Atigtist 12, 1880] 



NATURE 



347 



other to the westward. Dense masses of steam and smoke rose 

 from the courses of the lava streams, as the shrubbery and 

 foliage were burnt. The river Guacalate rose suddenly, and its 

 waters were quite warm. Fuego continued to belch fire until 

 daylight, by which time the whole northern horizon, looking 

 from San Jose, was dark with the smoke from the volcano. 

 The lava streams continued in view until 4.30 a.m. The first 

 grand column of fire rose at least 500 feet in height, solid and 

 smooth, and then the top, expanding, opened out like an 

 umbrella, the sparks coruscating like those from a brilliant 

 rocket. The pulsations of flame during the first two hours of 

 the eraption were about 50 seconds apart, strong and resjular. 

 The eruption was less active until, at 7.30 p.m. on July I, a 

 column of flame rose to a height, probably, of I Jo feet or more. 

 At the hour of writing Fuego smokes away steadily." 



A RE;f.iARKABLE thunderstorm is reported as having occurred 

 on July 24 last at Moylough, county Galway, Ireland. The 

 storm, which was very vivid and accompanied by a most destmc- 

 tive fall of enormous hailstones, lasted about an hour and a half. 

 One of the strongest discharges took place in a field about a 

 mile from Moylough Church. The spot is described as presenting 

 on a large scale an appearance like that of a sheet of cardboard 

 that has been pierced by the discharge of a batteiy of Leyden 

 jars. A long branching furrow, upturned as if by a plough, was 

 found, a deep hole being bored at each end of six terminal 

 branches, the earth round the holes being raised as if pushed up 

 from below. Tufts of grass were scattered thirty and forty 'yards 

 from the place. 



Mr. W. Brankston Richardson, writing from 61, Suther- 

 land Gardens, Maida Vale, sends the following dog-story to the 

 Times: — "Concurrently with the forty days' fast of the mis- 

 guided American doctor, another fast has been in progress in 

 our own country, for the truth of which I myself can vouch. A 

 friend of mine who lives in Devonshire left home some weeks 

 since on a series of visits to his friends in distant parts of the 

 country. A few days after he left his servants wrote him that a 

 favourite Skye terrier was missing. My friend, after every search 

 had proved fruitless, considered that the dog had been stolen. 

 On his return home, after an absence of one month and five days, 

 he unlocked the library, the doors and windows of which had 

 been bolted and barred during his absence, and to his astonish- 

 ment the missing dog crept out into the light, a living skeleton 

 and totally blind. He was well cared for, and has now quite 

 recovered his health and sight. But his existence was wonderful. 

 He had had no food and no water, and had not gnawed the 

 books or obtained sustenance from any source whatever." 



It is at present too early to offer an opinion as to whether 

 " Brook's Popular Botany : comprising all the Plants, British 

 and Foreign, most useful to Man in Medicine, Food, Manu- 

 factures, and the Garden," is likely to answer to its title, since 

 so much depends on its completeness. In the two numbers 

 which we have at present received the letterpress seems fairly 

 accurate, if not scientifically precise; but the illustrations are on 

 too small a scale, and altogether wanting in detail. The publi- 

 cation is at all events cheap enough. 



The City of Nancy has instituted at its own expense a com 

 petition among aeronauts. A premium of So/, has been 

 offered to the aeronaut who on an ascent made from Nancy 

 shall have made the best observations. MM. Eugene Godard and 

 Duruof have entered the lists. 



[,' In the beginning of September a statue erected to Pascal by 

 public subscription will be inaugurated at Clermont. The prin- 

 cipal address will be delivered by M. Bardoux, ex-Minister of 

 Public Instruction, and member for Clermont. 



Every year the laureates of the Municipal Schools of Paris 

 travel during their holidays at the expense of the Municipality. 

 The pupils of the Turgot School will visit Chambery, those of 

 the Lavoisier School, Havre, and those of the Colbert School, 

 Chambery. The pupils of the J. B. Say School will go t» 

 Clermont Ferrand and witness the inauguration of Pascal's statue. 



M. Maurice Koechlin of Mulhouse, although born deaf and. 

 dumb, has passed successfully his examinations for baccalaureat 

 at Rouen. He was educated by M. Hugentobler, director of 

 an institution for such'{unfortunate persons. This young man is 

 only sixteen years old, and his wonderful success has created 

 quite a sensation. 



% The Sixth Annual Report of the Yorkshire College for 

 1879-80 speaks with satisfaction of the progi-ess of that institu- 

 tion. Instruction is now given in fourteen distinct subjects by 

 twelve professors, lecturers, and instructors, aided by nine 

 assistants. The number of students had increased to 142 from 

 113 of the previous year; there were besides 52 medical and 

 14S occasional students. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include two Lesser Black-backed Gulls (Lants fnsciis), 

 British, presented by Mr. Beazley ; a Horned Lizard (P/iryno- 

 soma coniuttim) from Texas, presented by Mr. Luiz de Tavaris 

 Ozorio, a Red-handed Tamarin {Miiias rufimanus) from Surinam, 

 two Russ' Weaver Birds (Qttdea rtcssi) from West Africa, 

 deposited ; a Servaline Cat {Felis servalina), a Coquetoon 

 Antelope (Cephahpktis riifilatus) from West Africa, a White- 

 cheeked Capuchin (Celus lunatus) from Brazil, four Brown 

 Capuchins {Cebits fatiielhis) from Guiana, two Swainson's 

 Lorikeets (Trichoglossus novce-hollanditv) from Australia, an 

 Anaconda (Eunedes murinus) from Demarara, purchased ; a 

 Mesopotamian Fallow Deer (CervKS mesofotatnicus), a Gaimard's. 

 Rat Kangaroo {Hypsiprymnus gaimardi), born in the Gardens. 



OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN 



Comets of Short Period. — Faye's comet was detected by 

 Mr. Common at Ealing, with his large reflector, on August 2, 

 in the position given by Dr. Axel Moller's ephemeris. The 

 theoretical intensity of light at this date was o-o7S, which 

 rather exceeds that at the first and last observations at the appear, 

 ance in 1S50-51. The comet was very small and extremely faint 

 when the sky was not quite black. The perihelion passage does 

 not take place until January 22, 18S1, but although long visible, 

 the faintness of the comet will prevent its being well observed at 

 any time with ordinary telescopes. Since its last appearance in 

 1873 when only four observations were secured, the effect of 

 perturbation has been to lengthen the period 56-5 days, and to 

 retard the arrival at perihelion by 38 days, the main part of this 

 perturbation having been produced by Jupiter in 1875. 



Prof. Oppolzer has published an ephemeris of Winnecke s 

 comet from elements brought up to the next perihelion passage 

 (December 4). The track of the comet will be so unfavourable 

 that it is very doubtful if observations can be obtained at this 

 return. If the comet be glimpsed at all, it is most likely to be 

 during the month following December 20, for which period, that 

 nothing may be wanting on his part. Prof. Oppolzer has given an 

 accurafely-calculated ephemeris, which he thinks will indicate 

 the position within two minutes of arc. The three returns in 

 1858 1S69, and 1875 were connected, taking into account the 

 perturbations by Jupiter and Saturn, and Herr A. Palisa deter- 

 mined the effect of the same planets {first-power perturbations) 

 from 1S75 to December I, 18S0. The effect of a resisting 

 medium was likewise included. Prof. Opp61zer having, as we 

 lately recorded, found evidence of its sensible influence on the 

 motion of this comet, unless a correction be applied to the 

 received mass of Jupiter, which seems hardly admissible to the 

 extent required. , . u c ^ 



Encke's comet will again arrive at perihelion about the farst 

 week in November, 1 88 1, after which no one of the comets of 

 short period will be due until January, 1884, but before that 

 time it may be anticipated that the comet of 1812 will have 



