642 



SCIENCE 



[N. 8. Vol. XXXVII. No. 956 



hammers. A paper strip sufficiently long to take 

 about 1,200 records passes between an ink ribbon 

 and the printing wheels and is fed through two 

 corrugated rollers which give the spacing be- 

 tween records. The same current operates the 

 printing magnet and the electro-magnet which 

 turns the spacing rollers. A mechanism at the 

 same time gives a shift to the ink ribbon. 



Samples of the records from the chronograph 

 were exhibited. 



Circulation in the Solar Atmosphere as Indicated 

 hy Prominences: Frederick Slocum. 

 This paper is based upon the study of 4,600 

 solar prominences of which over one third either 

 by their form or movement indicate a horizontal 

 circulation in the solar atmosphere. The results 

 have been classified according to direction N. or S., 

 heliocentric latitude, and height above the chro- 

 mosphere. Illustrations were shown of the types 

 of prominences used. 



The conclusions from this investigation are 

 given in the following summary: (1) Many prom- 

 inences, by their shapes or movements, seem to 

 indicate the existence of a horizontal current in 

 the solar atmosphere. (2) This current may have 

 opposite directions at different altitudes in the 

 same locality. (3) It may change its direction 

 just as the wind changes upon the earth. (4) In 

 middle latitudes the average tendency for move- 

 ment is toward the poles. (5) In high latitudes 

 the average tendency for movement is toward the 

 equator. (6) This tendency is much more marked 

 in the northern than in the southern hemisphere. 

 (7) From latitude 10° north to 10° south the 

 average tendency is from north to south directly 

 across the equator. (8) The prevailing directions 

 mentioned above are the same for prominences of 

 all heights. (9) Upon a rotating sphere the cir- 

 culation is undoubtedly spiral. The observations 

 used in the present investigation take account only 

 of the north and south components. The east and 

 west components may eventually be added by an 

 extended series of radial velocity measures of 

 prominences. (10) Observations upon prominences 

 within 5° to 10° of the poles are unreliable, as a 

 prominence approaching the pole spirally may 

 project so as apparently to be moving away from 

 the pole. 

 Cosmical Magnetic Fields: L. A. Bauer. 



This paper was read at the joint meeting. For 

 the abstract see page 76 of this volume. 



(Opportunity is taken here to correct an error 

 appearing in the abstract of Professor Bauer 's 



paper, ' ' On the Cause of the Earth 's Magnetic 

 Field," Science, January 3, 1913, page 27. The 

 sentence following the equations should read: 

 These characteristic functions, /j(«) and fzi^), 

 show an increase, etc.) 

 Preliminary Note on an Attempt to Detect the 



General Magnetic Field of the Sun: G. E. Hale. 



Eead at the joint session (see page 76 of this 

 volume) . 

 Visualizing the Sun's Way: H. C. Wilson. 



Two charts were exhibited showing the proper 

 motions and radial velocities of 1,157 stars. The 

 proper motions were taken from Boss's Prelim- 

 inary General Catalogue and the radial velocities 

 from unpublished records at the Lick Observatory. 

 Chart No. 1 covers the hemisphere having its 

 center at a = 270°, 5:^ + 30°, the approximate 

 apex of the solar motion. Chart No. 2 covers the 

 hemisphere having the solar antapex at its center. 

 Stars having radial velocity of approach to the 

 sun are represented by open circles, while those 

 which are receding are indicated by black circles. 

 The amount of the radial velocity is represented, 

 upon an arbitrary scale, by lines parallel to the 

 lines representing the proper motion. Chart No. 1 

 indicates quite clearly that the solar apex is some- 

 where in the vicinity of a = 270°, 8^ + 30°, 

 both by the general trend of the proper motions 

 outward and by the prevalence of open circles 

 near the center of the chart. Chart No. 2 shows 

 equally well that the antapex is near a ^90°, 

 5 = — 30°, by the prevailing blackness of the 

 star images and the general inward trend of the 

 proper motions. 

 The Spectra of the Gaseous Nebulce: Annie J. 



Cannon. 



Of the 140 nebulae which have been announced 

 to be gaseous, 50 were detected and 54 others 

 have been confirmed from the examination of the 

 Harvard photographs. An examination of 41 of 

 the brightest has been made for the purpose of 

 general classification. While at least three sub- 

 divisions of Class P of the Draper notation are 

 indicated, it does not seem advisable at present 

 to assign special designations to them. 



The principal class is represented by N.G.C. 

 7662. The so-called chief nebular lines, \ 4959 

 and X 5007, are the strongest lines, X 3726 and 

 X 3729 in the violet are extremely faint or in- 

 visible, while X 3869 and X 4686 are well marked. 

 28 out of the 41 nebulae so far studied appear 

 to belong to this general class, although 17 differ 

 from N.G.C. 7662 in having X 4686 absent, and 



