July I, 1880] 



NATURE 



^05 



In a paper read at the last meeting of tlie Statistical Society, by 

 Mr. R. Trice 'WilUams, C.E., "On the Increase of Population 

 in England and Wales," the author said the total increase of 

 the population of England and Wales during the whole of the 

 last century was only 3,417,536, the average decennial rate of 

 increase being nearly 5 per cent., whereas during the present 

 century, up to 1S71, there was an increase of nearly 14 millions, 

 the average decennial rate of increase being over 14 per cent. The 

 rate of increase in the decade 181 1-2I was the maximum attained in 

 this century, \-iz., iS per cent., as from that period down to the 

 census of 1 86 1 the rate of increase of the population had continuously 

 diminished. He observed that a great increase of the population 

 took place at the time when steam-power began to be used 

 for manufacturing purposes, and while the towns increased, the 

 rural districts were found to diminish. Mr. Williams estimates 

 that the population of England and Wales by the census of iSSi, 

 will be 25,735,900. In the case of the population of London 

 the decrements were very slight indeed, sho^^•ing that it had not 

 reached that declining stage in the rate of its increase long since 

 arrived at in the case of Liverpool, Manchester, and many other 

 large towns. The population of London had increased from 

 958,863 in I Soi to 3,251,913 in 1S71. He did not think there 

 was sufficient data for estimating the future increase of the popu- 

 lation of London for any lengthened period, and he regarded as 

 unreliable the enonnous estimates which had recently appeared 

 in connection with the question of the water supply of the me- 

 tropolis, where the population in the course of the next century 

 was estimated at over 1 7 millions. 



The Tliirteenth Annual Report of the Peabody Institute of 

 Baltimore testifies to the increasing usefulness of that institution, 

 both as a library and as a centre of varied instruction. Among 

 its means of usefulness are a series of lectures, many of which 

 are on scientific subjects. 



We have received the Report of the South African Museum 

 for I S79, from which we are pleased to see that the Museum is 

 in a fairly flourishing condition. A long list of additions during 

 the year is appended. 



The May and June numbers of the Friends' Schools' Natural 

 History Journal contain much interesting matter, the loca' 

 papers being specially valuable. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include an Arabian Gazelle (Gazella araliica) from 

 Arabia, presented by Capt. Titus ; a Common Genet {Genetta 

 ■vulgaris), South European, presented by Mr. G. II. Thunder, 

 R.N. ; an Emu (Dromaus nova-hollandiir) from Australia, pre- 

 sented by Mr. A. Mcllwraith, F.Z.S. ; a Greater White-crested 

 Cockatoo (Cacatua cristata) from Moluccas, presented by Mrs. 

 A. L. Chetwode ; three Red-beaked Weaver Birds {Quelea 

 sangtiinirostris) from West Africa, presented by the Marchioness 

 of Westminster ; a Crested Ground Parrakeet [Calopsitta nova:- 

 Jiollandia) from Australia, presented by Miss M. S. Spooner ; a 

 Earbary Ape (Macacus i/tuiis) firom North Africa, an Ocellated 

 Monitor (Aloiiitor oceliata) from West Africa, deposited ; three 

 Ruddy Sheldrakes ( Tadorna rutila), European, two Sandwich 

 Island Geese {Bernida sandvicensis) from the Sandwich Islands, 

 two Blood-rumped Parrakeets {Psephotus lucmatonotus) from 

 Australia, two Celebean Rails (Rallus celedensis) from Celebes, 

 purchased ; a Collared Fruit Bat (Cynonycteris collarii), a 

 Japanese Deer ( Ce> viis sika), born in the Gardens. 



OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN 



The Third Cojiet of 1S22.— Neither Galle in his catalogue, 

 nor Karl in his Rcpcrtoriuiii der Ccmeten- Astronomic, refers to 

 any observations of this comet except the imperfect ones made 



by Caturegli at Bologna, and two by Gambart at Marseilles, and 

 the only orbits found in the catalogues are the two calculated by 

 Heiligenstein. The comet was however observed at Rio de 

 Janeiro, from June 1 8 to June 24, and Henderson reduced the 

 observations, which were made by Lieut. Robertson, R.N., and 

 calculated an approximate orbit upon them. The comet 

 approached near to the earth, and is of some interest upon that 

 account. Mr. Hind has combined the observations of both 

 hemispheres, and with the following results for the elements 

 of the orbit : Henderson's numbers, not being found in our 

 catalogues, are annexed : — 



Hind. Henderson. 



Perihelion passage July I5'8442 G.M.T. ... July IS'65I G.M.T. 



Long, of perihelion 219 59'4 ... 220 19 49 



,, Ascending node 97 44^3 ... 98 14 47 



Inclination of orbit 36 I7'5 ... 35 36 o 



Log. perihelion distance ... 9*92797 ... 9'92S79 



Motion — retrograde. 

 Henderson's paper upon this comet will be found in the' Philo- 

 sophical Transactions for 1 831. On June 18 the comet was in 

 opposition to the sun, distant from the earth 0'I4. Though it 

 was discovered by Pons at Marlia on May 30, we have no obser- 

 vation previous to June 8. Pons at the time was not provided 

 with instruments competent to fix the positions. Zach writes of 

 the comet at the time of discovery that it was without tail or 

 nucleus, simply a nebulosity more condensed towards the centre. 

 Pons thought that in the absence of moonlight it would have 

 been visible without the telescope. He was then on the watch 

 for Encke's comet, which, though not observed in Europe, was 

 closely followed by Riimker at Paramatta, N.S.W. 



The Double-star 85 Pegasi. — Mr. Burnham publishes 

 measures of the small and close companion of this star made in 

 the summer of 1879, which, compared with those he obtained 

 the previous year when he detected this very faint object, esta- 

 blish its physical relation to the principal star, since it is shown 

 to partake of its large proper motion, while a sus]iicious differ- 

 ence of 10" between the means of the measures in 1S78 and 1879 

 points to its binary character. These means are as follow : — 



1878-43 ... Position 27°4-o ... Distance o-'67 ... 3 nights 

 1879-46 ... „ 284-6 ... „ 0-75 ... 5 nights 

 Mr. Bumham estimates the magnitude of the close companion 

 about the twelfth on Struve's scale, and considers it will require 

 an aperture of at least twelve inches to show it. He has also 

 measured the distant companion which was used by Prof. Briin- 

 now in his investigation of the parallax of 85 Pegasi, which he 

 made to be o"-054. This star was observed with 85 at Konigs- 

 berg by Bessel on October 6, 1825, when it followed 6i"-95 in 

 R.A., and was 38"-6 south of the bright star. If we compare 

 these differences with those corresponding to Mr. Burnliam's 

 measures at the epoch 1878-95, and assume the fixity of the 

 companion, we shall find for the secular proper motion of 85 

 Pegasi in R.A. -I- loo"-l, and in Deck - 96"'I, agreeing pre- 

 cisely with the values resulting from a comparison of the meri- 

 dian observations. If, as Prof. Brannow hinted, there is proper 

 motion of the distant companion, its amount would appear to be 

 very minute. Mr. Burnham adds that there are but two otlier 

 stars on our lists similar in character to 85 Pegasi, viz., 7) Piscium 

 and fi Scorpii ; all three were detected by him with the iSinch 

 Chicago refractor. 



A Variable Star in Aquarius.— The star observed on six 

 nights at Bonn, in 1863, in R.A. 22h. 28m. 16-95. N.P.D. 

 98° 21' 19" for 1855-0, is variable from 9m. to invisibility in a 

 7-inch aperture. Argelander noted it four times 9-5, once 9-6, 

 and once lo-o. It was observed at Markree as a 9m. on 

 October 27, 1848, on August 26, 1852, it was lim., and on 

 November 9, 1S74, it was invisible. On September 21, 1876, 

 it was II -12. It has at times a hazy blurred appearance, as 

 remarked in several other variable stars. This star was long 

 since indicated as vai-iable, but appears to have escaped attention 

 from most observers of this class of objects. 



GEOGRAPHICAL NOTES 

 Dr. Francisco Pereira Passos, Director of the Brazilian 

 State Railways, has recently caused to be prepared and published 

 a map showing the existing and projected railways in the pro- 

 vinces of Rio de Janeiro, Minas, and San Paulo. This map is 



