a &.. 
May 30, 1912] 
NATURE 
329 
served so much in recent years to direct attention to 
the water-power of the Highlands as the installation 
of such works as those at Foyers and Kinlochleven, 
the former developing 7ooo horse-power and the 
latter 30,000 horse-power. Many smaller installations 
are scattered over the north and west of Scotland, 
and Mr. Newlands discusses how the development of 
this natural resource can be effected throughout the 
area. He suggests that this potential power ought 
to be looked upon as a national asset, and that the 
appointment of a Royal Commission to examine and 
report is desirable. Scotland is estimated to possess 
a million horse-power from water, and even if the 
figures be put at one-half that amount, this, Mr. 
Newlands says, would represent an amount of power 
on a ten-hour working day basis throughout the year 
equal to that obtained from 34 million tons of coal, 
which is about one-twelfth of the total quantity raised 
in Scotland for ro11, and of this quantity only a 
small proportion is converted into power. 
Tue seventh part, forming part ii. of the supple- 
ment, has reached us of ‘‘ Bibliotheca Chemico- 
Mathematica: Catalogue of important Works, many 
old and rare, on Mathematics, Astronomy, Physics, 
Chemistry, and Kindred Subjects,” issued by Messrs. 
Henry Sotheran and Co., of Strand and Piccadilly, 
London. Another useful catalogue is that published 
by Messrs. Dulau and Co., Ltd., of Soho Square, 
London, giving particulars of some 1703 works on 
entomology offered for sale by this firm. 
OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. 
ASTRONOMICAL OCCURRENCES FOR JUNE: 
June 2. 16h.om. Mercury in conjunction with Saturn 
(Mercury o° 28’ N.). 
3. 20h. 36m. Uranus in conjunction with the 
Moon (Uranus 4° 31’ N.). 
8. 19h. om. Mars at greatest distance from the | 
Sun. 
If. 16h. 54m. Mercury in conjunction with Venus 
(Mercury o° 26’ N.). 
13. th. 1m. Saturn in conjunction with the Moon 
(Saturn 5° 15’ S.). 
14. 9h 4m. Venus in conjunction with the Moon 
(Venus 4° 29’ S.). 
» 13h. 4om. Mercury in conjunction with the 
Moon (Mercury 3° 48’ S.). 
16, 14h. 44m. Neptune in conjunction with the 
Moon. (Neptune 5° 38’ S.). 
17. oh.om. Mercury in superior conjunction with | 
the Sun. 
3» 22h. 54m. Mars in conjunction with the Moon 
(Mars 3° 29'8 ). 
21. 7h. 17m. Sun enters Sign of Cancer. Solstice. 
26. 15h. 59m. Jupiter in conjunction with the 
Moon (Jupiter 4° 37’ N.). 
(Mercury 2° 27’ N.). 
Tue Reported Discovery or a Comet.—No news 
of the reported discovery of a comet has come through 
the usual channels, and no further observations of 
such a body are reported. A ‘bifurcated nebula, 
excessively long and irregular, is shown near the 
given position in the New General Catalogue. 
THe Specrrum or Nova Geminorum No. 2.— 
Although numerous papers have already been pub- 
NO. 2222, VoL. 89] 
29. 18h, 53m. Mercury in conjunction with Neptune | 
lished dealing with the spectrum of Nova Geminorum 
No. 2, it is obvious that the nature and reason of its 
remarkably complex changes have yet to be ex- 
plained, and probably the fuller discussion will con- 
trovert some of the conclusions already arrived at, as 
it must, for they disagree inter se. 
One debated question, the true nature of the very 
earliest spectrum recorded, is of primary importance. 
Some observers say it was not like the F5-type spec- 
trum (Procyonian type), a purely absorption spectrum, 
while Prof. Pickering believes that it was. In this 
he is supported by Mr. J. A. Parkhurst, who, writing 
in Popular Astronomy, No. 4, vol. xx., of the spectra 
secured at the Yerkes Observatory, states that the 
one photographed on March 13 was a dark-line spec- 
trum of the F5 type in which the solar G group 
shows faintly just to the left of Hy, but in which 
there was a slight tendency towards fluting in the 
continuous spectrum, not seen in the typical stars. 
The spectrum extended further into the ultra-violet 
than that of @ Geminorum, a Sirian star, thus 
indicating radiation at a much higher temperature 
than the average F5 star. 
Mr. Parkhurst says that he believes this to be the 
first case in which the entire change from an absorp- 
tion to an emission spectrum has been followed at 
this stage in the evolution of a new star, but Harvard 
reported a somewhat similar transition in the case 
of Nova Persei. 
A telegram from the Kiel Centralstelle informs us 
that on a spectrogram taken at Bonn Observatory 
“dark lines [due to] uranium radium emanation” 
have been found by Dr. Kiistner. The telegram was 
sent from Kiel late on May 28, but it is not stated on 
what date the spectrogram was secured. 
Tue May Aouarrips AND Hatiey’s Comet.—From a 
discussion of the observations of the Aquarid meteor 
shower, made by the Bureau Central Météorique in 
1910 and 1g11t, Herr Cuno Hoffmeister deduces para- 
bolic elements of the meteor stream and compares 
them with the elements of the path of Halley’s comet. 
The chief difference is in the longitude of the node, 
and when this is eliminated the approximate elements 
resulting show no difference which cannot readily be 
explained by the probable errors of observation of a 
meteor radiant. He concludes that there can be little 
doubt of the intimate relationship of the meteor 
stream and the comet (Astronomische Nachrichten, 
No. 4573). 
THE MEASUREMENT OF CELESTIAL DisTaNces.—The 
current number of Scientia (vol. xi., No. 3) contains 
a very interesting paper by Mr. Hinks dealing with 
the measurement of celestial distances. Mr. Hinks 
reviews the enormous labours of the Eros campaign 
which enabled him to deduce so satisfactory a value 
(8-806” +0-002”) for the solar parallax, and pays a 
just tribute to the French institutions which, by their 
unselfish labours and expenditure, enabled the work 
to be completed. 
He outlines the scheme for determining stellar 
distances more accurately and promptly, and points 
out the almost insuperable difficulties which at pre- 
sent appear to debar absolutely the direct measure- 
ment of many of them. The base line provided by 
the earth’s orbit is so small, relatively, that only one 
star is known to have an annual parallax of 1", and 
not more than twenty stars are known to have a 
parallax greater than 0-2". The completion of the 
Astrographic Catalogue is a work of primary import- 
ance if future generations of cosmogonists are to 
attack this great problem under more favourable 
conditions than yet obtain. 
