72 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. II., No. 24. 



the sieve is shoved under it, and the contents 

 of the former are released. In case no wash- 

 ing is necessary, the specimens are rapidl}' 

 transferred to their proper receptacles ; but 

 if, as usuall_y happens, the load consists mainly 

 of mud or sand, a stream of water from a 

 hose is turned upon it, and it is thoronghh- 

 washed down. A nest of three or four small 

 circular sieves, each having a different mesh, 

 is generally emplo^'ed for washing the contents 

 of the dredges. 



To describe the various appliances of research 

 belonging to the outfit of the Albatross would 

 carry us beyond the proper limits of this article : 

 suffice it to sajr, that everj- method of obtain- 

 ing results known to the fishermen and marine 

 zoologist will be tried. The scientific appara- 

 tus is mainly such as has alreadj' been thor- 

 oughly tested by American expeditions, and 

 much of it has been described in published 

 reports. There are many additional features, 

 however, which have been lately added. The 

 fisherman's outfit is complete, and comprises 

 all kinds of seines and gill-nets, line-trawls, 

 and hooks and line. The principal appliances 

 for deep-sea research will be the dredges and 

 beam-trawls, both in their original and modi- 

 fied forms ; and, in connection with the latter, 

 two large towing-nets will alwaj's be used. 

 The}' are fastened, one at either side of the 

 trawl, in the shape of wings, which name they 

 now bear in the dredger's vocabular}^. They 

 were introduced as an experiment two years 

 ago bj' the fish-eoramission ; and, proving an 

 invaluable adjunct to the trawl, thej' soon be- 

 came a permanent fixture. The simple open 

 towing-nets are to skim the surface of the 

 sea at all times, when the speed of the vessel 

 will permit ; and occasional trials will be made 

 with the Sigsbee trap for ascertaining the 

 aniountof animal life within any prescribed area 

 below the surface. 



The chemical department has not yet been 

 eompletelj^ furnished, but all the more impor- 

 tant apparatus for making the principal tests, 

 and glassware for saving water-samples, have 

 been supplied. The photographic section has, 

 however, been placed in perfect running-order, 

 and affords the means of illustrating all sorts 

 of objects, whether large or microscopic. It 

 also contains improved appliances for register- 

 ing the intensity of light at different depths. 



Among the small boats with which the Al- 

 batross is liberally provided are two steam 

 launches of the Herreschoff pattern for use in 

 setting and hauling nets, and in spearing por- 

 poises and large fish which cannot be reached 

 from the hisrh deck of the steamer. 



From the above brief account, it may be 

 riglitly assumed that this new addition to our 

 coast-marine is the most perfect floating work- 

 shop and laboratory- for scientific purposes ever 

 constructed. Its first cruise, during which it en- 

 countered severe winds, gave proof of its supe- 

 rior sailing qualities ; and, judging of its outfit 

 from past experiences, we are justified in pre- 

 dicting for it a long life of usefulness to science 

 and the fishing interests. Richard Rathbun. 



SUN-SPOT OBSERVATIONS. 



The U. S. signal-service has published month 

 by month since June, 1877, observations of 

 sun-spots, made bj- Prof. D. P. Todd (now 

 of Amherst college) with a telescope less than 

 three inches aperture. 



As a maximum of solar spottedness seems to 

 have passed, it has been thought wise to collate 

 these observations in the accompanying table, 

 and present them for comparison and study. 



In this table the Roman figiues are the actual 

 observed values, and interpolated values in 

 Italic type are added for the sake of complete- 

 ness. 



The observations for August, 1878, were 

 made by the Signal-service at Fort Whipple, 

 Va. The mean monthly results combine both 

 actual and interpolated values, and show that 

 the last minimum epoch was at 1878.9, and the 

 last maximum was at 1882.4.' 



Professor Fritz of Zurich gives the follow- 

 ing table of maxima and minima of sun-spots 

 for the present centur}- to 1878. These agree 

 in the main with the results of other researches. 



Epochs of maximum and minimum sun-spots 

 of the nineteenth century. 



Taking the mean of each twelve months, we 

 have mean yearlv numbers, in 1878, 2.2 ; 1879, 

 2.0; 1880, 14.3; 1881, 26.7; and, in 1882, 

 28.3. The last two agree with the observa- 

 tions of Tacchini in Rome. 



