264 



NA TURE 



[Jan. 15, 1880 



for numerous mi-takes occur in the spelling both of the common 

 as well as of the scientific names ; thus we have Spury for 

 Spurry, Cormwell for Gromwell, Torn-apple for Thorn-apple, 

 HorJcum murianum for //. murinum, Anthoxanthum oderatum 

 for A. odoratum, &c. 



In four bone-caves of Upper Franconia different proportions 

 of mammalian remains are met with (" Some Franconian Cave 

 Faunas," by A. Nehring, in Report of Proceed, of the Imperial 

 Geolog. Instit. Vienna, August 31, 1879). The bones of the older 

 layers are darker in colour, and belong to the collared lemming 

 and other decidedly arctic species. Bats are absent. This fauna 

 probably existed at the end of the glacial period, when there 

 were as yet few forests, or none, in the surrounding region. 

 The bones belonging to a later period are lighter in colour, and 

 indicate a post-glacial forest-fauna, mingled with a few arctic 

 species. Bats requiring a temperate climate are abundant. 

 These more delicate remains may have been brought to the caves 

 by owls. This later cave-fauna of Upper Franconia agrees with 

 that of Balve in Westphalia. 



In the United States a series of experiments has been made 

 by the Ordnance Department in the use of the telephone to assist 

 in determining the time of flight of small-arm projectiles, which 

 has hitherto been a matter of great difficulty at long ranges, 

 owing to the impossibility of seeing them strike. One telephone 

 was placed within a few feet of the gun, and the other (both 

 being provided with Blake's transmitters) in the shelter, about 

 thirty feet in front of the target. The telephone being placed 

 to the ear, a stop-watch, beating fourths of a second, was started 

 at the moment of firing, and stopped on the bullet striking. The 

 observations founded on a large number of experiments never 

 differed more than a quarter or half of a second from each other, 

 the slight delay in starting the watch being neutralised by the 

 delay in stopping it. It was found that the time of transit was 

 affected by the wind, being shortened by a rear and lengthened 

 by a headwind. 



From the Canaries we continue to receive the Set 

 Canarias, which we are pleased to see has reached its twenty- 

 third number, and still continues to devote a fair amount of its 

 space to science. 



A second edition of Mr. W. H. Penning's " Text-Book of 

 Field Geology "has been published by Bailliere, Tindall, and 

 Cox, with several additions and improvements. 



It is stated that a seam of exceedingly t;ood coal has been 

 opened up on the Irwin River in Western Australia. Its exist- 

 ence appears to have been known, though no attempt had been 

 previously made to work it. 



M. Cochery, Minister of Postal Telegraphy, has asked from 

 the French Parliament a credit of 320,000/. for establishing a 

 subterranean telegraphic communication between the principal 

 French cities and Paris. This resolution has been taken in con- 

 sequence of the number of interruptions experienced in the 

 aerial service during the present winter. For days the communi- 

 cation with Marseilles was conducted by a single line. 



The number of the Transactions of the Asiatic Society of 

 Japan which has just come to hand, contains several papers of 

 interest from different points of view. Among these may be 

 mentioned ■■ Analyses of Surface Waters in Tokiyo [Yedo]" by 

 Mr. R. W. Atkinson ; " The Chemical Industries of Japan," by 

 the same; "A History of Japanese Art," by W. Anderson; and 

 notes by the Rev. J. Summers on Osaka, usually known to the 

 outer world as the commercial capital of Japan. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include a Brown Bear {Units arclos), three — 

 Snakes (Tropidonolits tigrinus) from Japan, presented by Messrs. 

 James Veitch and Sons and Mr. Chas. Maries ; an Arabian 

 Gazelle (Gazella arabica) from Arabia, presented by Mis M. 



Murray; two Corean Pigs (Sus .</. inc. ) from the Island of 

 Quelpart, Corea, presented by Dr. Sydney Ringer ; a Japanese 

 Hawk Eagle (Spizaltm orientalis) from Japan, presented by Mr. 

 Harry Pryor, C.M.Z.S. ; two Common Gulls (Larus ennus), 

 British, presented by Mr. George Weaver ; a Robben Island 

 Snake (Coronelia phocarum), four Rufescent Snakes (Leplodira 

 rufcscins) from South Africa, presented by the Rev. G. II. R. 

 Fi-k, C.M.Z.S. ; a Rhomb-marked Snake (Psammophylax 

 rcmbealus) from South Africa, presented by Mr. Eu-tace 

 Pillans ; three Oyster-catchers {Humatopus cstralegus), three 

 Brant Geese (Bernicla brenta), British, purchased; a Yellow 

 Ccnure [Conurus sohtilialis) from Guiana, received in exchange. 



OUR ASTRO XOMICAL COLUMN 



Winnecke's Comet. — The only known comet of short period 

 due at perihelion within the pre-ent year is that discovered by 

 Winnecke in March, 1S5S, which was soon found to be identical 

 with the third comet of 1S19, detected by Pons at Marseilles on 

 Tune 12, having completed seven revolutions in the interval. 

 Eneke had shown that the observations in 1S19, extending over 

 thirty-six days, were best represented by an ellip-e, with a 

 period of 2052 days, or S'6l8 years, but it is not upon record, so 

 far as we know, that any serious attempt was made to recover 

 !he comet when with Encke's period it might be expected to be 

 near perihclon, and thus it remained for Winnecke to find it again 

 a f ter a lapse of nearly forty years. The perturbations by Jupiter 

 and Saturn during this period have been calculated by Clausen, 

 with the view to fix the precise value of the mean motion at the 

 periheli n passage in 1858 Another revolution would be 

 completed in November, 1S63, but the comet's track in the 

 heavens under that condition is so unfavourable, that no observa- 

 tions were secured. At the next return in 1S68, however, it 

 was well observed, and again in 1S75. The calculations for this 

 comet are understood to be in the hands of Oppblzer, of Vienna. 

 With hi~ elements for 1S75, tne next perihelion passage, without 

 having regard to perturbations which must be small in the 

 present revolution, would fall at the beginning of December 

 next, in which case, the comet's apparent track must be again an 

 unfavourable one ; indeed it seems questionable if it will be 

 pos-ible to obtain observations. The most likely time will 

 perhaps he late in January, but the intensity of light will then 

 be very --mall. 



Oppolzer has suggested that the comet imperfectly observed 

 by Pons in February, 1808, in the constellation Ophiuchus, may 

 have been identical with WinnecWs, if it were in perihelion on 

 or ai out April 12. The following particulars relating to the 

 comet of 1 80S appear to have been obtained from Pons's papers, 

 and were communicated to Schumacher by Mghirhami : — "La 

 comete du 6 Fevrier 1S0S, est une des cometes qui ont echappe 

 aux astronomes sans pouvoir en calculer les elemens a cause que 

 Ton n'en a pu avoir que quelques positions tres-douteuses par 

 meprise avec d'autres nebuleuses. Elle etait tres faible et diffi- 

 cile a voir. La ne'bnlosite etait ronde, elle s'etendait a pen pres 

 un degre et on y soupconnait par intervalle un tres faible noyau 

 en deux parties. Son mouvement etait a-sez rapide vers le sud 

 et l'on n'a pu L'apercevoir que 3 jours parceque la clair de June 

 etait tres-fort, de sorte que malgre de recherches tres-opiniatres, 

 on ne pouvait pas meme la soupconner le 10." There is then 

 given a " Configuration renver.ee du 3 fevrier vers les 5I1. du 

 matin dans le grand chercheur qui a peu pres a 3 degres de 

 champ ; " and it is added : " Les deux nebuleuses marquees dans 

 la figure sont sur le ventre d'Ophiuchus un peu au-dessous de 

 1'Equateur." Oppolzer identifies the nebulae as Nos. 9 and IO 

 of Messier. In Zach's Correspondent the comet is called a very 

 small one, and nothing is said as to its rapid motion. It is 

 evident that if the statement forwarded to Schumacher is the 

 correct one, the comet moving quickly and with an apparent 

 diameter of nearly a degree must have been in near proximity to 

 the earth. Winnecke's comet in perihelion, on April 12, would 

 have had about the following positions : — 



h. „ , 



Feb. 5 at 16 ... R. A. 237 56 ... Deck -70... Dist. 1-04 



„ 8 at 17... ,, 24139 •■• .. - 7 3 1 ••• » ' OI 

 So that the motion, though southerly, would be but small. The 

 identity of the comet of 1S08 with Winnecke's comet is there- 

 fore at least doubtful. 



