322 NATURE 
order of magnitude. Principal maxima, June 7, 
2th. 35m., and June 9, 18h. 15m.; secondary maxi- 
mum, June 9, 7h. 20m. 
Epoch June 13, 6h. 30m., twenty-eighth order of 
magnitude. Principal maximum, June 11, th. 5m.; 
secondary maximum, June to, 22h. 
Epoch June 12, 6h. 30m., eighth order of magni- 
tude. Principal maximum, June 12, gh. 55m.; 
secondary maximum, June 13, 16h. 45m. 
Epoch June 13, 7h. 30m., twenty-eighth order of 
magnitude. Principal maximum, June 14, 22h. tom. ; 
secondary maximum, June 13, 11h. 4om. 
Epoch June 16, 2h. 30m., twenty-second order of 
magnitude. Principal maximum, June 15, 21h. 1om.; 
secondary maximum, June 14, 10h. 45m. 
Epoch June 18, th., approximately second order of 
magnitude. Principal maxima, June 15, 16h. 10m., 
and June 17, 12h. 55m.; secondary maximum, 
June 17, 5h. tom. 
Epoch June 18, 4h., fourteenth order of magni- 
tude. Principal maximum, June 17, 22h.; secondary 
maximum, June 16, 18h. 50m. : 
Epoch June 26, 19h., eighth order of magnitude. 
Principal maxima, June 24, 15h. 50m., and June 25, 
14h. 45m.; secondary maximum, June 25, 4h. 30m. 
Epoch June 27, 12h. 30m., thirteenth order of 
magnitude. Principal maximum, June 26, 13h.; 
secondary maximum, June 27, 11h. 20m. 
Epoch June 26, 19h., ninth order of magnitude. 
Principal maxima, June 27, th. 5m., and June 28, 
2th. 45m.; secondary maximum, June 28, 1oh. 20m. 
During the first week in June there is not much 
meteoric activity, the first important maximum of the 
month occurring on June 7, 2th. 35m. Another 
interesting maximum, but not so large, is that of 
June 11, rh. 5m. Of the two principal maxima of 
the epoch of June 18, th., that due on June 15, 
16h. rom., is the more noteworthy, and this remark 
is also specially applicable to the maximum of June 
28, 2th. 45m. Joun R. HENry. 
May 27. 
Solar Halos on May 17. 
Reapers of Nature may like to hear of a curious 
set of halos seen at Goudhurst on May 17 at 6.45 p.m. 
The first thing noted was an object high over the 
setting sun, just like a moustache brushed into a 
fierce upward curve. This had a metallic lustre like 
burnished brass, and marked the contact between two 
coloured circles, the top one, of which only about one- 
sixteenth was visible, showing two colours, silvery 
blue on the concave and rusty buff on the convex. 
The lower halo was complete down to the horizon, 
and showed all the colours, while from the sun itself 
a long slender cone rose about half-way up to the 
moustache, and had exactly the same colour and 
lustre. 
Both halos were enveloped in a huge outer one, 
of which the top was visible for a few seconds only, 
and that while the others were very dim. There 
was thus no chance of seeing the relation of it to the 
top inner circle. 
A rough attempt to measure the radius of the big 
halo with the hand and outstretched thumb seemed to 
make it subtend about 44°, and the inner one by a 
still rougher method about 23°; perhaps someone will 
be able to tell me whether anything near these angles 
is possible. 
To the eye the outer circle seemed just double the 
inner one, but the top of it, during the brief time that 
it was visible, seemed to narrow almost to a pointed 
arch. W. P. Haskert-SmirH. 
United University Club, Pall Mall, May 24. 
NO. 2222, VOL. 89] 
o2esy 
[May 30, 1962 
A Mineral from Copper Ore. 
A Few weeks ago I received a quantity of copper 
ores from Atacama, Chile, and on examining them 
was struck by the peculiar appearance of one speci- 
men. The ground mass consisted of a kind of quartz 
conglomerate, containing some fissures, which were 
filled with a loose aggregate of minute clear and 
bright-green crystals. These crystals, of about one- 
sixteenth of an inch in length, are very thin, and 
belong to the monoclinic system. Some are double 
pyramids, others more columnar, with base, but the 
majority are absolutely distorted, owing to their 
growth being impeded by others of their kind. 
This mineral seemed to be natro chalcite, 
Na,SO,Cu,(OH),(SO,),2H,0, 
but even on heating the crystals for more than an 
hour up to 170° C. no loss of water occurred. On 
examining the crystals we found that they contained 
only 32 per cent. of copper, but 48 per cent. of SO,, 
instead of, as in natro chalcite, 39 per cent. Cu and 
43 per cent. SO,,. 
The formula for the mineral would therefore be : 
CuSO,Cu(OH),Na,SO,, 
viz. 
5 OH 
<U< So;NasSOn 
Cu yH a 
The crystals are insoluble in cold water, but get 
broken and partly dissolved in boiling water. 
They are easily soluble in acids or liquid ammonia. 
P. WALTHER. 
44 Sanderson Road, Jesmond, Newcastle-on- 
Tyne, May 15. 
Clouds and Shadows. 
GIvEN a background of fine stratus, blue-black 
shadows are often thrown upon it, particularly by the 
setting sun from mountain peaks or the summits of 
masses of cumulus. On this coast such shadows 
attain a great length; there may be four or five ray- 
like shadows diverging from the sunset glow to the 
zenith, becoming broader as they rise. This seems 
quite simple, the shadows being cast by the reflected 
light of the glowing clouds in the west, not by the 
sun itself, of course; but what to me needs explana- 
tion is the reappearance of the rays in the east. 
Opposite the sunset is a broad band of lilac-pink 
extending for 30° or so towards the zenith, and 
upon this the dark bands reappear, converging and 
narrowing upon a point opposite the sunset. In some 
cases one can almost trace the shadow bands the 
whole way from the west over the zenith to their 
eastern focus. The appearance is very striking, but 
I have seen no description of it. 
CyriL CROSSLAND. 
Sudan Government, Red Sea Province, Office 
of the Marine Biologist, Dongonab, 
May 5s. 
THE ASIATIC SOCIETY OF BENGAL. 
iN societies which attempt, as the Asiatic 
Society of Bengal professes to do, to cover 
the whole field of scientific knowledge are at 
present exposed to obvious danger. In the first 
place, the growth of specialism, with societies and 
journals devoted to single branches of learning, 
tends to attract important contributions to 
/ 
it 
periodicals which provide for the wants of the 
botanist, chemist, or geologist. The Bengal 
! 
