Nov. 4, 1880] 



NATURE 



iSSi : — "On the Jail Fever, from the earliest Black Assize to 

 the List recorded outbreak in recent times." The essays to be 

 sent in on or before June 30, 1881. The Council have decided 

 to grant the sum of 20/. to the writer who may gain the 

 "Howard Medal" in November, iSSi. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include a Sykes's Monkey (CaroJ^il/ieciis all'igtilnris) 

 from West Africa, presented by the Officers of the Royal Yacht ; 

 a Green Monkey (Ctrcopithecus calltlrichiis) from West Africa, 

 presented by Mr. A. tiaynes ; a Rhesus Monkey (Macaciis 

 erythru:us) from India, presented by the Rev. J. Saunders, B.A.; 

 a Two-toed Sloth {Cholopus dUactylus] from Demerara, pre- 

 sented by Mr. G. H. Hawtayne, C.M.Z.S. ; an Egyptian 

 Jerboa (Diptis ecgyftius) from Egypt, presented by Major Money ; 

 a Common Trumpeter (Psophia crepitans] from Demerara, pre- 

 sented by Mr. J. .Stovell ; two Silver Pheasants (Etiplocaiinis 

 nycihemeriis) from China, presented by Miss C. Hallett ; an 

 Indian Gazelle (Gazella bcnnctli) from India, deposited ; an 

 Ursine Dasyure (Dasyu7t4s ursmiis) from Tasmania, a Common 

 Wigeon (Mareca penehfe), a Grey Plover (Sijua/areola helvdka), 

 a Knot (Tringa canutns'), a Greenshank {Tolanus cadidris), 

 British, a Horned Ceratophrys (Cerntop/irys cornuta) from Santa 

 Marta, purchased. 



OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN 



The Comets of 1S12 and 1815. — We learn from M. 

 Schulhof, of the Bureau des Longitudes, Paris, that in con- 

 junction with M. Bossert he has undertaken a riijorous investi- 

 gation of the orbit of the comet of 1S12, which Encke showed 

 to have a period of about seventy years, and which will con- 

 sequently be again approaching its perihelion. M. Schulhof 

 hopes to complete the calculations early in the ensuing year. 

 He has discovered a series of original observations by Blanpain 

 at Marseilles, which he considers to be .imongst the best, if not 

 the best series that are available ; the original observations by 

 Lindenau have also been received, but unfortunately nothing is 

 to be found of the long series by Zach and Triesnecker. From 

 the manuscripts preserved at Paris some corrections have been 

 applicable to the results as printed. To this we may add that 

 Flaugergues' differences of right ascension and declination from 

 his comparison stars are published in the fifth volume of Zach's 

 Correspondance astronoiinqiu. These observations of Flaugergues' 

 at Viviers, and those made at Paris as they appear in the first 

 folio volume, were reduced several years since 'oy Mr. W. E. 

 Plummer, now of the University observatoiy, O.xford, and from 

 three very carefully formed normals he deducedi a period of 

 revolution about a year and a half shorter than that assigned by 

 Encke in Zci/schrifl Jih- Astronomic, t. ii., so that the comet 

 may now be e.xpected at any time. At the instance of Prof. 

 Winnecke sweeping ephemerides have been prepared by M. 

 Mahn of Strassburg. It is however M. Schulhof's intention, 

 on the completion of his investigation of the orbit, to fm-nish 

 observers with ephemerides similar to those which have led to 

 the re-discovery of several lost planets. 



An able calculator at Viema has nearly finished a new discus- 

 sion of the observations of the comet of 1S15 (Others' comet), 

 which, according to Bessel's researches, is due at perihelion in 

 February, 18S7. This result may be materially changed by the 

 more complete reduction of such series of observations as we 

 possess in their original form, and a recomputatiou of the 

 perturbations, with more accurate values of the planetary masses 

 than were available at the date of Bessel's work. 



Ceraski's Circumpolar Variable Star. — From the esti- 

 mated magnitudes of Schwerd and Carrington, and Mr. Knott's 

 epoch of minimum given in Nature last week, the most 

 prob.able period appears to be 2'49o85d., to be reckoned from 

 18S0, October 23"4672 Greenwich mean time. While the 

 telescope is turned towards Ceraski's star, it may be suggested 

 that Lalande 1013-4 in Cassiopeia should receive attention ; at 

 present we have the discordant estimates lom. and 5m. of 

 Lalande, 1790 September 29, and 1797 November 10 respec- 

 tively, and 7'7 in the Diirclimusterungj the star is 6m. on 

 Harding's Atlas, and is not found in Fedorenko's catalogue, o 



in Argelander's zones ; its position for iSSo is in R.A. oh. -xxm. 

 22s., N. P. D. 38° 46-8'. 



The Longitude of the Cape.— We understand that 

 arrangements are being made for the telegraphic connection of 

 the Royal Observatory, Cape of G"od Hope, with Aden, which 

 has already been connected with Greenwich, Mr. Gill taking an 

 active part in the operation. The next desirable work of this 

 kind will be the connection of an Australian observatory with 

 the observatory at Madras, which is well-determined with refer- 

 ence to Greenwich. 



GEOGRAPHICAL NOTES 

 Col. Prejevalsky writes from " Houi-de-Tin, plateau of 

 the Hoang-ho, May, iSSo." Having packed up and sent off all 

 his collections to Alashan, he left his camp, 25 versts from the 

 town of Donkyr, on March 20, to reach the Hoang-ho, 83 versts 

 from Donkyr. Here the Yellow River turns abruptly fr.mi 

 north-east to east, at the small valley of Gomi, inhabited by 

 Tungut cultivators, and forming the extreme point of the habit- 

 able lands of the Iloang-ho. The river here is pretty wide, and 

 has a very rapid current. The banks are wooded, with here and 

 there pretty clumps of poplars and weeping willows. The river 

 here is 8,coo feet above sea-level. After ten days at Gomi, 

 Prejevalsky's party resumed their route. From Gomi the journey 

 along the Hoang-ho was very difficult, the banks being deeply 

 cut by steep ravines, which can only be noticed when close upon 

 them. A stream usually flows at the bottom of these ravines, 

 which are bordered by trees and wild arbutus. As soon as ever 

 the party touched the Si-Fan territory a horseman appeared and, 

 telling them they would soon be murdered, disappeared — a 

 threat happily not realised. Indeed the Si-Fan became so recon- 

 ciled to the presence of the intruders as to sell them butter and 

 sheep. At 130 versts from Gomi they found in the ravines bor- 

 dering the river vast forests frequented by innumerable birds, 

 especially blue pheasants. The second local rarity was rhubarb, 

 which was met with in prodigious quantities. The old roots of 

 this plant reach colossal proportions. One of these roots, taken 

 at hazard, weighed 261b. The mouth of the Churmysh, an 

 aflluent of the Hoang-ho, was reached 130 versts below Gomi, 

 by the course of the river. Having examined the country for a 

 distance of 40 versts, Prejevalsky was convinced that it was im- 

 possible to cross the enormous chain of mountains which extends 

 along the Yellow River, the summits of which are lost in the 

 clouds. Gaping ravines are met with at every verst, and there 

 is not the least trace of vegetation, and therefore no forage for 

 animals. He decided to return to Gomi. Thence he went to 

 Houi-De, 60 versts on the south bank of the river, and sent his 

 interpreter to Sinin to inform the local authorities that Preje- 

 valsky wished to reach the mountain regions of eternal snon-. 

 The Amban of Sinin informed Prejevalsky that it was impossible 

 to allow him to proceed to the Koko-nor, or to penetrate further 

 into Houi-De, where there was a revolt of the Tunguts. Preje- 

 valsky decided to spend the month of June where he was, ex- 

 ploring the fauna and flora, 'and afterwards go north towards 

 Cheibsen, where he would remain during July, and complete his 

 explorations in the mountain-. The weather, he says, was de- 

 testable, cold and wet, with the thermometer sometimes 12° 

 below zero C. He had collected 250 specimens of plants, 500 

 species of birds, and many of fish. The geogi-aphy of the country 

 traversed had, moreover, been observed and noted, astronomical, 

 barometrical, and thermometrical observations made, and sketches 

 taken of the various types of natives. He doubts much whether 

 the Hoang-ho makes the enormous curve represented in maps ; 

 he did not observe any such curve in the 250 versts explored by 

 him. He expected to reach Alashan about August 20. 



In the Geographical Society's Proceedings for November Mr. 

 C. R. Markham supplies a brief but lucid account of Lieut. 

 Schwatka's expedition to King WiUiam Land, and of the previous 

 state of our knowledge respecting the remains, &c., of tlie 

 Franklin Expedition, and he arrives at the conclusion that we 

 have gained but Httle by this last attempt to obtain information 

 beyond that gathered by Sir L. McClintock. Lieut. Schwatka's 

 journey, however, he considers to have been a most remarkable 

 one, and in some respects without a parallel. Dr. Christison 

 follows with a paper descriptive of a journey made some twelve 

 years ago to Central Uruguay. The geographical motes are 

 numerous this month, and furnish much useful information, 

 especially in regard to Africa. Under the head of " Corre- 



