224 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. IX. No. 215. 



first to try to verify the references given at the 

 end, in which they will fail, and second to read 

 ' Vivisection : a statement in behalf of Science,' 

 published in the issue of this Journal for 

 March 20, 1896, and endorsed by President 

 Eliot, of Harvard University, and the late 

 Francis A. Walker, President of the Massachu- 

 setts Institute of Technology. — Ed. Science.] 



ASTBONOUICAL NOTES. 

 EEPOKTS OF OBSERVATORIES. 



The annual reports of three of the most ac- 

 tive observatories of the world are at hand. 



1. Report of Her Majesty''s Astronomer at the 

 Cape of Oood Hope for the year 1897. — The 

 astrophotographic telescope was used for 

 chart plates, catalogue plates, variables, and 

 with a 20-degree prism for a spectroscopic 

 survey of stars to 3 J magnitude. The tran- 

 sit circle was used for stars needed for the 

 measurement of plates to complete the Cape 

 zones, — 40° to — 52°. 9,000 standard stars 

 will be included in this area. The 7-inch 

 equatorial has been chiefly used to look 

 up discrepancies in the photographic plates 

 and in checking missing stars. Among the re- 

 sults obtained was the confirmation of the large 

 proper motion of 9" in the star which Kapteyn 

 had detected on the plates. The heliometer 

 was used chiefly in triaugulation of comparison 

 stars for observations of planets at opposition. 

 Preparations were making for the mounting of 

 the new McLean telescope, constructed by 

 Grubb, and the new transit circle by Troughton 

 and Simms. The computations were chiefly 

 upon the meridian observations of former years, 

 and upon heliometer observations for parallax. 

 Dr. Gill has eleven regular assistants and com- 

 puters, with other computers occasionally em- 

 ployed. The observatory carries on an exten- 

 sive system of time signals, and the geodetic 

 survey of South Africa will be under the direc- 

 tion of the government astronomer. 



2. Report of the Superintendent of the U. S. 

 Naval Observatory for the year ending June SO, 

 1898. — The 26-inch equatorial has been used for 

 miorometric observations of the faint comets, 

 satellites, close doubles and the diameters of 



Venus and Mercury. The 12-inch telescope 

 has been similarly used for asteroids and comets. 

 The 9-inch transit has been used for sun, moon, 

 planets and certain stars. The new 6-inch 

 steel transit is in process of erection. The 5- 

 inch altazimuth has been used as a zenith tele- 

 scope and as a vertical circle. The opinion is 

 expressed that declinations can be obtained with 

 greater accuracy by this instrument than by a 

 meridian circle. The astronomical work has 

 been materially lessened by the detachment of 

 line officers for active service in the recent war, 

 necessitating the care of nautical instruments, 

 chronometers and time service by the astro- 

 nomical staff". This report goes into minute 

 detail regarding the work of the Observatory, 

 even mentioning such minor matters as the 

 mounting of a new thermometer, and the re- 

 pairing of the wooden cases of clocks, the glue 

 in which had deteriorated. The Nautical Al- 

 manac has been under the care of the Astro 

 nomical Director, Professor Harkness. The 

 chief publication has been the Catalogue of 

 Stars from observations made from 1866-1891, 

 prepared by Professor Eastman. 



3. Fifty-third annual report of the Director of 

 the Astronomical Observatory of Harvard College, 

 for year ending September 30, 1898. — The 15-inch 

 equatorial has been used for photometric obser- 

 vations chiefly of variables. The 6-inch equa- 

 torial has been used for observations of variables 

 by the method of eye estimates. The meridian 

 circle has been used to complete the observa- 

 tions for the southern zone — 9°50' to — 14°10'. 

 The meridian photometer has been devoted to 

 the reobservation of the stars in the Harvard 

 Photometry and other stars fainter than those 

 in that catalogue. The 8-inch and 11-inch 

 photographic telescope, working under the 

 Henry Draper Memorial, have obtained more 

 than 3,000 plates. Their study has resulted in 

 various discoveries, such as twelve variables, 

 stars of peculiar spectra, one spectroscopic 

 binary, one spectrum of a meteor with five 

 bright lines, one spectrum of the aurora with 

 four bright lines. At Arequipa, Peru, more 

 than 2,400 plates have been made with the 

 8-inch, 13-inch and 24-inch telescopes. Profes- 

 sor Bailey's study of variables in clusters has 

 revealed 509 variables in 20 clusters ; the light 



