May 30, 1907] 



NATURE 



1 1 1 



spicula; around the margin, but the margin was not so 

 broad, nor so deep a red, as that seen by the same 

 observers around Nova Persei in 1901. The image was, 

 however, quite distinct in appearance from those of two 

 other coloured stars, a Ceti and Aldebaran, when the same 

 optical means were employed. 



The International Eros Campaign. — After suffering 

 numerous delays, Circular No. 12 of the International 

 Astrographic Conference of July, 1900, has just been pub- 

 lished by the French Academy of Sciences. It contains the 

 results of some thousands of visual and photographic 

 observations of the position of Eros during the favourable 

 opposition of 1900-1 at eleven different observatories. The 

 plates taken at the Upsala Observatory, and part of those 

 taken at Minneapolis, have been reduced at the Paris 

 Observatory, and, in order not to delay the publication of 

 the collected results any longer, the work of the Algiers 

 Observatory is omitted from the present Circular, to be 

 published when ready by the Algiers authorities them- 

 selves. A collection of all the important documents re- 

 lating to the orbit of Eros is included in the present publi- 

 cation. 



Mars. — At the coming opposition, which will take place 

 on July 6, the planet's southern hemisphere will be pre- 

 sented, and the apparent diameter will be 22".8, but, 

 owing to the large southerly declination, the altitude of the 

 planet as seen from Greenwich will be only 10°, therefore 

 the observing conditions will be very poor. 



Catalogue of Variable Stars. — The second Harvard 

 catalogue of variable stars, compiled by Miss Cannon, 

 appears as vol. Iv., part i., of the Annals of the Astro- 

 nomical Observatory of Harvard College. It contains all 

 the known particulars of 1957 variable stars, and includes 

 those found in globular clusters, but not those discovered 

 in the Magellanic clouds. The latter number 179 1, so that 

 altogether there are now 374S known variable stars, 2909 

 of which have been discovered at Harvard. 



In addition to the tabulated data for each star, the 

 present catalogue contains a valuable set of notes giving 

 further particulars of numerous individual stars and a 

 brief review of all previous catalogues which have appeared 

 since .Argelander published the first, including eighteen 

 variables, in 1844. 



.Abbreviations for the Names of Star Catalogues.- — 

 No. 4176 (May 14) of the AsUonomische Nachrichten con- 

 tains a useful list of abbreviations for star catalogues. 

 The names of the numerous catalogues, to which frequent 

 references are essential, are often lengthy, and different 

 writers use different abbreviations. To obviate the con- 

 sequent confusion. Dr. A. Auwers has compiled the present 

 list, which includes all the important catalogues from 

 Baily's Flamsteed catalogue (abbreviated to B.FI.) of 1690 

 up to the Greenwich second nine-year catalogue (9y:) of 

 1900. 



The Natal Observatory. — The report of the Govern- 

 ment astronomer of Natal, for the year 1906, is chiefly 

 devoted to the publication of the meteorological results 

 secured at various stations, as in previous years. Observ- 

 ations of the magnetic elements and the distribution of 

 time signals were carried on as usual, and a number of 

 observations of comet 1905c were made with the large 

 equatorial telescope by Mr. Rendell, who, early this year, 

 resigned the position of chief assistant to which he was 

 appointed in March, 1903. 



I 



ANNIVERSARY MEETING OF THE LINNEAN 

 SOCIETY. 



'T'HE Linnean Society of London, which may be said 

 to have a preeminent position amongst the Linnean 

 societies of the world as the faithful custodian of 

 Linnaeus's own library, manuscripts, herbarium, and other 

 collections, along with many personal relics, holds 

 annually its business meeting for the election of officers 

 and the reception of the president's address on May 24, 

 the reputed birthday of Linnaeus. 



In his presidential address at the meeting on Friday 

 cast, Prof. W. A. Herdman dealt with the special circum- 



stances of this year, when the celebration of the 200th 

 birthday of the illustrious Swede has been made the 

 occasion of congratulatory meetings in Sweden and else- 

 where throughout the civilised world wherever natural 

 science is cultivated and the debt of the naturalist to 

 LinuEeus is gratefully acknowledged. 



The Linnean Society has sent to Upsala and Stockholm 

 as its representative on the occasion Mr. William 

 Carruthers, F.R.S., a past-president who has made a 

 special study of the work and the personal history and 

 relics of Linnaeus. 



Mr. Carruthers, accompanied by the general secretary 

 of the society, is now in Sweden, bearing to the ancient 

 University of Upsala the society's Linnean gold medal, 

 specially struck for the occasion, and conveying both to 

 the University and to the Royal Academy of Sciences at 

 Stockholm congratulatory documents, signed by the presi- 

 dent and secretaries, and bearing the seal of the society. 



At the conclusion of the section of his address dealing 

 with the Linnean celebrations, the president moved that a 

 telegram in the following terms be sent to the Rector 

 Magnificus of the University of Upsala : — " Linnean 

 Society of London .assembled at anniversary meeting con- 

 gratulates University of Upsala on historic Linnean 

 celebration." The proposal was received with acclam- 

 ation, and the telegram was dispatched forthwith from 

 the meeting. 



In further celebration of the occasion the Linnean 

 Society proposes to hold a social gathering of the fellows 

 and their friends, at the society's rooms in Burlington 

 House, on the evening of June 7, when the society's 

 Linnean relics will be on exhibition, and several short 

 addresses on interesting recent discoveries in natural 

 history will be given by fellows of the society. 



T//E JUBILEE OF THE SOCIETE CHI MI QUE 

 DE FRANCE. 



A NUMBER of scientific men from all parts of Europe 

 met in Paris on May 16 and the two following days 

 to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the Soci^t^ chimique 

 de France. Founded by a few students for mutual instruc- 

 tion, the society is better known as the Soci^t^ chimique 

 de Paris, the change in name having taken place a short 

 time ago. British chemists were well represented ; Sir 

 W. Ramsay and Dr. H. Brown came on behalf of the 

 Chemical Society ; Drs. Markel and Lewkowitsch and 

 Mr. Walter F. Reid for the Society of Chemical Industry. 

 Sir W. Perkin, Prof. Armstrong, and Mr. C. E. Groves 

 were also present. 



The proceedings, commenced on May 16 in the amphi- 

 theatre of the Ecole sup^rieure de Pharmacie in the 

 Avenue de I'Observatoire. The chair was occupied by 

 M. Bouveault, president of the SocietiJ chimique de France, 

 who was supported by M. Reynal, representing the French 

 Government. The president welcomed the guests in a 

 short speech, after which Dr. Graebe, who, with Dr. 

 Liebermann and Dr. von Martins, represented the Deutsche 

 Chemische Gesellschaft, read a somewhat lengthy address 

 in German, and made a short speech in French which 

 was well received. A second German address was pre- 

 sented bv Dr. von Martius on behalf of the Verein 

 Deutscher Chemiker, after which Prof. Piutti, of Naples, 

 made a sympathetic speech in Italian which was much 

 applauded. Senator Patern6, also a polished orator, was 

 to have represented Italian chemists, but was detained in 

 Russia on a tariff mission. Sir William Ramsay next 

 read and presented the address of the Chemical Society, 

 saying at the same time a few appropriate words in 

 French. Mr. Walter F. Reid then made a short French 

 .speech, and presented the congratulatory address of the 

 Society of Chemical Industry. Other speakers followed 

 representing Russia, Norway, Switzerland, and other 

 countries, after which M. Reynal, representing the French 

 Government, welcomed the foreign delegates and referred 

 to the numerous services rendered to the State by chemists, 

 especiallv in connection with hygiene, agriculture, and the 

 detection of adulteration and of crime generally. 



In the afternoon a special boat conveyed the delegates 

 and manv members of the French society to Sevres, where 



NO. 1 96 I. VOL. 76] 



