404 



NA TURE 



[August 27, 1896 



observations purporting lo refer to that planet have been made, 

 at seven oppositions. When these are submitted to rigorous 

 treatment and the perturbations carefully computed, it is found 

 that the observations in 1875, 1879, 1886, and 1887 can be 

 represented with satisfactory accuracy, but the observations of 

 18S1 , 1885, and 1894 cannot be satisfied with the same elements. 

 While the normal places formed from the first-mentioned four 

 years have only nominal errors, those in the other years present 

 the following deviations : — 



1881 

 1SS5 

 1894 



da = ^- 25-29 

 ,,= + 38-20 

 ,, = + 3048 



I = - 2 19-1 



^ - 2 0-8 

 = - 3 S5'3 



The obvious explanation that some numerical error in the 

 calculations has led to this unusual result is excluded by the 

 detail that Lieut. -Col. von Groeben has given in his description of 

 the processes employed {Ast. Nacli., No. 3372). To suggest 

 that another small planet exists moving in a similar orbit, and at 

 present in a very similar position in that orbit, is likely to meet 

 with opposition. The difficulty remains, however, unexplained. 

 The similarity of the deviations from the computed path of 

 Abundantia, both in amount and in direction, is a suspicious 

 circumstance which, however, does not offer a definite clue. 

 Future observation must be looked to for the explanation of the 

 enigma, and von Groeben furnishes an ephemeris for 1896 

 November, which may induce observation and supply the 

 solution of the riddle. Photographs of the district seem to ofter 

 the most likely .solution, since the existence of the hypothetical 

 planet, probably of equal brilliancy with Abundantia, should 

 declare itself on the photographic film at no greater distance 

 from the real or known planet than is shown by the errors 

 above. 



Cycles oi-" Soi.ar Eclipses. — In the Bu/ktiii de la Sac. Ast. 

 de France for July 1896, p. 248, M. C. Flammarion gives the 

 history of the recent eclipse as an example of the well-known 

 period of 18 years II days, the Saros, and in the course of the 

 paper several new points are elucidated. Thus in considering 

 any set of solar eclipses, the constants of each are found to vary 

 regularly according to the position in the cycle. Taking the 

 place on the central line where an eclipse begins, the next 

 eclipse in the cycle, after an interval of 18 years 11 J days, will 

 begin at a place about 1 18° west longitude, while another similar 

 period will cause the third eclipse to begin in very nearly the same 

 longitude as the first one. When plotted on a globe, the traces 

 of the consecutive shadows appear curiously regular in the form 

 of a triangle round the pole. 



In latitude each eclipse begins a little north of its predecessor ; 

 the difference is about 8" for the beginning of eclipse, 4° for the 

 middle, and 2° for the end. Continuing, it is found that the fourth 

 eclipse has a path almost parallel to the first, but much to the 

 north. It thus appears that in a given region a solar eclipse will 

 recur after an interval of three ordinary cycles, each of 18 years 

 II 4 days. 



This secondary period of fifty-four years comprising three 

 metonic cycles, M. Flammarion thinks has been unnoticed, and 

 the remarks that it may prove more useful than the smaller 

 period, or Saros, in predicting solar eclipses. There appears to 

 be a regular march of the line of totality from the south to the 

 north pole, the time taken being ten of the long cycles, or about 

 540 years. 



Stars having Peculiar Spectra. — Prof. E. C. Pickering, 

 in Ast. Nach., 3370, gives details concerning the spectra and 

 positions of eighteen stars which have been found by Mrs. Fleming 

 to possess peculiar spectra, giving suspicion of variability. Seven 

 of these are set down as being of Type IV., but three only are 

 of the normal type, the remaining four containing lines of shorter 

 wave-length.. New evidence has been obtained regarding two 

 objects previously announced as having peculiar spectra, in Ast. 

 Nach., vol. cxxxv. p. 195, and they are now shown to belong to 

 a different type to that formerly given. One of these, whose 

 position for 1900 is R.A. = I7h. 38-25., Deck = - 46° 3', 

 was thought to be a stellar object having the spectrum of a 

 gaseous nebula, but now proves to have a faint continuous 

 spectrum, together with bright hydrogen lines, H^s, H, . H^, 

 H, . Hf. The bright nebular line at 5007 is absent, so that 

 this body njore nearly resembles 7) Carina;. The second object 

 has the position R.A. = l8h. 39-3m., Deck = - 33° 27'; 

 formerly announced as being of Type V., it now proves to have 

 the spectrum of a gaseous nebula. 



NO. 1400, VOL. 54] 



Comet Brooks (1889 V.), 1896. — The accuracy of the revised 

 ephemeris of J. Bauschinger, noted in Nature, August 13, has 

 been confirmed by an observation of the comet made by H. 

 Kobold, at Strasburg Observatory, on August 11 [Ast. Nach., 

 3372, p. 206). He describes the comet as being feeble, and 

 about 0-5' of arc in diameter; in form round, with a small 

 central condensation. The observation is considered fairly 

 trustworthy. As the corrections the observer gives for reducing 

 the positions stated in the ephemeris to those actually observed 

 are only -0-495. and -o'j" in R.A. and Deck respectively, 

 the ephemeris will need no alteration for purposes of continued 

 search. 



CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE ANTHROPOLOGY 



OF BRITISH INDIA. 

 ■jyTR. EDGAR THURSTON, the energetic Superintendent 

 of the Madras Government Museum, has recently turned 

 his attention from zoology to anthropology, and in his fourth 

 Bulletin has published the first of what we hope will be a series 

 of in\'estigations on the ethnography of the Madras Presidency. 

 Thanks to the example set by Mr. Risley, the reproach of lack 

 of interest in the natives of India on the part of residents is now- 

 being removed, and we hope that Mr. Thurston and others will 

 continue this extremely important line of study. The title of 

 the memoir is "Anthropology of the Todas and Kotas of the 

 Nilgiri Hills ; and of the Brahmans, Kammalans, Palli.s, and 

 Pariahs of Madras City." A large number of measurements are 

 published, and the paper is illustrated with twenty-one plates, 

 many of which are excellent. 



One-half of the Bulletin deals with that very interesting autoc- 

 thonous people, the Todas, who are nearly as hairy as the Ainu, 

 and who likewise exhibit affinities with the Australians, although 

 their high, straight nose, and fairly regular features, give them 

 a more pleasing appearance than the latter. The typical Toda 

 man is above medium height (5 ft. 64 in.), well-proportioned, and 

 stalwart ; he is dolichocephalic (73 '3), with projecting super- 

 ciliary ridges. A valuable account is given of the customs and 

 religion of these herdsmen, which supplements (jreviously pub- 

 lished descriptions. Morality is reduced to a very low ebb before 

 marriage, and truthfulness is not held in great regard. The 

 Todas are endogamous as a tribe, and even as regards some of 

 the five clans, intermarriage between the Paiki and Pekkan clans 

 is said to be forbidden. The buffalo sacrifice is their only purely 

 religious ceremony ; it is supposed to bring good luck, and make 

 the buffaloes yield abundant milk. A buffalo calf is killed by a 

 blow on the head from a piece of sacred wood ; the assembled 

 Toda men (women are not permitted to take part in the cere- 

 mony) salute the dead animal by placing their foreheads on its 

 head. According to Breeks, the flesh must be roasted on a fire 

 made by rubbing two sticks together, and eaten by the celebrants. 

 That is, the divine animal is periodically killed without shedding 

 its blood, the flesh is not sodden by boiling, and the communi- 

 cants eat their divinity for the benefit of the community : save 

 on these occasions the Todas never eat meat. Mr. Thurston, 

 however, was informed that the flesh is given to the Kotas. 



The Kotas, who are allied to the Todas, are excellent artisans, 

 being especially skilled as blacksmiths — they also pursue agricul- 

 ture ; but they are universally looked down on as being unclean 

 feeders and carrion-eaters. Their diet evidently agrees with 

 them, as they are a hard, sturdy set of men. Several of their 

 customs are detailed. The Todas are slightly taller (1696 mm.) 

 than the Kotas (1629 mm.), but they have the same weight 

 (115 lbs.). They are also broader shouldered, and, though they 

 do less manual work, their hand-grip is considerably greater. 

 The cephalic measurements in both a\er.ige about the same 

 (length, I9'2 mm. ; breadth, 14-2 mm. ; index, 74). 



The short account of the measurements of forty men of each 

 of the four Bengal castes is suggestive. It is evident that the 

 Brahmans are here a mixed Aryan and Dravidian people ; below 

 these are the Kammalans, or artisans ; still linver are the Pallis, 

 or agriculturists ; and the lowest are the Pariahs : but there 

 are traces that these once held a higher positicm. Risley found 

 the nasal index coincided to a remarkable extent with the caste 

 rank. And here we find the same story ; for these four castes 

 it is, respectively, 76-7, 77-3, 77"9, and 80 ; but the Pariahs are 

 eclipsed by the Paniyans (95-1), about whom Mr. Thurston 

 promises us further information. There is very little difference 

 in height between the Brahmans (1625 mm.) and the Pariahs 



