March 18, 1880] 



NATURE 



475 



number contains some papers worthy of attention, among others, 

 "A Critical Study of the Fevers of Algiers," by Dr. Angel 

 Murraud ; " Considerations on the Herbaceous Plants of the 

 Summer Flora of Algiers," by M. J. A. Ballandito ; and a lec- 

 ture on "The General Phenomena of Reproduction among 

 Vegetables," by M. F. Trabut. 



The post of astronome titulaire to the Paris Observatory 

 having been declared vacant, the Minister of Public Instruction 

 has decided upon following for the first time the prescriptions 

 of an old decree of 1852, declaring that the Minister should 

 only have the faculty to appoint one of the persons whose 

 name should have been inscribed on either of two lists, written 

 one by the Academy of Sciences and tha other by the Astro- 

 nomical Board of the Observatory. The list of the Board has 

 been sent to the Minister with the name of M. Perrigault in the 

 first line and Levean in the second. The Section of Astronomy 

 has submitted to the Academy a list containing Perrigault in the 

 first line and Leveau and Perrotin in the second. The Academy 

 will vote at its next sitting on these conclusions. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include a Grivet Monkey (Cercopithecus grisco-viiid'u) 

 from North-East Africa, presented by Mr. H. E. Laver ; a 

 Common Marmoset (Hapale jacckus) from South-East Brazil, 

 presented by Madame Sparagnapane ; a Persian Gazelle (Gaztlla 

 subgutturosa) from Persia, presented by Mr. W. Dunt ; a Golden 

 Eagle (Aquila chrysailos), European, presented by the Viscount 

 Hill; a Horrid Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) from Aracati, 

 Brazil, presented by Mr. Karl J. Schmettan ; a Red-fronted 

 Lemur (Lemur rufifrons) from Madagascar, a Guilding's Amazon 

 {.Chrysalis ^uildmgi) from St. Vincent, W.I., eight Golden 

 Plovers (Charadrius pluvialis), European, purchased ; four Wild 

 Swine (Sus scrofd) born in the Gardens. 



OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN 

 Minor Planets. — The circulars of the Berliner astrano- 

 misches Jahrbuch prove that Prof. Tietjen is using gre it exertion 

 to keep pace in calculations with the rapid discoveries of small 

 planets ; the latest circular contains elements and an ephemeris 

 of No. 212 detected at 1'ola on February 6. The actual number 

 is now 214, the last having been discovered also by M. Palisa at 

 Pola on March 1. 



The Southern Comet.— Approximate positions of the large 

 comet first remarked in South Africa on February I, deduced 

 from observations at the Royal Observatory at the Cape on each 

 evening from February 10-15 inclusive, were received from Mr. 

 Gill by last mail. The right ascensions were given to minutes 

 of time only, the corresponding north polar distances to minutes 

 of arc, but the motion of the comet in R.A. being pretty rapid 

 it has been possible to found elements upon the Cape places, 

 which will afford an idea of the true orbit, and indeed which 

 represent the observations on the six evenings as nearly as could 

 be exj cctcd under the circumstances. The elements are as 

 follow : — 



Perihelion passage, 1SS0, January 264559 G.M.T. 



Longitude of the perihelion 25547-2 



,, ascending node 332 25 o 



Inclination 4 6 38-6 



Logarithm of the perihelion distance 8-59917 



Heliocentric motion — retrograde. 



This orbit represents the observed place-; with the following 

 difference^ : — 



February 10 



have the subjoined positions, during the period that the comet, 

 so far at least as regards its lengthy train, appears to have 

 attracted S3 much attention in the other hemisphere : — 



R.A N.P.D. Distance from the Intensity 



e c , Sun. Earth. ofl-ght. 



Jan. 30 ... 314 3 ... 113 40 ... 0-237 ... 0768 ... 303 

 Feb. 1 ... 320 59 ... 116 55 ... 0*322 ... 0-709 ... 192 

 3 ... 329 2 ... 119 42 ... 0-399 ... 0-671 ... 14-0 

 5 ... 337 54 ... 121 51 ... 0-469 ... 0649 ... io-8 

 7 ... 347 12 ... 123 13 ... 0-535 ■•• °' 6 4' ••• 8-5 

 9 ... 356 25 ... 123 44 ... 0-597 ••■ °'647 ••• 67 

 The above orbit will barely suffice to indicate the comet's actual 

 positions within narrow limits ; for March 19, at 8 P.M., the 

 computed right ascension is 4I). 16m., and the north polar 

 distance 104°, which places the comet above our horizon after 

 sunset, but the intensity of light has diminished to o"2, which, 

 with the presence of the moon, seems to allow but little chance 

 of observations. 



With the elements we have given the comet would be north 

 of the ecliptic less than two days, or from about January 25d. 

 2oh. to 27d. 17b.. Greenwich time. The orbit telegraphed from 

 Brazil, apparently on the authority of a note of M. Liais's, differs 

 very widely except in the perihelion distance. 



Calculating for Sb. 30m. mean time at the Cape Observatory we 



GEOLOGICAL NOTES 



Geological Survey of Saxony. — This well-appointed and 

 well-led body of geologists continues to produce a series of 

 excellent maps, which are issued as chromolithographed sheets, 

 at the price of 2r. Each sheet is accompanied by an explanatory 

 pamphlet, price If., in which the geological structure of the 

 ground is made clear to the reader. The contents of the 

 pamphlet are conspicuously printed on the back of the cover. 

 Eight of these sheets and pamphlets have recently been issued, 

 embracing the sections of Colditz, Leisnig, Doheln, Penig, 

 Waldheim, Burkhardtsdorf, Marienberg, and ElterleiD. The 

 area embraced by these publications includes large tracts of 

 gneiss, schist, and other azoic rocks, which are described in 

 great detail in the text. There can be no doubt that this 

 thorough investigation of the Archaean rocks of Saxony will be 

 of great service in future discussions regarding the age and 

 genets of the cry talline schists. 



Geological Survey of India. — Mr. Medlicott, superin- 

 tendent of this survey, has issued his Annual Report for 1S79, from 

 w hich we learn that in the Peninsular area there were five parties 

 in the field during the past year, while in the extra-peninsular 

 area there were two parties. The map accompanying the report 

 shows that a large area of the Carnatic has been recently mapped 

 and published, and that a wide tract is in progress between 

 Hyderabad and the Bay of Bengal. The maps and reports of 

 another large district in the lower part of the Indus Valley were 

 last year published, as well as several detached areas in the 

 Peshawur and Kashmir regions. The areas completed by some 

 of the surveyors are of wide extent. Thus Mr. Feddes com- 

 pleted the survey of some 1,900 square miles in continuation of 

 his previous season's work, besides making preliminary traverses 

 of adjoining territory. This large piece of ground is almost 

 wholly occupied by eruptive igneous rocks. Mr. Hacket, how- 

 ever, succeeded in adding more than 10,000 square miles to his 

 previous survey of the Arvali region. This region is described 

 as a wide waste of sand with only scattered outcrops of rock. 

 Mr. Medlicott makes in his report an important statement as to the 

 nature and conditions of publication in the office under his charge. 

 He points out that were the issue of the work of his subordinates 

 postponed until it could be thoroughly tested and brought up to 

 the best s'andard of the time, it would often be indefinitely post- 

 poned. He states that such postponement, previous to his 

 appointment, had been the rule, and he cites the case of the 

 description of the Rajmahal hills as an example, this work 

 having actually been delayed for fifteen years, though even 

 at last it is in no inij ortant respect better than it would 

 have been had it appeared at once. He considers that 

 the chief duty of the Geological Survey is to the general 

 public, which requires, first of all, an intelligible map and 

 description of areas hitherto geologically unknown. He claims 

 that the least finished work of the Survey fulfils that duty, 

 however imperfectly, and that on the whole it is better, even at 

 the risk of publishing crude material, to give the results forth to 

 the world than to withhold them for an indefinite period until 



