Oct. 8, 1885] 
following papers will be read :—Dr. Maddox: On the Feeding 
of Insects with Bacilli. Mr. T. B. Rossiter: On the Gizzard of 
the Larvee of Corethra plumicornis. 
ARRANGEMENTS are being made for the establishment of a 
Zoological Garden in Christiania. 
DuRING last week a series of experiments were carried out 
upon North Sea trawling vessels with a view to lighting them 
by electricity. The attempt was on the whole satisfactory. 
The introduction of electric light into fishing-boats would prove 
invaluable, but the heavy expenditure involved in such a scheme 
would exclude its general usage. 
THE United States Fish Commission report a great decrease 
in the halibut and cod fisheries of America. The cause for this 
is attributed either to low temperatures of water or the destruc- 
tion of fry by reckless fishing. A general falling off of flat-fish 
is reported from Germany this year, and a diminution in the 
herring fishery is recorded from Belgium. The increased number 
of fishermen off Holland and the destruction of immature fish 
has produced a bad effect upon the fishery of that place. 
THE National Fish Culture Association have made arrange- 
ments to import a large consignment of carp from Germany for 
the purpose of acclimatising them to the waters of the United 
Kingdom. Numerous applications have been made from all 
parts for supplies of these fish, which are far superior to our own 
species. In Germany, China, France, and America carp farm- 
ing is extensively prosecuted with highly satisfactory and 
remunerative results. 
WE have received the report for the summer session of 1885 
of the Queenwood College Mutual Improvement Society. It 
describes in detail the various excursions of the session, and 
would make an admirable guide for the parts of Hampshire and 
the Isle of Wight visited. 
WE have received from the author a pamphlet containing a 
geological sketch of the Island of Antigua, by Mr. Purves, which 
was originally contributed to the Bud/etin of the Royal Museum 
of Natural History of Belgium. Prior to this paper the only 
information on the subject was contained in a paper by Dr. 
Nugent, published in 1819, and by Prof. Hovay, published in 
the American Journal of Science in 1839. The pamphlet is 
illustrated by a geological sketch map. 
THE Queen has been pleased to grant to Prof. W. Chandler 
Roberts, F.R.S., of the Royal Mint, authority to use after his 
paternal name the name of his uncle, the late Major N. L. 
Austen, J.P., of Haffenden and Combourne, in the county of 
Kent. 
THE additions to the Zoological Society’s Gardens during the 
past week include a Toque Monkey (Macacus pileatus 6) from 
Ceylon, presented by Mr. Septimus Smith; a Green Monkey 
(Cercopithecus callitrichus 8) from West Africa, a Macaque 
Monkey (MJacacus cynomolgus 2 ) from India, presented by Mr. 
S. T. K. D. Potter, F.R.G.S. ; six Indian Fruit Bats (Preropus 
medius) from India, presented by Mr. W. Jamrach; two 
Canadian Skunks (Mephitis mephitica) from North America, 
presented by Dr. C. Hart Merriam, C.M.Z.S. ; a Common 
Badger (JZ¢es faxus), British, presented by Lord Egerton 
of Tatton, F.Z.S. ; a Ring-necked Parrakeet ( Paleornis torquata) 
from India, presented by Mrs. Douglas ; a Common Barn Owl 
(Strix flammea), British, presented by Miss Linda Raven; two 
Common Guinea-Fowls (Mumida cristata), British, presented 
by Mr. C. H. Hopwood, M.P. ; a Loggerhead Turtle ( 7ha/asso- 
chelys caouana) from the Atlantic Ocean, presented by Mr. A. 
Duncan Fraser ; four Hog-nosed Snakes (/eterodon platyrhinos), 
a Say’s Snake ( Coronella suyi), two Snakes ( Coluber alleghani- 
ensis), an American Black Snake (Coluder constrictor) from 
NATURE 
553 
Indiana, North America, presented by Mr. F. J. Thompson ; a 
Greater Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (Cacatwa galerita) from 
Australia, a Great Bird of Paradise (Paradisea apoda) from the 
Aroo Islands, a Common Cormorant (Fhalacrocorax carbo), 
British, an Emu (Dromeus nove-hollandiz) from Australia, a 
Gigantic Salamander (AZegalobatrachus maximus) from Japan, 
deposited. 
OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN 
THE SATELLITES OF URANUS AND NEPTUNE.—In Appen- 
dices I and II. of the Washington Observations for 1881, Prof. 
Asaph Hall has published the results of his investigation of the 
orbits of the outer satellites of Uranus, Odevon and Titania, and 
the satellite of Neptune. The satellites of Uranus were 
amongst the first objects observed with the 26-inch refractor of 
the Naval Observatory, after it was mounted in November, 1873. 
The first series during the oppositions of 1874 and 1875 were 
discussed by Prof. Newcomb, with the view to the determination 
of the mass of the planet, and the formation of tables of the 
motions of the satellites, which were published in the Washington 
Observations for 1873. Remarking that as the earth would be 
nearly in the plane of the orbits in the year 1882, and observations 
made about that year would probably afford a good determination 
of the position of this plane, Prof. Hall commenced a new series 
in March, 1881, which were continued through the foar opposi- 
tions until the end of May, 1884 ; these observations were made 
with magnifiers of 606 and 888 ; in fair conditions of the atmo- 
sphere the outer satellites are stated to be easily observable with 
the Washinzton instrument. A comparison of the measures 
with Prof. Newcomb’s tables showed that those tables required 
but small corrections, which were found by equations of condi- 
tion in the usual manner. It should be mentioned that the tables 
were founded mainly upon Prof. Newcomb’s own measures ; 
those by Prof. Hall in the years 1875 and 1876 are included in 
his recent discussion. 
For the position of the nodes and inclination of the orbits of the 
satellites, Prof. Hall finds— 
N = 165°°81 + 0° o142¢ 
I 75°30 — 0° 001 4t 
¢ being the number of years from 1883/0. 
The mean value of the mass of Uranus by the observations of 
I Il 
: Ir aw. I neo 
Oberon is 22603? and by those of 7ztania, 22833' or, combining 
I 
22682" 
This value, though somewhat smaller than those previously ob- 
tained, Prof. Hall thinks is as good as he could obtain with the 
filar-micrometer of the large refractor, and he does not consider 
that there would be much gained by a continuation of the 
measures. He mentions that during the oppositions of the 
planet from 1881 to 1884, which were es, ecially favourable for 
the search after new satellites, he made careful examination on 
several good nights along the orbit plane of the known satellites, 
without finding any new ones. 
The orbits of O¢eron and Titania appear to be sensibly 
circular. 
Prof. Hall's discussion of the elements of the orbit of the 
satellite of Neptune is founded upon his own observations 
during the oppositions of 1875 and 1876, and those of 1881—84 ; 
in addition, he has made use of Prof. Holden’s measures in the 
interval 1874 December—1878 November, and has also dis- 
cussed those of Lassell and Marth taken at Malta in 1863 and 
1864. Prof. Newcomb’s elements are corrected by the formation 
of equations of condition and their solution, as in the case 
of the satellites of Uranus. The following are the principal 
results :— 
the values with their respective weights, the final result is 
N = 184°°32 + 0°'0095¢ 
I = 120705 + 0°0005¢ 
¢ being counted from 1883'0. 
Comparing the observations of 1881—84 with those of Lassell 
and Marth, the periodic time is found to be §°876839 mean solar 
days ; that deduced by Mr. Hind, which was adopted by Prof. 
Newcomb in his tables, is 5°8769 days ; the small difference would 
produce a change of about 5° in the true position of the satellite 
in its orbit at the beginning of next century, and Prof. Hall 
leaves it to future observations to decide whether his correction is 
required. 
