i6o 



NATURE 



\_ytinc 17, 1880 



publication, and in putting calculations in older for that correc- 

 tion of coefficients ; and partly on three ramifications or supple- 

 ments of the theory relating to the effect of the earth's oblate- 

 ness, the effect of change of position of the ecliptic plane, and 

 the effect of change of excentricity of the earth's orbit, and 

 lunar acceleration. The last of these I have completed to my 

 satisfaction, requiring only an examination of the external factor; 

 the trto others are progressing. The Admiralty have assisted 

 me, on Citimites, with a moderate grant (of amount named by 

 myself), but much of the expense has been private." 



The Report concludes as follows : — " After the details into 

 which I have entered as applying to the present state of the 

 Observatory, and after the remarks which I have made in the 

 two reports last preceding on the question of reduction of print- 

 ing (which at some fitting time I would willingly again present 

 to the consideration of the Visitors), and the note in the last 

 report on the increase of annual expense, I have only to place 

 before the Visitors, but for no immediate expression of opinion, 

 the impres^ion which frequently weighs upon me as to the ulte- 

 rior organisation of the Observatory. The determination of 

 places of stars, sun, moon, and planets, was handed down to 

 me from my predecessors ; it has in varions ways been much 

 extended. The magnetic and meteorological observations (the 

 first originating with myself, the second partly with the move- 

 ment introduced by the Royal Society and partly by myself) 

 constituted a distinct branch of science, having this property in 

 common with the original astronomical work, that it is incessant 

 and regular. The much later introduction of photographic and 

 spectroscopic astronomy, established at the instance of the Board 

 of Visitors, and carried on with vigour and regularity, has 

 created a third department. All these departments appear at 

 present to be working efficiently and well. But I can easily 

 imagine circumstances which would interfere materially with the 

 successful continuation in one place of this ti'iplicate series of 

 observations. Though I think this possibility of partial failure 

 worthy the contemplation of the Visitors, yet I do not see any 

 necessity for action of any kind at the present time." 



INTERCOL ONIAL METEOROLOGICAL 

 CONFERENCE AT SYDNEY 



A METEOROLOGICAL Conference was held at Sydney 

 "'"^ in November last, the representatives of the different 

 Colonies being Messrs. James Hector for New Zealand, Charles 

 Todd for South Australia, R. L. J. Ellery for Victoria, and 

 II. C. Russell for New .South Wales, the last-named gentleman 

 being chairman. The most cordial unanimity characterised the 

 meeting, which lasted from 'the nth to the 14th of the month, and 

 the resolutions arrived at with a view to secure united action in 

 their meteorological investigations and nuiformity in the methods 

 and times of observing and forms of publication augur well for 

 the future of meteorology in the Australian Colonies. The 

 \\hole question of weather telegrams was under anxious con- 

 sideration. The system in present operation embraces only the 

 Colonies of .South Australia, Victoria, New .South Wales, and 

 Queensland, but a resolution was passed declaring it desirable to 

 secure the co-o]ieration of the Governments of Western Australia, 

 Tasmania, and New Zealand in the system of inter-colonial weather 

 telegrams. The facts pointed out by Mr. Todd as to the great 

 regularity observed by the atmospheric disturbances in pursuing 

 a course from west to east, and the statement by Dr. Hector 

 that early notices could be sent from Queensland of the origin 

 and progres of the dangerous and suddenly occurring cyclones 

 that cross the northern part of New Zealand, sufficiently attest 

 the practicability of the system of weather warnings and their 

 practical value. For instance, the great storm which wrecked 

 the Dandciioiigm September, 1S76, could have been telegraphed 

 in sufficient time to have prevented the great loss of property 

 which took place at the different ports along the coast of New 

 South Wales. We have the greatest pleasure in noting a 

 deliverance by the Conference to the effect that weather tele- 

 grams and forecasts shall in all cases depend upon the observa- 

 tions used for general meteorological and climatological statistics. 

 Much emphasis was laid on the establishment of high-level 

 stations with a more special view to the investigation of the 

 winds ; and the Conference recommended that there be esta- 

 blished in each of the Colonies, upon a high mountain peak, a 

 meteorological observatory for the special study of winds and 

 other meteorological phenomena, the most desirable positions 

 being Mount Lofty, in South Au-tralia, 2, 500 feet high ; Kian- 



dra, in New South Wales, 4,600 feet ; Mount Wellington, in 

 Tasmani.a, 4,000 feet ; Moimt Macedon, in Victoria, 3, 500 feet; 

 and in New Zealand, Tauhara Taupo, 4,600 feet, and Mount 

 Herbert, 4,000 feet. We hope that the Governments of the 

 different Colonies will vote the small sums which are required to 

 carry out the resolutions of the Conference, the giving practical 

 effect to which will certainly confer substantial advantages 

 on commercial, shipping, and other interests, and contribute 

 materially to a more satisfactory development of the meteorology 

 of this important part of the globe. 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE 



Cambridge. — At St. John's College Trof. Liveing has been 

 elected to a foundation fellowship, and Dr. Kennedy, Prof. 

 Sylvester, F.R.S., and Prof. Churchill Babington were elected 

 honorary fellows of the society. 



The following awards for proficiency in natural science have 

 been made at St. John's College : — A Foundation Scholar- 

 ship to Samways ; a Proper Sizarship to Love, and Exhi- 

 bitions to Hart (already scholar), Weldon, Edmunds, Love, T. 

 Roberts. Fleming was awarded one of the Hughes Prizes, 

 given to the two most distinguished third-year students in any 

 branch of study, and a Wright's Prize, with augmentation of the 

 year's emoluments to 100/. The Open Exhibition was awarded 

 at Easter to Scott-Taylor (City Middle-class School, Cowper 

 Street), and a second Exhibition to Clementson (Newcastle- 

 under-I.yme). 



\\'e understand that Mr. W. J. Lewis has been appointed to 

 perform the duties of Professor of Mineralogy at Cambridge 

 until the close of the year, the period to which the election to 

 the chair has been postponed by the University Commissioners. 



SCIENTIFIC SERIALS 



Zcitschrift /iir unsscnsihafllkhe Zoologie, May. — Prof. Zygmunt 

 Kaliane, on the anatomy of Ttrnia pcrfoliata, Goze, as a contri- 

 bution to the knowledge of the Cestoids, with a plate and a 

 woodcut. The actual facts recorded in the paper were originally 

 laid before the Academy of Sciences of Krakau in May, 1S7S, 

 and were afterwards published in a somewhat altered form, in the 

 Polish tongue, in their Proceedings. The investigations were 

 carried on during \\\t summer and autumn of 1877 in the Zoo- 

 logical Institute at Leipzig, under the supervision of Prof. 

 Leuckart. The history of the .species is treated at length, and 

 the paper extends over seventy-seven pages. — Dr. G. Haller, 

 Contribution to a knowledge of the Tyrojlyphidce and their 

 allies, with three plates : describes a new species of Listrophorus 

 (/,. pagoislciJuri] : On the genus Homopus, Koch. It is not 

 an independent genus, but the forms are only the larval stages of 

 Dermacarus, which is described as a new jarasitic genus; Tyrogly- 

 phiis megniiiii is described as a new species. There is a sketch of a 

 delineation of the internal anatomy of Tyroglyphus and Derma- 

 carus, and of the egg in these genera. — Prof. Ludwig Stieda, on 

 the structure and development of the Bursa fabricii, with five 

 woodcuts. — Dr. Hubert Ludwig, on the primary sand canal in 

 the Crinoids, with some remarks on the comparative anatomy of 

 the Echinoderms in general, with twQ plates. — Dr. H. Ludwig, 

 new contributions to the anatomy ^of the Ophiuroids, with three 

 plates. 



yonrnal de Physique, May. — Measurement of the electromo- 

 tive forces of batteries and electromotive forces of contact of 

 mclal~, by M. Pellat. — Study of polariser-prisms used in photo- 

 metric observations, by M. Crova. — On the illumination of 

 electrodes, by M. Colley. — On a new capillary electrometer, by 

 M. Debrun. — To determine with the aid of an articulated system 

 the conjugate points of an optical system, by M. Elie. 



Archives des Sciences Physiques et Nalnrelles, May !£. — Or> 

 the earths of samarskite, by M. Mari.rnac. — Researches on the 

 condensation of gases on the surface of glass, by M. Chappuis. 

 — The Siemens machine and its application to transmission of 

 force, by M. Achard. — Specific heat, latent heat of fusion, and 

 point of fusion of various refractory metals, by JI. Violle. 



The Rcale Istituio Lciiibardo di Scienze e Lettere, Reiidiconii, 

 vol. xiii., fasc. iv. and v. — The phylloxera considered in rural 

 economy, by S. Cantoni. — Geological notes on the basin of 

 Lake d'Orta, by Dr. Parona. — Health and beneficence ; their 

 mutual relations, byDr. Zucchi. 



