448 



NA TURE 



[Septk-Mher io, 1896 



dinner will lake place in the evening of that day at the West- 

 minster I'alace Hotel. Mr. Jonathan Hutchinson will, it is 

 announced, deliver an introductory address at the opening of the 

 .session at the Owens College on October 2. At University 

 College, Liverpool, .the session will commence on October I, on 

 which date Sir William O. Priestley will distribute the prizes. 

 Mr. Victor Horsley has consented to open the session of the 

 Medical Department of the Yorkshire College, on October i, 

 with an introductory address ; he will also distribute the prizes. 

 The winter session of the Queen's Faculty of Medicine, Mason 

 College, will commence on October I ; so also will the sessions of 

 the College of Medicine, University of Durham, and the Sheffield 

 School of Medicine. At Durham, the scholarships and prizes 

 will be distributed by the Bishop of Newcastle ; and at Sheffield, 

 Sir Henry Littlejohn will deliver an introductory address. 



The current issues of the Lancet and the British Medical 

 Journal axe. almost wholly devoted to information likely to be 

 of service to those who are students, or who are about to become 

 students, in one or other of the medical schools of this country. 

 The Chemist and Druggist for September 5 contains articles and 

 details specially written for the future chemist and druggist. 



Mr. Edgar Thurston, Superintendent of the Government 

 Museum, Madras, has, with the assistance of Mr. T. N. 

 Mukerji, prepared a copious index to the valuable " Dictionary 

 of the Economic Products of India," by Dr. G. Watt, a review 

 of which appeared in our columns of November I, 1S94. Thos;e 

 who have to refer from time to time to Dr. Watt's great work 

 will, we have no doubt, be grateful to the compilers of the 

 present volume. It is issued from the office of the Superinten- 

 dent of Government Printing, Calcutta. 



The Sub-Committee charged with the reception of the British 

 Association have done a very excellent work in compiling an 

 interesting handbook to Liverpool and its neighbourhood, 

 entitled *' A Scientific tlandbook to Liverpool," a work which, 

 though mainly intended for the benefit of those attending the 

 meeting, will possess a considerable value after the meeting is 

 over. We do not know to whom the happy idea originally 

 occurred, but are probably not far wrong in attributing it to 

 Prof. Herdman, who certainly undertook the duties of editing 

 and general arrangement, and has carried them out very happily. 

 The various authors by whom he has been assisted are not only 

 peculiarly qualified to deal with the subjects severally treated, 

 but each has apparently been solicitous to collect a mass of 

 details which will save any one interested in a similar research 

 a great amount of time and trouble. We have only space to 

 give the bare titles of the several chapters ; but this is of the less 

 consequence, as the little book, it may be hoped, will find its way 

 into the hands of all intending visitors. Mr. W. H. Picton, 

 able to draw on the work and research of his father, deals with 

 history and antiquities ; while Mr. G. H. Morton is responsible 

 for the notes on the geology of the district. Dr. Forbes, of the 

 Liverpool Museum, treats of the vertebrate fauna ; Prof. Herd- 

 man reserving to himself the marine fauna. Mr. W. E. Sharp 

 and Mr. R. Brown share the entomological and botanical 

 interests. Mr. Plummer gives statistics connected with the 

 climate of Liverpool and Birkenhead ; and Dr. Oliver Lodge 

 contributes an article on the Mersey and its tides. The article 

 on the Docks and the principal engineering features of the 

 city is jointly produced by Prof. Hele-Shaw and Mr. Percy 

 Boulnois, the city engineer ; while Sir W. Forwood treats of 

 the city's trade and commerce. The history of the chemical 

 industries is entrusted to Dr. Kohn. This list of names amply 

 justifies the remark that each section has been entrusted to the 

 authority best qualified to deal with it. An appendix supplies 

 some useful information concerning the Isle of Man, where it is 

 proposed to hold a subsidiary meeting at the conclusion of the 

 NO. 1402, VOL. 54] 



Liverpool meeting properly so called. Five maps are included 

 in the book — a geological map of the district, a biological chart 

 of the Irish Sea, a chart of Liverpool Kay, a geological map of 

 the Isle of Man, and a chart of the sea round the southern 

 extremity of the isle, including the biological station at Port 

 Erin. Such a book cannot but add greatly to the interest of the 

 meeting, and afford much valuable instruction not only to the 

 members of the British Association, but also to the inhabitants of 

 Liverpool, who must have often felt the want of such a handbook. 

 It is issued for the British Association by .Messrs. Philip, Liverpool. 



In addition to the above-mentioned guide-book, the British 

 Association has issued, also through Messrs. Philip, an "Ex- 

 cursion Guide Book," in which is to be found just the informa- 

 tion likely to be of interest and use to those taking part in the 

 numerous outings arranged ; and being partly the work of 

 leaders of the excursions, and under the editorship of one of 

 the local secretaries of the meeting, its contents may be 

 thoroughly depended upon. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past weekincludea Mona Monkey ( Cercopilhecus mona, 9 ) from 

 West Africa, presented by Mr. F. Wyville-Thomson ; two 

 Garnett's Galagos {Galago ganietti) from Mombassa, East 

 Africa, presented by Rear-Admiral Rawson, C. B. ; a Brown 

 Capuchin (Cehtis fatuellus,^) from Guiana, presented by Miss 

 Cissie Wade ; a Suricate [Suricata tetradactyla, 9 ) from South 

 Africa, presented by the Rev. Wilfred Fisher ; an American 

 Black Bear ( Ursiis amcricanus, i ) from Vancouver Island, pre- 

 sented ;by Lieut. Bryan Godfrey Faussett, R.N. ; a Llama 

 (Lama peruana, i ) from Peru, presented by the executors ot 

 the late Colonel J. T. North ; a Moorish Tortoise ( Testudo 

 mauritanica), a Chameleon (Chavuileon vulgaris) from North 

 Africa, presented by Mrs. Eraser : an Alligator {Alligator 

 mississippiensis) from Florida, presented by Mr. Hugh Mytton ; 



a Brown Capuchin (Cebus fatuellus,^), a Bell Bird 



(Chasmorkyiichus, sp. inc.) from Guiana, three Painted Terrapins 

 (Cleiniiiys picta) from Nova Scotia, deposited ; a Long-tailed 

 Glossy Starling [Laniprotornis ceneus), two Yellow-backed 

 Whydah Birds ( Coliopasser niacrurus, i 9 ) from West Africa, 

 purchased. 



OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. 



New Comet. — A telegram from Kiel announces the observa- 

 tion of Comet Giacobini on September 4 last, at Sh. 44m. Nice 

 mean time. Its position was then R.A. = i7h. lom. 30s., 

 Declination = - 7° 29'. The given movement per day is i 'Sm. in 

 R. A. and o' '25 in declination, so that the comet should be looked 

 for soon after sunset, the above position being about 22° due 

 south of a Herculis, making also a very obtuse isosceles triangle 

 with fand r Ophiuchi. Anotlier telegram gives particulars of a 

 second observation of Comet Giacobini at Nice, on September 6, 

 8h. 26'5m. Its position as observed was R..\. -= I7h. 14m. i6s. ; 

 Declination = - 7° 49'. The comet is noted as very feeble. 



Comet Brooks (1896). — A telegram received from Kiel 

 announces the observation of this comet at Geneva on 

 September 4, at loh. cm. It was then in R.A. = Ijh. 30m. ; 

 Declination = -I- 55° 40'. This gives a position .admirably suited 

 for observation, being about 2° due east of f Ursa; Majoris. The 

 motion of the comet is eastward. Another observation of the 

 comet has been made at Lick Observatory. Its position as seen 

 there on September 6, at llh. 56"5m., was R A. = I3h. 51m. 

 44s. : Declination = -f 55' 25'. The motion per dayis6'5m. 

 in R.A. and 36" in Declination, the general direction being 

 easterly. No mention is made of the appearance of the comet. 



Telegrams to " Astronomischen Nachrichten," No. 

 3376. — We gather the following information from the current 

 number of the above journal. Prof. Holden, writing from 

 Mount Hamilton, dated August II, says: "A telegram just 

 received from Schaeberle says that the sky was wholly clouded 

 at his eclipse station in Japan." Mr. Lowell telegraphs from 

 his observatory at Arizona on August 31 : " Companion Sirius 

 re-discovered by Dr. See. Angle 219°. Distance 5" ■9." Prof. 



