901, during two watches of 6J hours in all, he saw 

 104 Perseids, in 1907 (6 hours) he saw loi, and in 

 igoQ (4 hours) 79. Last year only three Perseids were 

 seen in 2J hours, while this year only fourteen re- 

 warded his two watches of 2j and lA hours respec- 

 tively. The conditions were not good, but, when 

 compared with the 252 Perseids seen in 4 hours in 

 1874, and 285 in 5 hours in 1877, it would appear 

 that something more than poor observing conditions 

 must be held accountable for the poverty of recent 

 displays. 



The Solar Const.\nt and Climatic Changes. — In 

 a third paper on climate and crops, published in 

 the Bulletin of the .American Geographical Society for 

 August, Mr. Henryk Arctowski compares the tem- 

 perature records made at Arequipa during the period 

 iqoo-io with the Washington values for the solar 

 constant, and finds evidence of agreement between 

 them ; he also shows that Arequipa is not exceptional. 

 His results indicate that a departure of 1° F. in the 

 monthly mean observed at Arequipa is due to a 

 departure, of about o'oi5, of the solar constant from 

 its normal value. If this be true, a comparatively 

 small, but permanent, lowering of the constant would 

 account for such climatical conditions as existed 

 during the Pleistocene Ice age. Mr. Arctowski also 

 finds that the oscillations of temperature found in 

 his data correspond to those of atmospheric pressure 

 to which Lockyer assigned a mean neriod of 3'8 years. 



The Leeds Astronomical Society. — The Journal 

 and Transactions (No. 19) of this societv for 191 1 con- 

 tains reports of a number of papers read before the 

 society. Among others, there is an interesting dis- 

 cussion of the mutual eclipses of the satellites of 

 Jupiter, by Mr. Whitmell, a paper dealing with suit- 

 able observations for amateur astronomers, by Mr. 

 Ellison Hawks, and a discussion of the structure and 

 sidereal significance of nebulae by the Rev. Ivo Gregg. 

 The membership now totals seventy-five, and the 

 average attendance at meetings is fourteen. 



The Period and Orbit of a Persei. — From 

 measures of a number of radial-velocity spectrograms, 

 secured at the Potsdam Observatory between 1900 and 

 1908, Dr. A. Hnatek has derived an orbit for the 

 spectroscopic binary a Persei, which he publishes in 

 No. 4.^99 of the Astronomische Nachrichien. The 

 variability of the velocity of this star, although small, 

 now appears to be established, and Dr. Hnatek's 

 results indicate a very short period of 4*0938 davs. 

 The radial-velocity of the system is — 3*43 km., the 

 eccentricity of the orbit 0*47, and the length of the 

 semi-major axis of the projected orbit 46,000 km. 



NEW RULES FOR LIFE-SAVING 

 APPLIANCES IN BRITISH SHIPS. 

 lY/r R. BUXTON has lost no time in considering and 

 ■'■''-'■ giving effect to the recommendations made by 

 Lord Mersey and his colleagues, as well as the report 

 of the .\dvisory Committee. The character of these 

 recommendations and of that rpport has been described 

 NO. 2238', VOL. 90] 



fully in previous issues (see N.wure, August 8 and 

 29); it will suflice, therefore, briefly to indicate the 

 most important points in the Parliamentary Paper 

 (Cd. 6402) issued a few days ago, in which the new 

 rules m^de by the Board of Trade are contained. 

 Those rules will not have statutory effect until they 

 have lain on the table of the House of Commons for 

 forty days, and it is not proposed that they shall come 

 into effect until January i, 1913. It is practically 

 certain that when Parliament reassembles the rules 

 will be criticised, and it is possible that they may be 

 amended in some respects as the result of that 

 criticism. 



Although the rules previously issued have been 

 accepted without serious challenge, the circumstances 

 of the present revision and the drastic nature of some 

 of the new regulations may cause a departure from 

 precedent. Mr. Buxton has recognised the special 

 conditions of the revision of the rules, and has wisely 

 prefaced them by an explanatory memorandum which 

 is both comprehensive and clearly expressed. His 

 memorandum gives the history of the steps which 

 have been taken by the President of the Board of 

 Trade to deduce all possible lessons from the loss of 

 the Titanic in order to secure greater safety in future 

 for life and property at sea. 



It is also, in effect, an attempt to justify the rules 

 themselves in those features wherein the report of the 

 Advisory Committee has been departed from. That 

 report has been dealt with somewhat harshly by 

 critics, who are disposed to think that shipowners 

 serving on the committee have been unduly influenced 

 by consideration of their class-interests. There is no 

 real foundation for such an opinion, and Mr. Buxton 

 marks his dissent therefrom by stating that, although 

 he has been unable to adopt the conclusions of the 

 committee on some material points, its report has 

 been of very great value, and that he desires to 

 express a high appreciation of the time "and pains 

 expended by the members of the committee and of 

 its various subcommittees on the important questions 

 referred to them." Nothing but prejudice could lead 

 to the conclusion that the shipowners and shipbuilders, 

 who have given gratuitous and unstinting service on 

 these inquiries, would have allowed personal considera- 

 tions to weigh with them. On the contrary, it is clear 

 that no classes of the community can have a greater in- 

 terest in securing safety at sea, and certainly no other 

 persons have done so much during the last twenty- 

 five years to increase that safety. 



The main point of difference between the Advisory 

 Committee and the new official rules is to be found 

 in the provision that foreign-going passenger and 

 emigrant ships are in future to have sufficient lifeboat 

 accommodation for all on board; whereas the com- 

 mittee recommended that lifeboats should be supple- 

 mented by rafts, collapsible boats, &c. It is intended 

 further to consider the extent, if any, to which life- 

 rafts may be used when the report of the Davits and 

 Boats Committee — which is about to commence its 

 labours — has been received. Collapsible boats are not 

 to be included in future estimates of life-saving accom- 

 modation, although they may be continued in use in 

 existing vessels for a certain period — not specified. 

 On this point there will be debate, and there is reason 

 for difference of opinion. Whatever the final decision 

 mav be, it should be noted that there is now universal 

 agreement that in all cases, even in the best subdivided 

 foreign-going ships, ei'ery soul on hoard sliall have a 

 chauce of keeping afloat in boats, rafts, or other 

 appliances, in ease a shin founders through collision, 

 grounding, or other accident. For ships in the home 

 trade less stringent provisions are insisted upon in 

 respect of life-saving accommodation, and this course 



