402 
been found. The meteorological notices include for each month 
of each year the highest, lowest, and mean readings of the 
barometer, the maximum and minimum temperature in the 
shade, the number of times the thermometer stood above certain 
points varying with the seasons of the year, the maximum in the 
sun, the minimum on the grass, amount of rain collected, and 
the number of rainy days. The wettest year of the twenty was 
1882, when the rainfall was 43°79 inches ; the dryest, 1870, with 
23°41 inches. The weather records in these tables have been 
kept by one observer, with properly verified instruments, and 
all the observations have been critically examined at the Royal 
Meteorological Society ; the botanical notices, though obtained 
by a large staff of observers, have all been recorded by one 
person, who saw all the specimens; but entomological and 
ornithological notes were taken by a series of recorders, and 
there is therefore not the same uniformity as in the two previous 
cases, 
WE have received the annual report of the West Kent Natural 
History, Microscopical, and Photographic Society for the past 
year. It contains abstracts of several papers read during the 
year. It isa pity there is no abstract of the discussion intro- 
duced by the president at the annual dinner at Gravesend, on 
“‘Bacon and Beans.” There are two papers on subjects con- 
nected with photography. 
Mr. W. F. STaNntey has recently brought out a new form of 
protractor and goniometer, which has the special merit of 
measuring an angle right up to the vertex. This new form of 
protractor will be very convenient to civil engineers in measuring 
angles upon ordnance maps which are most frequently subtended 
by short lines, and many other cases. Used as a goniometer, 
it will be very convenient to measure the angles of large crystals 
and planes of cleavage, also to draw the same direct from the 
instrument. The instrument consists of two concentric circles, 
the outer one carrying the graduation, the inner a Vernier ; each 
supports an arm with an edge extending to the centre. The 
angles are measured by slipping the inner circle with its 
attached arm and Vernier round the groove on the outer circle, 
which keeps it in position. We believe the instrument has all 
the good points which Mr. Stanley claims for it, and it will be 
useful to artists as well in determining angles of perspective. 
THE whitefish (Coregonus albus) now in the ponds at the 
Delaford Fishery are growing rapidly, some of them reaching 
seven inches in length. It will be remembered that the ova of 
these fish were brought from America last spring, and hatched 
out at South Kensington. 
A REMNANT of the great forests which once covered the south 
of Sweden was recently dug out of a bog at Kiuneved, consisting 
of a boat 6 feet in diameter hollowed out of a log. The tree 
from which it was obtained must have been 20 feet in circum- 
ference. The wood, which was blue in colour, was very hard, 
and the boat so heavy that two bullocks could not move it. 
Mr. HENRY PHILLIPS, jun, one of the secretaries to the 
American Philosophical Society, has performed a very useful 
work in compiling a register of all the papers published in the 
Tran:actions and Proceedings of the Society since its commence- 
ment. The ‘‘register” forms a small pamphlet of fifty-six 
pages, the titles being arranged according to the authors’ names. 
It is therefore an index to all the publications of the Society— 
but a name, not a subject, index. 
THE additions to the Zoological Society’s Gardens during the 
past week include a Rhesus Monkey (AZacacus rhesus 6) from 
India, presented by Mr. E. Pelditch ; a Bosmani Potto (Fero- 
dicticus potto §) from West Africa, presented by Mr. C. R. 
Williams ; two Gerbilles (Gerécllus ) from Suakim, pre- 
sented by Surgeon-Major J. A. Shaw; two White-faced Tree 
WA TORE 
| 
[dugust 27, 1885 
Ducks (Dendrocygna viduata) from West Africa, presented by 
Mr. Cecil Dudley ; three Green Turtles (Chelone viridis) from 
the West Indies, presented by M. C. Angel, F.Z.S.; a Bonnet 
Monkey (Macacus sinicus ) from India, presented by Mr. 
J. C. O'Halloran ; two Narrow-barred Finches (JZunia nisoria) 
from Java, an Indian Silver Bill (4Zwnza malabarica) from India, 
an Amaduvade Finch (Zstrelda amandava) from India, pre- 
sented by Mr, Horace Sanders ; a Short-toed Eagle (Czrcaelus 
gallicus\ from Southern Europe, presented by Mr. Henry 
Sotheran ; a Mona Monkey (Cercopithecus mona 6) from West 
Africa, presented by Mr. White ; a White-necked Crow (Corvus 
scapulatus) from West Africa, deposited ; nine Gold Pheasants 
(Thaumalea picta), received from the Right Hon. George 
Sclater-Booth, M.P.; a Barred-shouldered Dove (Gcofelia 
humeralis), a Coquerel’s Lemur (CAivogaleus coguereli), a 
Collared Fruit Bat (Cynonycteris collaris), bred in the Gardens. 
OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN 
THE BINARY-STAR 70 OPHIUCHI.—Notwithstanding the care 
with which the orbit of this double-star has been discussed, the 
companion appears to be again deviating from its predicted 
position to a considerable extent. It will be rernembered that 
from the anomalous motion of the smaller star Madler was led 
to the suspicion that the law of gravitation does not apply in this 
system, while Jacob thought there was indication of disturbance 
from a third body. 
M. Perrotin gives the following epoch resulting from his 
measures made at Nice in 1883: 
1883°49 Position 45°°6 Distance 2°28 
On comparing with the orbit assigned in No. 1 of ‘‘ Astro- 
nomical Observations made at the University Observatory, 
Oxford,” which accords closely with the measures up to 1878, 
and with the orbits Flammarion, Tisserand, and Schur, we find 
the following differences taken in the order, obseryation— 
calculation :— 
Position. Distance. 
The Oxtord/orbit — = 9°9 .. —0'60 
Flammarion af Gaasy av’ de | = Roe 
Misserand, 7. cst jeces Caee teen we 1h S eee 
SCHUM ences Suk tos ere 0 Uh) ees O75; 
It is very possible that in this case the difficulty of represent- 
ing the position of the companion-star may be attributed to the 
paucity of measures near the peri-astron, rather than to an 
anomalous motion which has not been remarked in most of the 
other binaries. However this may be, the object no doubt is 
one deserying of continued attention. The Oxford orbit, which, 
it will be seen, is the nearest as regards the position angle in 
1883, gives for 1885°5—position, 44°°6 ; distance, 2/*64. 
TurTtLe’s CoMET.—On September ro, at midnight, this comet 
will be in about R.A. 136° 33', Decl. + 3° 48’, rising at Green- 
wich two hours before the sun, and with an intensity of light 
one-third greater than when first observed at Nice on August 8. 
It may perhaps be observed after perihelion in the southern 
hemisphere if the more powerful telescopes are utilised. On 
August 13 the correction to Herr Raht’s ephemeris was — 13s. 
in right ascension and +5/°5 in declination. The comet is 
about 2' in diameter, without very apparent central condensation. 
THE COMET OF 1652.—At present we have only one calcula- 
tion of the orbit of this comet—that of Halley, founded upon 
the observations of Hevelius in the scarce volume of the 
“*Machina Ccelestis.” It would be interesting to investigate 
the orbit anew from the observations made by Richard White 
at Rome, though he gives no nearer time for his distances of the 
comet from stars between December 21, 1652, and January 3, 
1652, than ‘‘hora 2 post occasum solis.”” The observations will 
be found in Zeitschrift fiir Astronomie, vol. iv., where they are 
entitled ‘‘ Observationes Comete, qui exeunte anno 1652 com- 
paruit, habitze Romz per Riccardum Albium, Anglum.” Zach 
supposed the observer to be Richard White, and there can be 
little doubt that he is the Mr. White repeatedly mentioned by 
Evelyn in his Diary. Zach has the remark, ‘‘ Diese Beobacht- 
ungen kénnen leicht besser als die des Hevelius seyn,” and an 
examination of the latter will show that there is some foundation 
